The essence of a sand pit

By Jeff Mingay

Without exception, the most common complaint from golf and country clubs players these days is, the bunkers suck. There’s too much sand in this bunker, and not enough in that one. The sand’s too soft, they say. It’s too hard or too dry. And, of course, there’s no consistency between bunkers throughout the course. 

Frankly, golfers expect too much. Bunkers are hazards after all. They’re supposed to be avoided. Yet still, a remarkable number of contemporary golfers are abhorred when they discover their ball lying poorly in the sand. The complainers are usually poor bunker players, too, who blame shots left in the bunker and balls bladed over the greens on the condition the sand, and the course superintendent. 

In defence of the superintendent, it’s impossible to maintain sand consistency throughout eighteen-holes. There are simply too many variables, including wind, rain, and golfers who do poor rake jobs. In fact, the last golfer to rake has a much more profound affect on the condition of the sand than the course superintendent.

Why should bunkers be consistent, anyway? To serve their traditional purpose, bunkers should actually be inconsistent, and unpredictable. That way, golfers are fearful of them and strategic design is properly emphasized. Moreover, simply challenging, and successfully avoiding a fearsome bunker on a bold line at the flagstick is a thrilling aspect of playing golf. And, escaping from an intimidating predicament in the sand is nearly as exciting. 

Some of the most famous, and fearsome bunkers in golf have appropriate names, too; names that clearly suggest these hazards should be feared, and avoided. Hell and Stroke at St. Andrews for example. And the beautifully unkempt Hell’s Half Acre at Pine Valley, the world’s number one ranked course.

In fact, the fearsome character, and naturally occurring appearance of sand bunkers at a majority of the world’s most highly regarded courses is a principle design element lending to their greatness. Think Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Shinnecock Hills, Pebble Beach, Royal County Down, Merion, and Sand Hills for example.

At Sand Hills, the youngest course to ever appear in GOLF magazine’s world top-10 ranking, golf architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw masterfully routed a course to take advantage of several natural blow outs in the native, grassy dunes of central Nebraska, then orchestrated the creation of numerous artificial sand hazards that brilliantly mimic the lines of nature. Even trained eyes have trouble determining which bunkers were created by natural force and which are the handiwork of Coore’s and Crenshaw’s talented construction crew.  

The bunkers at Sand Hills play naturally as well, presenting varied challenges. Filled with billowing sand and native vegetation, including prairie grasses and Yucca plants encroaching on the fuzzy margins of the bunker, they’re genuine hazards. You’re quite likely to find buried balls, uneven lies, and awkward stances after hitting into the bunkers at Sand Hills. Nonetheless, visiting golfers who complain about the bunkers at their home course are stunned by the magnificence of the setting and the quality of golf there. And, in turn, they happily accept the rugged beauty, and harsh nature of the bunkers as part of the adventure.

“Instinctively the golfer knows that his pastime is a contest with the obstacles which nature spreads in his way,” wrote the late Max Behr, an unheralded course architect and deep-thinking golf philosopher who designed a number of revolutionary courses in California during the 1920s. “This is proved by the experience that he readily accepts without question all natural hazards no matter how illogical or damnable they may be; because an artificial hazard is an evident design to thwart his skill, he argues with it.”

In other words, the more naturally appearing a sand hazard is, the less apt a golfer is to complain about its presence and condition. 

Based on a lot of travel, and fortunate circumstances that have allowed me to visit many of the world’s great courses, I have a suspicion: there's nothing wrong with the bunkers at your home course; other than perhaps they’re a bit too tidy. Regardless, if sand play frustrates you, take a lesson. Better yet, become a better strategist and avoid bunkers altogether. That’s the point.   

This column originally appeared at GolfObserver.com