Is there a difference between a sand trap and a bunker?
Bunker is the proper term for what is commonly called a sand trap. Bunker is official terminology, sand trap is just what people say.”
Why are there sand traps in golf?
Sand bunkers provide a psychological landmark. They accentuate the hole and provide targets for directing the golfer to a defined landing area whether it is the fairway or green. Sand bunkers provide safety buffers for adjacent fairways, tees or greens, both physically and visually.
Why is it called a bunker?
The word bunker originates as a Scots word for "bench, seat" recorded 1758, alongside shortened bunk "sleeping berth". The word possibly has a Scandinavian origin: Old Swedish bunke means "boards used to protect the cargo of a ship".
Why is a bunker called a bunker golf?
The bunker gets its name due to its appearance, as it resembles bunkers made during times of war in the past. According to the most recent rules of golf, bunkers are defined as “a specially prepared area of sand, that is often a hollow from which turf or soil has been removed.”
Who invented the sand trap in golf?
The sand wedge was actually invented and patented four years earlier, in 1928, by a gentleman named Edwin Kerr MacClain, a member at Houston Country Club in Texas.
Why don't they say all square anymore?
As part of the massive overhaul in the Rules of Golf, the USGA and R&A decided to change the vocabulary used to describe match-play status. An "all square" match is now "tied." There's no such thing as a "halve" of a hole or a match; it's now a "tie."
What is a sand trap?
Definition of sand trap : an artificial hazard on a golf course consisting of a depression containing sand.
Why is called sand bunker?
Early golf developed on links land, where sand blew across the course and 'burns' (small rivers) ran across it to the sea. In time these were shaped into the hazards that they are today, especially the sand, putting it in pits called bunkers.
How did golf bunkers originate?
Bunkers originated as blown-out dunes, animal-created sand scrapes and rabbit warrens in the pre-golf dunescapes, before they became essential components in the laying out of the early links. As the game grew and spread inland, the bunkers travelled too, becoming entirely artificial features on these new courses.
What does golf stand for?
The word 'golf' is not an acronym for anything. Rather, it derives linguistically from the Dutch word 'kolf' or 'kolve,' meaning quite simply 'club.
What is a dog leg in golf?
A dogleg hole is one that is crooked or bends like the hind leg of a dog. Doglegs tend to be strategic holes where the player must aim to find a suitable spot on the fairway from the tee with which to get around the bend, or dogleg of the hole, with the next shot.
What is the water on a golf course called?
The USGA defines "casual water" or "temporary water" as "any temporary accumulation of water on the course that is not in a water hazard and is visible before or after the player takes his or her stance.” In other words, "casual water" is water on the golf course that isn't meant to be there by design.
What is a sand trap?
A sand trap is a bunker filled with sand, so it can still be called a bunker. But a bunker doesn't have to be filled with sand, so it can't be called a sand trap.
What to do when your ball lands in the sand?
Playing Bunker and Sand-Trap Shots. When your ball lands in the sand, you don't have many club options to choose from. You'll likely have to use a wedge club, and a sand wedge is made specifically for this instance. If your ball lands in a bunker, you can be a little more flexible in your club choice. Depending on what the bunker is filled with, ...
What is a bunker on a golf course?
A bunker is also a depression on the course ( either natural or man made), but it doesn't always have to be filled with sand. It could be filled with pine needles, long grass, dirt, gravel, sand or many other things. Because of this, bunkers are also known as (unless filled with sand) waste areas or waste bunkers.
What is a shallow depression in golf?
A shallow depression filled with dirt and pine needles sitting 200 yards away from the green is a bunker. A sand-filled pit pin-pointed just a few yards from the hole is a sand trap.
When a golf ball lands in a hazard, do you have to rake the ground?
When your ball lands in a hazard, you're not allowed to let your club touch the ground before or during your swing. You will also see a rake next to the sand trap, and you're expected to rake the trap after playing your stroke. If your ball lands in a bunker that isn't filled with sand, you don't have to follow the hazard rules.
Can you use a club in a bunker?
Depending on what the bunker is filled with, you may be able to use any club in your bag. Michael Jones reported campus news stories for The University of Southern California's student newspaper, "The Daily Trojan," for four years before graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in journalism.
What is a foursome golf?
First, a “foursome” is commonly understood by most human beings as a group of four people, and more specifically a group of four golfers, long before we know that it refers to the alternate shot format in match play. Plus, it’s vague. Unlike “all square” or “halved,” there is nothing in that word that tells you what’s happening. Third, the other pairs format in events like the Ryder Cup is called “fourballs” which sounds very similar. Confront a casual fan with those two terms and ask him to discern which one involves alternating shots, and that fan will have some studying to do. This would be a no-brainer if the foursomes/fourballs terms were more distinct, but instead they’re highly confusing for a new fan.
Is it wrong to say you're golfing?
Golf, the language police say, is a game, and “playing golf” is the activity. Therefore, to say that you’re “golfing,” or that you “want to golf,” or that you “golfed yesterday,” is fundamentally incorrect.
Is golf a verb?
There’s definitely some arcane etymological explanation (probably involving Germans), but on the surface it makes no sense. So if golf is a verb, it’s one of our least bizarre anomalies. And, in fact, here’s some bad news: It is a verb, no matter how much serious golfers object.
What is a Golf Course Sand Trap?
According to an excellent GolfDigest.com article which we believe settles the “sand trap vs.
Golf Bunker Design
Golf course sand traps provide a bit of extra challenge to golfers as well as aesthetic enhancement, or “play interest.”
How are Golf Course Sand Trap Shapes Decided?
It all seems a bit whimsical, and this is the whole reason for this article.
