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GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Thomas Dai on September 30, 2014, 04:03:38 PM

Title: Greenside bunkers - friend or foe?
Post by: Thomas Dai on September 30, 2014, 04:03:38 PM
I was playing with a friend recently. We came to a green that was heavily bunkered on one side. My friend, who is a low single figure hcp player, said something like "I'm always wary of the greenside bunkers on this hole. I don't like getting in them one bit".

I replied that he was a good bunker player and that he should regard the bunkers in question as his 'friends' as the overall contouring of the green and the humps and hollows on the other side were such that an up-n-down from the other side was considerably more difficult than from the bunkers.

Greenside bunkers, friend or foe - for a decent bunker player?

Atb
Title: Re: Greenside bunkers - friend or foe?
Post by: Keith Grande on September 30, 2014, 04:12:09 PM
All things being equal, most good players will prefer a stock bunker shot over a stock chip or pitch out of heavy rough.  More spin can be imparted and result in a more controllable ball.  Now if a ball is buried under a lip, or requires an awkward stance, that's a different story altogether.
Title: Re: Greenside bunkers - friend or foe?
Post by: Mark McKeever on September 30, 2014, 06:03:19 PM
Friend! 

I see a bunker as a shot I can control a lot better than a chip, especially if the rough is high. 
Title: Re: Greenside bunkers - friend or foe?
Post by: Jon Cavalier on September 30, 2014, 06:18:42 PM
Friend! 

I see a bunker as a shot I can control a lot better than a chip, especially if the rough is high. 

Agreed, especially when shortsided.
Title: Re: Greenside bunkers - friend or foe?
Post by: Padraig Dooley on September 30, 2014, 07:16:18 PM
All things being equal, most good players will prefer a stock bunker shot over a stock chip or pitch out of heavy rough.  More spin can be imparted and result in a more controllable ball.  Now if a ball is buried under a lip, or requires an awkward stance, that's a different story altogether.

PGA Tour players are twice as good from a similar lie in grass as in sand i.e. if the average result from sand is 10 feet then the average result from a similar lie in grass is 5 feet. One of the biggest myths perpetuated, especially by TV commentators, is that good players prefer to be in a bunker. It is simply not true.

 
Title: Re: Greenside bunkers - friend or foe?
Post by: Thomas Dai on October 01, 2014, 02:57:35 AM
Recalling the Gleneagles Ryder Cup, I seem to recall that there were a lot of decent greenside bunker shots played on the 18th hole out of the front-right bunker but some considerably less convincing shots played from the run-off areas.

Best photo I could find -
(https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSoPuwAhm5jDDHVwGMBGeRc0iP9gxyOme8g4wfsFgZp9HM2I4UYVA)

atb