You just got up to the tee and smoked a drive, best shot of the day. It trails the inside of the dogleg and your buddies start getting worried about losing the hole. But when you get to the corner of the dogleg you find your ball in a bunker that "they must have just added" and end up losing the hole. We've all been there, confused as to why a bunker needs to be in the exact place you want to be. Donald Ross once said that "There is no such thing as a misplaced bunker. Regardless of where a bunker may be, it is the business of the player to avoid it." Sounds easy when you're the one making the hole as many people think. However, each bunker serves its purpose wether it be to make the player choose to lay up or punish a poorly hit ball. At the end of the round, a bunker is there to make the golf course more interesting.
An interesting bunker is one that makes a player think for strategic purposes. A common example is a bunker in the middle of the fairway. They player must decide to go over or keep short, or play to the left or to the right. The player that executes the shot well should be rewarded with the difficulty of the next shot being less demanding than others. While a bunker in the middle of the fairway can be slightly over used, cross bunkering is another way to achieve the same goal. A good example would be Keith Foster's Cypresswood-Tradition Course. The second hole has its fairway pinched in by three cross bunkers on the right and one on the left. The bunker on the left is roughly 240 yards from the back tee and the first bunker on the right is about 260 yards from the tee. Most player choose to split the bunkers, giving them visibility for the next shot and a good angle to a few pins. However, players who take it right at the cross bunkers and stay short (although they have a more blind shot) will have arguably the best angle into the green (to view the hole click here). Foster's bunkering on this course is incredible, making every player feel as though they all come into play.
Typically on dogleg holes you'll see the bunker on the inside of the dogleg. This overused strategy from dark age architects provides a very boring shot for most players. Though it works on some holes, the majority of the time it is dull. A bunker placed through the fairway provides much more interest for players. One example of this is at Bobby Weed's Spanish Oaks Golf Club. The 15th hole gives players all they can handle. A small bunker through the fairway is relatively blind to players off the tee, but those who know it is there keep it well in mind (like myself). The short hole tempts players to hit it long and have a wedge in and the best angle into the green. This adds to the importance of such a bunker, and in my opinion is one of the best placed bunkers I have ever seen even with past experiences in it (to view hole click here). Another example of this is River Ridges's 7th hole, perhaps the toughest one of the toughest on the course. The long par four requires the player to either take it down the narrow fairway or go over a group of trees and take 30 yards off the hole. But 280 yards through the fairway lies a bunker where most shots in that direction feed. Most players know that they can reach the bunker so either have to play more aggressive or safer (to view hole click here). Another notable type of bunker/hazard is the Great Hazard, a Tillinghast favorite. The best example of this in Texas is at Pine Dunes. The long par 5 11th requires the player to keep short of the Great Hazard but far enough to be able to get over it on the second shot. When players play their second, they can go right and stay clear of the hazard (giving them a tough angle into the green) or players can go left and challenge the hazard to have the best angle into the green (to view hole click here).
Green-side bunkers have a similar purpose. They create necessity for good angles. Many players assume that they are all intended to punish poor shots, which is true to some extent. Some bunkers, however, are much more strategic. A great example of this is 16th hole at Lantana Golf Club. A mid length par 5 where positioning determines everything. For players laying up, they can stay short of the bunker in front of the green, over to the right, or they can tug a creek that runs along side the fairway and have a straight shot to the flag. From that description the hole seems fairly easy, just play safe to the right and stick a wedge tight. Not so fast, the bunker on the short and right of the green runs all along the side and creates a downhill slope in the green which makes a wedge incredibly difficult to get close when the green is at its least deepest point (to view hole click here). This bunkering can really sneak up on a player and hurt your round, making it one of the most interesting on the course. Green-side bunkering also provides much intimidation to players. Flashes of sand or numerous bunkers can have a psychological impact on even the best of players effecting their shot.
There's so much behind every bunkers positioning, it's up to the player to figure it out. So many holes are underrated for their lack of water or lack of views, when in reality they are some of the best, if not THE best, on the course.
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