Bunkers themselves can also be called traps, sand traps or sand bunkers. Most golfers use "trap" and "bunker" interchangeably. But golf's governing authorities, the R&A and USGA
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rules of golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system f…
What do Americans call a bunker in golf?
When is my golf ball in a bunker?
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How to build a golf bunker in your backyard?
Bunkers can serve several purposes:
- A hazard influencing the strategy of play positively.
- An aesthetic/landscape feature contributing to the visual appeal of the golf course.
- A directional indicator.
- To retain errant golf shots, e.g. to prevent golf balls rolling down a hill.
- For safety, e.g. encouraging golfers to aim away from a vulnerable boundary.
What is the best bunker to buy?
We've listed all bunkers below in order of price, starting with the cheapest:
- Paleto Forest Bunker ($1.16m)
- Raston Canyon Bunker ($1.45m)
- Lago Zancudo Bunker ($1.55m)
- Chumash Bunker ($1.65m)
- Grapeseed Bunker ($1.75m)
- Route 68 Bunker ($1.95m)
- Grand Senora Oilfields Bunker ($2.03m)
- Grand Senora Desert Bunker ($2.12m)
- Smoke Tree Road Bunker ($2.2m)
- Thomson Scrapyard Bunker ($2.29m)
What is bunker mean in golf terms?
These are not part of a bunker:
- “A lip, wall or face at the edge of a prepared area and consisting of soil, grass, stacked turf or artificial materials,
- “Soil or any growing or attached natural object inside the edge of a prepared area (such as grass, bushes or trees),
- “Sand that has spilled over or is outside the edge of a prepared area, and
What is another name for a bunker golf?
Bunker is the proper term for what is commonly called a sand trap.
What is the sand pit called in golf?
BunkersBunkers (or sand traps) are shallow pits filled with sand and generally incorporating a raised lip or barrier, from which the ball is more difficult to play than from grass.
Why are they called bunkers in golf?
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.
What are the different types of bunkers?
In golf, there are two different types of bunkers: sand bunkers and waste bunkers. The Rules of Golf govern what golfers can and cannot do in sand bunkers and waste bunkers, and not knowing the difference can result in disaster and penalty strokes for a player.
What are the bunkers called in Scotland?
Pot Bunkers Found Mostly on Links Courses Pot bunkers originated on the earliest golf courses, Scottish seaside links, as natural depressions in the linksland.
What is a grass bunker?
"Grass bunker" is a term many golfers use for an indentation in the ground, or a hollowed-out area on a golf course, that is filled not with sand but with grass. Another way of putting it: A grass bunker is a depression full of rough ... which could certainly be depressing to a golfer who hits into one.
Is there a difference between a sand trap and a bunker?
The most significant difference between a sand trap and a bunker is in its design. A sand trap is a man-made pit on the course that is then filled with sand. 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.
What is the difference between a bunker and a waste area?
The definition of bunker is "a specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed." Waste areas are not "specially prepared" (they go unraked, they often have vegetation growing inside them or are also strews with rocks/pebbles, for example) and they are not "hollow(s) from ...
Do all golf courses have bunkers?
All golf courses have a certain style or sense of place of which bunkers are an integral part. Bunkers evolve or change over a period of time. The average lifespan of a bunker is twenty to twenty-five years, depending on climatic conditions, original construction and maintenance practices.
What is a synonym for bunker?
In this page you can discover 22 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for bunker, like: shelter, blockhouse, guardhouse, hangar, dugout, pillbox, pill-boxes, tank, casemate, crib and bin.
What are the bunkers called at St Andrews?
If you look at plans of the Old Course from around the turn of the 20th Century (and before) you'll see that almost all the iconic bunkers that so famously characterise the holes were well-established. The names 'Hell', 'The Principal's Nose' and 'The Coffins' were already known, and feared, by golfers.
Where is the deepest golf bunker?
The Himalayas, the Basement, 16th at PGA West's TPC Stadium. The deepest bunker in golf is named after a mountain range, and for good reason. It's called the Himalayas or Himalayan bunker, and it's a 40-foot-deep, 25-foot-wide bunker at Royal St. George's, a regular host of the British Open Championship.
What is a bunker?
"A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil has been removed. These are not part of a bunker: 1 "A lip, wall or face at the edge of a prepared area and consisting of soil, grass, stacked turf or artificial materials, 2 "Soil or any growing or attached natural object inside the edge of a prepared area (such as grass, bushes or trees), 3 "Sand that has spilled over or is outside the edge of a prepared area, and 4 "All other areas of sand on the course that are not inside the edge of a prepared area (such as deserts and other natural sand areas or areas sometimes referred to as waste areas)."
What is a shot out of a bunker called?
A stroke played out of a bunker is called a "bunker shot.". Bunkers themselves can also be called traps, sand traps or sand bunkers. Most golfers use "trap" and "bunker" interchangeably. But golf's governing authorities, the R&A and USGA, only use the term "bunker," never "sand trap.".
What is a cross bunker?
A "cross bunker" is a bunker on a golf hole that is positioned so that a golfer must cross it on the normal line of play for that hole.
What is a greenside bunker?
A "greenside bunker" is any bunker that is adjacent to the putting green. Such a bunker is often said to "guard the green.". A " pot bunker ," sometimes called a pothole or pothole bunker, is a small, round, but very deep type of bunker common on links golf courses . A " church pews bunker " is a long bunker whose length is interspersed ...
What is the rule book for bunkers?
There is a specific rule in the rule book — Rule 12 (Bunkers) — that covers the do's and don'ts of playing from bunkers: what is allowed, what is not allowed. That rule also includes a diagram and video to help golfers understand what the rule book allows and disallows when your golf ball is inside a bunker.
What is a church pew bunker?
A " church pews bunker " is a long bunker whose length is interspersed with rough-covered berms. Church pew bunkers are rare, but one of the most famous bunkers in golf is the church pews at Oakmont Country Club . In the vernacular, one might hear reference to a "grass bunker," a hollowed-out area or depression in which, rather than sand, ...
What Types of Bunkers are there in Golf?
From a traditional perspective, there is only one type of bunker in golf: the sand bunker. If your ball finds its way into a sand bunker, you cannot ground your club before making contact with the downswing of your attempted shot.
Where Did Golf Bunkers Come from?
The earliest golf courses were established on links land where sand blew across the course from the natural beaches that hugged the coast.
What is the Difference Between a Sand Trap and a Bunker?
The term ‘sand trap’ is amongst the most ‘disputed terms in golf,’ according to Golf Digest. But is there a difference between a sand trap and a bunker? Well, in common parlance, players often refer to sand traps and bunkers as if they’re the same thing, and there’s nothing really wrong with that.
What are Deep Bunkers Called?
You might hear a particularly deep bunker called a pot or pothole bunker on occasion, owing to its size and depth. They tend to exist on links golf courses and originated on Scottish coastal golf courses.
What is the Biggest Bunker in Golf?
According to the Guinness World Records, the biggest bunker in the world of golf is Hell’s Half Acre on the seventh hole of the Pine Valley Course in Clementon, New Jersey. The hazard starts some 280 yards from the tee and extends 150 yards to the next section of the fairway.
What Happens if a Bunker is Full of Water?
Unfortunately for those of you who find your way into a bunker full of temporary water, you either have to play it as it lies or opt for free relief within the same bunker (at the nearest point of complete relief within one club length, according to Rule 16.1c).
Bunkers Explained: Now Avoid Them!
Although sand bunkers come in various shapes, sizes, and designs, they are all treated the same as far as the rules of golf are concerned.
Why is it called a bunker in golf?
Don’t let the word “bunker” fool you – bunkers are actually one of the most fun parts of the golf course to play.
Can you ground your club in a bunker?
The question of whether it is possible to ground your club in a bunker has been hotly debated among the golf community.
What is the oldest bunker in golf?
Prestwick Hole 17 Alps one of the oldest and biggest bunkers in golf. The word 'hazard' is French in origin, as Caddie , reflecting the strong connections between Scotland and France in earlier times. When courses were created inland they incorporated the tradition of these hazards as the Bunker and the Water Hazard.
Where did the word "bunker" come from?
The etymology of the word bunker itself is variously ascribed to the 16th century Scots word 'bonkar', meaning a chest, or, by some, to Scandinavian or Old Flemish. The word Bunker in golf does not appear until the 1812 Royal & Ancient rules of golf. The word 'hazard' is French in origin, as Caddie , reflecting the strong connections between ...
What are the hazards of golf?
Bunker and Water Hazard. 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.
Is the sand bunker in Scotland?
The sand bunker is incontestably Scottish as there is no evidence of it in any other game anywhere else. Crail Balcomie 14th hole - take your step ladder! Bunkers may also have been inspired by the quarry pits which proliferated on many links, such as Aberdeen, Bruntsfield and Gullane.
What is the bunker in golf?
While the hole and the bunker are named for the road that runs behind the green, the deep pot bunker that sits in front might be even more integral to the hole’s strategy. The bunker is deep and difficult to escape, but it is just as much about the angles it forces players to consider from the tee. This bunker usually sits off ...
What side is the bunker on the green?
Sitting just short of the green on the right side is a bunker so small and deep that you need stairs to get in and out. Trying to get a sand shot over the front wall of this funnel-shaped bunker is nearly impossible. The smart shot is often to play out backward.
How do bunkers look like?
Two bunkers sit side by side with a bump (nose) between them, making them appear similar to nostrils. From a distance, you might not see the resemblance, but once you hear their name, it’s hard to think of anything else.
What is the one thing you can find on every hole on every course?
The one you can find on (almost) every hole on every course. Bunkers. And while many bunkers are unimaginative, there are a few that are so great they earn status. Sometimes, status comes from imitation — bunkers that are reused on courses around the world because of their excellence and strategic vigor. Others are so iconic that no one would dare ...
Where are bunkers on the par 5 4th?
On the par-5 4th, there are again bunkers guarding the opposite side of the fairway. You might find islands in bunkers around the US that make lies more difficult, but none will make you pray to the heavens like the pews at Oakmont. It might be more accurate to call our last bunker infamous rather than famous.
Where is the nose bunker on the 16th hole?
The principle nose bunker on the 16th hole at the Old Course at St. Andrews. The name lion’s mouth incites fear into whoever hears it, and for good reason.
Who was the first golfer to use the principle?
Like many features from overseas, C.B. Macdonald was the first to bring the principle (pun intended) to the U.S., first at the National Golf Links of America, and then at several other courses designed with Seth Raynor.
Who is the rules guru for bunkers?
In this video, Neil Tappin is joined by rules guru Jeremy Ellwood to look at the rules specifically related to bunkers. They discuss what you are and are not allowed to do to help avoid any confusion and potential penalty shots.
Can you put two clubs in a bunker?
Additionally if you take two clubs into the bunker to see which one to use, once you have decided you can put the club you decided not to use on the ground too. Also you can use the club to steady yourself if the bunker is particularly steep of precarious to get in to.
Can you find your ball in a bunker?
Unplayable Lies. Sometimes you may find your ball in a completely unplayable area of a bunker. The options here include the usual options of going back to play the previous shot again from wherever that was, you can drop within two clubs lengths no nearer the hole or in line for a one-stroke penalty.
Can you ground your golf club in a bunker?
1. Not allowed to ground your club in the bunker. The main rule to follow in bunkers is you are not allowed to touch the sand with your club whether that be grounding it behind the ball, shifting sand on your backswing or having a practice shot in the sand.
Can you take a drop back in line outside of a bunker?
Indeed the old rules said this drop still had to take place in the bunker but under the new rules you can take a drop back in line, outside of the bunker but that would be with a two-stroke penalty, not one. In terms of water in a bunker, you are entitled to relief from that but you must take relief within in the bunker.
Can you touch sand with a golf club?
You are not allowed to touch the sand with your club like this. It should be noted that there are some exceptions regarding you or your club touching the sand. First you are allowed to tidy up other parts of the bunker away from where your ball is lying for care of the course purposes.
What is a grass bunker?
"Grass bunker" is a term many golfers use for an indentation in the ground, or a hollowed-out area on a golf course, that is filled not with sand but with grass. Another way of putting it: A grass bunker is a depression full of rough ... which could certainly be depressing to a golfer who hits into one.
Is a bunker a penalty area?
They are not penalty areas or what used to be called hazards in the rule book. A bunker, according to the golf rule book, is a hollowed-out area filled with sand. There is no sand in a grass bunker, just grass. A grass bunker, therefore, is treated as just any other grassed area of a golf course, any other patch of rough.
Can a grass bunker be found?
Not really. A grass bunker can just provide a different look to, for example, rough around a putting green. And the rough inside a grass bunker might be even thicker than rough elsewhere. Grass bunkers can also be "found objects" on a golf course; that is, not intentionally designed — a natural depression where the grass is allowed to grow thicker, ...
