Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: JNC Lyon on April 10, 2011, 11:21:11 PM
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After seeing Lederach today for the first time, I was reminded how interesting bunkerless greens can be. This was something learned well in the British Isles, but I really had it hammered home today. The greens at 1, 3, 5 and 12 are bunkerless and are phenomenal holes.
What are some of your favorite bunkerless greens? A few choices of mine:
3, 6 and 17 at Deal
4 at Huntercombe
2 at Long Shadow
3 at Morgan Hill
13 at North Berwick
10 at Renaissance
MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION: Do bunkerless greens lend themselves to more options, both with the approach shot and around the green? Bunkers only present one short game option (unless they are very shallow, a type of bunker I am warming to), and they often restrict ground options. Are bunkerless greens preferable to those with a liberal use of bunkering?
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#14 (Foxy) at Royal Dornoch
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Of course! How could I forget about Foxy?
What would this green be like if it had a bunker or two around the green? Would it sacrifice options or merely character?
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18 at TOC with the valley of sin making things Interesting
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John -
It is hard to imagine the green at Foxy would be better defended with a greenside bunker or two. Those slopes in front of the green repel any poorly hit approach shot and force the ball to roll 20-30 yards away from the green.
I would much rather be playing my 3rd shot from a greenside bunker rather than have to decide whether to putt, chip or pitch my 3rd shot from a tight lie while I was 20-30 yards from the green.
DT
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Two of the bunkerless greens at Stone Eagle; #1 and #4
#1, you hit an approach shot to a angle green that has three tiers, if you are not on the right tier you are most likely to get a three putt unless you hit a fantastic first putt.
#4, this is one of the best holes at Stone Eagle, the green is wild. It has two saddles on each side and then a big set of breasts in the middle of the green one at 6 o clock and another at 12 o clock. This makes it extremely difficult if you have to putt from one side of the green to the other. #4 doesn't have any bunkers and is one of the best holes I will ever play. I swear the tee shot combined with the green makes one hell of a golf hole.
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JNC
As you know Burnham has 9 bunkerless greens and as probably don't know Pennard has 8. This lack of bunkering is one of the best traits of both these courses and really helps to distinguish them by relying on the land more than many other courses do. With very few exceptions my favourite courses are relatively light on sand no matter where placed. I don't know how many pix of greens I see and think the hole would be better without sand. For some reason archies don't want to trust to a good green site with a clever green being enough to get the job down. I wonder if green speeds have made it harder for archies to create that interest?
Ciao
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Paraparaumu Beach only has 35 bunkers in total across its links and 4 of the holes are completely bunkerless, 1,5,13 and 16. These greens complexes however rate amongst the most clever on the course with short grass and undulations creating subtle strategy. These complexes are possibly the most difficult to negotiate as well.
(http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww35/bunkersb/5thb.jpg)
5th Hole
(http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww35/bunkersb/13thd.jpg)
13th Hole
(http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww35/bunkersb/16tha-1.jpg)
16th Hole
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Leo,
One day my friend, one day. Those shots look great. Pram is on the short list.
With all the dunes around and some dramatic bunkering in places, a lot of folks forget that Ballyneal has a relatively low number of true green side bunkers. I remember several holes that have a bunker nearby, but play like a bunkerless green. I know that 9 has one on back, but it seems to be out of play. 15 (Dell) has one off to the left up on the dune, but I feel like it's a bit out of play as well. The only true bunkerless green is 14, and it's really well done in my opinion with the big swale short right.
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Lancaster 11
Enniscrone 15-17
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The 7th hole at Brae Burn, in Newton, Ma, has a nice bunkerless green on hole 7. Hole travels uphill to a green site perched into a hill, with the land sloping hard and steep to the front/left, and left part of the greens. Generally there is some fescue in that direction, as well as the hilltop overlooking the right side of the approach fairway, and green. Beyond the green is a 7 foot grade, covered in fescue, which holds the 8th tees. Going long to such an uphill hole is difficult, but when you do, you are above the hole, in deep rough or fescue, everything running away from you - not fun. The Cheesecake brooke, which runs the whole property, intersects the fairway at about 130 yrds on the right, and 115 yrds on the left (diagnol, but out of play unless you are a long ball hiiter, or have to lay up, and can not make it over the carry). To carry the creek to the next fairway, there is a good 10 foot steep hill, traveling up from the creek's bank, so a lay up is no easy task. The green is "flat" but will break a ton, and it sits unobstructed from trees, so the sun really gets the green moving.
The pond was added in the 80's. Just beyond the pond, were two fairway bunkers, put in by Ross, either in 1912 or 1928. They were since removed, I am not sure when, but my guess is in the 80's when Brian Silva did some course work. The 7th hole, is the original 2nd hole, built in 1897, and has remained in play, and bunkerless, since its inception. Great hole, and after 6 challenging, challenging holes, the 7th is no breather, but birdies have been known to be found here.
(http://IMG201104011_094132.jpg)
this is a shot from 97 looking back down the hole, from above the green
(http://golflinks3.jpg)
a view up the hill, from around the 30's or 40's. You can see the hole snaking up hill, with the land falling left, and the green, bunkelrlessly perched straight away
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(http://IMG_20110411_094132)
(http://golflinks3)
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why don't pictures load? I put them into the [img] brackets, and it is closed with the closing bracket. Tried putting in with the file extension (jpg), and without, both times did not work
Have had lots and lots of problems uploading pictures....any help please???????????
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I think it is more important not to have bunkers on the ideal side to come to the green if there is random, interesting land. Might I be thinking of #7 at Rolling Green?
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why don't pictures load? I put them into the [img]http://brackets, and it is closed with the closing bracket. Tried putting in with the file extension (jpg), and without, both times did not work
Have had lots and lots of problems uploading pictures....any help please???????????
Your 2nd bracket needs to include a "/" before img
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John,
Plenty at Burnham as Sean has already said. Here are my favourites, some of which have already been mentioned:
1, 3 and 14 at Burnham & Berrow
14 at Royal Dornoch
3 and 6 at Deal
5, 6 and 14 at Royal Portrush
5 at Royal Worlington & Newmarket
17 at Hunstanton
With a great green site, you don't always need bunkers, well actually as far as the whole course is concerned, when it comes to bunkers, less is more as they say. But I'd say there are too many variables to say for certain that a bunkerless green gives you more options. But I expect they lull a lot of people used to bunkers into having a false sense of security?
John -
It is hard to imagine the green at Foxy would be better defended with a greenside bunker or two. Those slopes in front of the green repel any poorly hit approach shot and force the ball to roll 20-30 yards away from the green.
I would much rather be playing my 3rd shot from a greenside bunker rather than have to decide whether to putt, chip or pitch my 3rd shot from a tight lie while I was 20-30 yards from the green.
DT
David,
I wouldn't have Foxy any other way, and I can see where you are coming from regarding that you would rather be in a bunker but if its a real deep one, awkward lie, one leg in, one out, coming out backwards... are you sure? ;)
Cheers,
James
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Boony
Interesting. I would take #s 7 & 15 as my favourite non-bunker greens at Burnham.
Ciao
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Boony
Interesting. I would take #s 7 & 15 as my favourite non-bunker greens at Burnham.
Ciao
I have been playing Burnham for 35 years, no one mentions that only half the greens are bunkered, that I think is great testament to the quality of the defence of those greens. 15 is my fave, lovely options to feed.
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Adrian
No, I don't hear many people lamenting the lack of sand at Burnham. The balance of sand, humps/hollows and wind is about as good as it gets. The only real drawback is the out n' back routing which creates long stretches of similar wind. I still think that if they had a few million quid and a good designer, the current courses could be scrapped and an all world one built.
That 15th green is my favourite on the course. The borrows are incredibly deceptive.
Ciao
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Sean, I loved the bunkerless greens at Burnham, and I agree that 7 and 15 are two of the best.
Are bunkerless greens inherently more nature and therefore more desirable than green complexes that contain bunkers. I can only imagine how I would feel about greens like Dornoch's 14th or Deal's 6th if they were marred with bunkers for aesthetic purposes.
In fact, I felt a few of Lederach's greens, particularly the 2nd and the 17th, could be improved with the elimination of a bunker or two.
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14 at Augusta (that I haven't played) and 6 at Wild Horse (the entire hole is bunkerless).
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Sean, I loved the bunkerless greens at Burnham, and I agree that 7 and 15 are two of the best.
Are bunkerless greens inherently more nature and therefore more desirable than green complexes that contain bunkers. I can only imagine how I would feel about greens like Dornoch's 14th or Deal's 6th if they were marred with bunkers for strategic purposes.
In fact, I felt a few of Lederach's greens, particularly the 2nd and the 17th, could be improved with the elimination of a bunker or two.
JNC
I don't really know. Perhaps much of it comes down to one's eye for design. I think a lot of people expect and want to see sand as a major influence on green design. Its also could be a matter of terrain. Some designers may be hesitant to push dirt around in creating humps/hollows but not so in creating bunkers - maybe its "safer" to do this. My eye is more attuned to seeing rolling linksland or even sharp features such as at Huntercombe instead of bunkers (which probably explains why I like the hidden look of revetted or grass face bunkers compared to sand faced ones). I often find sand jarring to look and when something stands out like that I then begin to question if its needed or makes the hole better. Even then, I am inclined to prefer one bunker. Although, sometimes a setting is just right and a load of bunkers looks good. Burnham's 9th is a good example of an attractive multiple bunker green site.
(http://golfclubatlas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Arble18.jpg)
Then I could look at Pennard's 11th and wonder why the bunker is there. Its a superb greensite that needs no sand.
(http://www.golfclubatlas.com/images/SAPennard11a.jpg)
Now compare that to Burnham's 7th and I bet most people would pick that hoel as a real dud aesthetically speaking, but once you get to know the hole beauty can take on a different meaning.
(http://golfclubatlas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Arble14.jpg)
Ciao
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Baltray has a great green complex on the back nine that is bunkerless
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The Dell hole at Lahinch.
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While I obviously have no where near the experience of most people on this board when it comes to bunkerless greens, I can say that I love them. My favorite shots around greens are usually shots bounding over grass and watching the ball feed toward the cup. I have yet to come across a bunker that allows me to chip out and use the hill between me and the cup as a method of slowing down the ball.
As a side note I wish there were simply more greens around that had more fairway than rough within 10 yards of the green.
Chris
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Vista Verde in Scottsdale features a couple of greens with no bunkers. The one on the back nine (12?) is especially nice.
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I have seen a number of bunkerless greens recently (im currently working in scotland)
but ive always loved the 4th at woodlands.
I also walked Cork golf club lately and really liked the par 4 6th with three tiers!
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RMD:
Baltray has a great green complex on the back nine that is bunkerless
Do you mean the 12th? Long par four that runs through the saddle between two dunes with a semi-blind approach? That is a great hole.
From memory the 16th green, obscured behind a dune from the RHS of the fairway but visible from the left, is also both fantastic and bunkerless.
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No. 8 at Dormie club immediately sprang to mind, as does 11 at Bandon Trails (I guess there is a bunker about 45 yds short of the green there but I still say it counts ;))
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No. 8 at Dormie club immediately sprang to mind, as does 11 at Bandon Trails (I guess there is a bunker about 45 yds short of the green there but I still say it counts ;))
Carr,
11 at Trails counts
8 at Dormie
(http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt263/dfjb23/Dormie%20Club/IMG_1235.jpg)
11 at Trails
(http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt263/dfjb23/Bandon%20Trails/IMG_0734.jpg)
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7 at Inverness
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7 at Inverness
Not only a bunkerless green, but a bunkerless hole.
(http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt263/dfjb23/Inverness/IMG_0032.jpg)
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RMD:
Baltray has a great green complex on the back nine that is bunkerless
Do you mean the 12th? Long par four that runs through the saddle between two dunes with a semi-blind approach? That is a great hole.
From memory the 16th green, obscured behind a dune from the RHS of the fairway but visible from the left, is also both fantastic and bunkerless.
Scott,
I suspect RMD is referring to the 14th at Baltray, the short par 4? I can't believe I forgot about that one! Thinking about it, there are several bunkerless greens at Baltray, and both short par 4s are, the 4th as well as the 14th.
Sean,
I knew if I left off the 7th and 15th at Burnham I'd get a response ;D Thanks to your Obi Wan like guidance I know love the 7th, but I think I prefer the holes as a whole rather than just its green complex and I sometimes think that those couple of little mounds on the right are a bit daft. Now the 15th green is great so I'll just have to say that I defend my right to change my mind about any list I post on a day to day basis... ;) ::)
Cheers,
James
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Great pics of Paraparaumu Leo. Cant believe I still havent got there to play yet.
Are you going to the conference in Hamilton in June?
How about the very radical concept of a bunkerless golf course?
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,34305.0.html
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How about the very radical concept of a bunkerless golf course?
Grant,
While I suspect few people are going to build new courses without bunkers, there are quite a few here in the UK including:
Royal Ashdown Forest
Piltdown
Berkhampstead
Charnwood Forest*
Painswick*
* The ones I've actually got round to playing!
I believe there are various reasons for this, and I'm sure others could flesh this out a bit, but some are built within large country estates where the landowners didn't let them cut bunkers into the course, others are over public common land and probably not built for similar reasons, plus with people and animals wandering about they would be a maintenance nightmare.
A couple of additional bunkerless comments. A course near to my home, Kedleston Park, is within the grounds of Kedleston Hall (a rather grand National Trust property), and recently they took out all bunkers that were in view from the Hall. Secondly, Sutton Coldfield is over public common land and has no fairway bunkers, but the greens are surrounded by fencing and so there are bunkers within the fencing.
Cheers,
James
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James,
You can add the 9 holer at Chorleywood to your list of bunkerless courses. I used to be a member there. Berkhampsted really deserves more discussion on here, it's a course I really like, though it's a long time since I played there.
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Great pics of Paraparaumu Leo. Cant believe I still havent got there to play yet.
Are you going to the conference in Hamilton in June?
How about the very radical concept of a bunkerless golf course?
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,34305.0.html
Hey Grant
Pram beach awaits.........
Yes Hamilton locked in
Bunkerless? I still think hazards in whatever form help shape the interest of the layout.
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5 & 16 at Paraparaumu are two of the finest bunkerless par 3s to be found, add bunkers to the holes and potential 5s and more disappear for the better player.
For a reasonably well bunkered course Deal has 1, 3, 4, 6, 17 & 18 as bunkerless greens. All have their merits 4 and 17 being my favourites.
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Speaking of Royal Cinque Ports, there aren't any bunkers at the 10th green are they?
If not, then that's my second-favorite bunkerless green right behind Dornoch's "Foxy". And one of my favorite holes overall to play, anywhere. Man I wish I were in England right now.
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Preakness Hills had four (4) bunkerless greens, currently, they have two,
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Nice thread and a great opportunity for me to mention Silloth yet again. The 7th and the 13th, being a par 4 and a par 5 respectively don't have a single bunker on either hole never mind the greens and yet they are stroke index 1 and 2 if memory serves me right. The 5th also doesn't have a bunker on the hole and I think its stroke index 5. Simply great use of natural landforms is all that is needed on these holes to make them a challenge.
Niall
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14th Co. Louth... class short par 4 .. Simpson
4th Co. Sligo... par 3 170yards. Just had the existing tee extended to gain 10-12 yards !!! Colt.
Wonderful golf holes with great mental challenges.
KK
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The 15th at Kingsley is a great bunkerless green. It's an elevated green with run-offs on the front and two sides. It allows for a lot of recovery options.
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The amazing 16th at Sand Hills.
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The 14th hole at Augusta National is amazing!
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The 15th at Kingsley is a great bunkerless green. It's an elevated green with run-offs on the front and two sides. It allows for a lot of recovery options.
I actually thought about the same hole when I saw the title of the thread, but then remembered there is actually a bunker or two just over the back of the green. Seen it come into play on the back pin once or twice. Great green complex though!
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The 15th at Kingsley is a great bunkerless green. It's an elevated green with run-offs on the front and two sides. It allows for a lot of recovery options.
I actually thought about the same hole when I saw the title of the thread, but then remembered there is actually a bunker or two just over the back of the green. Seen it come into play on the back pin once or twice. Great green complex though!
You're absolutely right, Mike. I overlooked those two bunkers because they blend into the hill on the back of the green. Oh well. Like you said, still a great green complex!
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The 14th hole at Augusta National is amazing!
Agreed! Probably the most underrated hole on the course. A daunting approach shot for sure.
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I wanted to bring back the bunkerless greens thread for a couple more observations.
Three of my new favorite bunkerless greens are 16 at Merion (West) and 4 and 5 at Tumblebrook, a very obscure and very bare-bones Ross nine-holer in Saucon Township. Each of these greens has a steep falloff on at least one side of the green, meaning a shot missed on that side will run well away from the green and leave an exceedingly difficult recovery. Many of my favorite bunkerless greens (3 at The Ocean Course, 6 at Deal, Foxy) have this sort of feature. Do bunkerless greens need to be pushed up to be effective? Will a lay-of-the-land bunkerless green lack for defenses.?
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The 17th at Pasatiempo is a striking bunkerless green. On a course that is full of great bunkers, the 17th is a eye opening change of pace.
Number 12 at my home course, Flossmoor CC. is a lay of the land green. The contours of the land and the green contours creates the defense around the green.
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Tumblebrook was pretty neat. I will have to head back there with a camera at some point. Its a great example of a course that didn't get "treed in" over the years.
Mark
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I wanted to bring back the bunkerless greens thread for a couple more observations.
Three of my new favorite bunkerless greens are 16 at Merion (West) and 4 and 5 at Tumblebrook, a very obscure and very bare-bones Ross nine-holer in Saucon Township. Each of these greens has a steep falloff on at least one side of the green, meaning a shot missed on that side will run well away from the green and leave an exceedingly difficult recovery. Many of my favorite bunkerless greens (3 at The Ocean Course, 6 at Deal, Foxy) have this sort of feature. Do bunkerless greens need to be pushed up to be effective? Will a lay-of-the-land bunkerless green lack for defenses.?
JNC - Interesting question.
Of the two bunkerless holes that I thought of, Rustic Canyon #9 and Rustic Canyon #16, only one of them is pushed up (sort of). #16 has steep slopes (and short grass) behind and to the left of the green, creating very difficult recoveries and also creating very difficult approaches (to try to avoid the recoveries).
#9 at Rustic Canyon is a different animal, however, as it is more of a "lay of the land" green. That said, the internal contours are significant and there are distinct sections and tiers to the green. As such, if you try to hit the green in two (its a medium length par 5), it is important to leave the ball in the appropriate spot for the pin position. If the pin is front left, you don't want to miss on the right side of the green as you will have an extremely difficult up and down.
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Do bunkerless greens need to be pushed up to be effective? Will a lay-of-the-land bunkerless green lack for defenses.?
Nope...
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/5122481480_ee5f20b641_b.jpg)
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Ed,
What are the defenses of this green pictured at DC?
Mark
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Ed,
What are the defenses of this green pictured at DC?
Mark
There are multiple holes at DC where if you miss the green your ball can easily kick or feed into the wooded areas. Don't miss long in the above photo!
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Thanks JB! I wasnt sure if there was anything we were missing if the photo was zoomed out more.
Mark
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Thanks JB! I wasnt sure if there was anything we were missing if the photo was zoomed out more.
Mark
Mark,
Check out my DC photo on page 1 of this thread. Long or an overhooked approach doesn't leave much room for recovery!
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4 at Shoal Creek.
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x67/kelbrett/ShoalCreek2008026.jpg)
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Ed,
What are the defenses of this green pictured at DC?
Mark
Mark, I will add to what Jonathan already posted. First of all, this is a long, tough par 4 (477 yards from the tips and 459 from regular mens tees) over rolling terrain with a severely canted fairway. Dormie Club doesn't list handicaps on their cards, but I'd be surprised if this isn't #1. This hole doesn't need a boldly defended green. It is difficult enough as is. In fact, I would argue that bold defenses wouldn't fit here. Rather, for me the tranquility of the green provides a perfect juxtaposition to the severity of the rest of the hole. That's not to say that the green is defenseless. Here is the view of the approach after an ideal tee shot...
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/5121886063_cd282f5435_b.jpg)
With the firm and fast conditions present at Dormie, it takes nothing to run off to the left or long into the gunch, particularly when you consider most approaches are with a long iron or more. So the miss is to the right. But that leaves a devilish chip or putt down the slope. And the green itself, in addition to severely sloping from right to left, also has a bunch of micro contours that make it particularly difficult to read. Really good design in my opinion.
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Another low lying bunkerless green I really like is the 13th at Charlotte CC...
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/3001256601_d4de3b639a_b.jpg)
Like #8 at Dormie, this is at the end of a long, difficult par 4. So I think it fits well with the hole's design. But it also has a creek running 20 yards or so in front of the green and some contour mounds around the periphery which add to the challenge.
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So is it safe to say a bunkerless green makes more sense on a longer, more challenging hole?
Mark
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So is it safe to say a bunkerless green makes more sense on a longer, more challenging hole?
Mark
Mark
Not necessarily - the 3rd at Royal Adelaide is a very short P4.
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So is it safe to say a bunkerless green makes more sense on a longer, more challenging hole?
Mark
I don't think so. 6 at Deal is my favorite bunkerless green, and it works beautifully on a short par four. The pushed up green and the acres of short grass around the green make for a tremendous challenge. Gravity golf!
3 at the Ocean Course is another short par four that is also bunkerless at the green.
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JNC,
With the approach on 3 at kiawah, considering the wind, and considering all of the falloffs including deep, it's easily one of the toughest bunkerless green approachs i've ever faced. And it's with a wedge!
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JNC,
With the approach on 3 at kiawah, considering the wind, and considering all of the falloffs including deep, it's easily one of the toughest bunkerless green approachs i've ever faced. And it's with a wedge!
It's real fun with a 7-iron which I've had in there on two out of my three plays. One of those times I hit a beautifully flighted, slightly less than full 7-iron. It even made a slight ball mark and had maybe 6-8 paces of roll-out room. Must have needed 9 because the next shot was a tricky little chip shot. :P
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I am a member at Woodside Plantation in Aiken, S.C. We have a few courses there, one by Bob Cupp. He has a few bunkerless greens there. Not necessarliy long or short holes, but both. These greens tend to be elevated, one with a false front, all with some mounding around them that makes for some very interesting pitches and lobs. It does look a litlle bare at first, but often a bunker is a good place to be, rather than running down an incline into a more difficult position.
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The 15th at Kingsley is a great bunkerless green. It's an elevated green with run-offs on the front and two sides. It allows for a lot of recovery options.
I actually thought about the same hole when I saw the title of the thread, but then remembered there is actually a bunker or two just over the back of the green. Seen it come into play on the back pin once or twice. Great green complex though!
You're absolutely right, Mike. I overlooked those two bunkers because they blend into the hill on the back of the green. Oh well. Like you said, still a great green complex!
The Kingsley hole that should be mentioned on this thread is #12. An outstanding bunkerless green complex.
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The amazing 16th at Sand Hills.
One of Matt Bosela's photos of the 16th:
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7Ukm-B3o-WI/TUZETaq4soI/AAAAAAAADzk/5UVlx2zazKo/s1600/16L.jpg)
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The fact that many examples come from across the pond illustrates a greater disposition to accept bunkerless greens/holes. Perhaps several things conspired to give many Yanks a negative connotation. During the Depression and thereafter, the War years, many courses eliminated bunkers as a cost cutting strategy. This put a "we can't afford it" stigma on no bunkers. Also, our lush fairways don't react to the ground game as well as F&F fescue. Plus around here in Chicago, we have fairly flat terrain so big, interesting, undulating landforms are not common and to produce them would be unnatural.
That said, there are courses both old and new here that have a bunkerless green (or 2). I was 1st introduced to one caddying at Onwensia. Since they had more money than God, the lack of a bunker on the long par 4 18th green was by design, not economy. Not only bunkerless, it was also at fairway grade (hence my term "fairway green"). Since most player came at it with a fairway wood, getting it to stop on the green surface was the trick. A pair of huge Oak flanked the green (the one on the left pretty close) and more on a 10'-15' hillside behind created the visual.
We always tried to get one on our designs (like the bunkerless 12th at Kemper Lakes) or at Foxford Hills, I have 2 bunkerless holes and 3 bunkerless greens. And we did a bunkerless green #16 and bukerless hole #11 on the Starboard course at Harborside. My latest is the bunkerless 13th green at Effingham CC where annual flooding required the green to be elevated (benched into a hillside) so any fore bunkering would have been washed away and rear bunkeing wasn't needed due to the long length of the hole and we were able to carve up the hillside to add topographic relief.