What is a bunker in golf?
A bunker in golf is defined under the rules as a “specially prepared area intended to test the player’s ability to play a ball from the sand .” The name comes from the origins of the game. The earliest courses were laid over linksland, on which naturally occurred small deep sand pits which were called bunkers.
Can You ground your club in the 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.
Where should a golf ball come to rest in a bunker?
If the sand within the bunker has been correctly laid, and there is a sufficient bowl shape, the ball should almost always come to rest in a flattish area in the centre of the bunker.
Are bunkers on the golf course called sand traps?
But golf's governing authorities, the R&A and USGA, only use the term "bunker," never "sand trap." Slang terms for bunkers include beach, kitty litter, sandbox and cat box. "Bunker" is one of the older terms used in golf, dating back to at least the 1700s.
What are the bunkers at St Andrews called?
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.
What is the difference between a sand trap and a bunker in golf?
Design. 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 deepest bunker in golf?
the HimalayasThe 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 another name for a bunker in golf?
Bunker is the proper term for what is commonly called a sand trap.
What is the golden rule of golf?
Play the ball as it lies. Don't move, bend, or break anything growing or fixed, except in fairly taking your stance or swing. Don't press anything down.
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 coffin bunker?
Himalaya. (Image credit: Getty Images) The towering bunker that dominates the view from the 4th tee at Royal St George's has been called 'Himalaya' and 'Coffin'. It's a hugely intimidating prospect – 40 feet deep and walled with wooden sleepers, set into a dune. For the average player, it's a potential round wrecker.
What is the largest bunker in the world?
The OppidumThe Oppidum, Czech Republic Billed as 'the largest billionaire bunker in the world', The Oppidum is located in the Czech countryside. Sprawling over 323,000 square feet, the complex consists of an above-ground level with a golf course, helipad and automatic defence technology, and a cavernous underground shelter.
What golf course has the most sand traps?
Boasting a staggering 1,000 sand traps, Whistling Straits is not crazy golf in the US PGA Championship, it's absolutely bunkers!Whistling Straits is the venue for the final major of the calendar golf year.Architect Pete Dye estimates that the course possesses 1,000 bunkers.More items...•
What is a fairway bunker called?
Waste Bunker In some cases, waste bunkers even replace rough altogether and borders fairways directly, or after a margin of first cut.
What is the water on a golf course called?
A hazard is an area of a golf course in the sport of golf which provides a difficult obstacle, which may be of two types: (1) water hazards such as lakes and rivers; and (2) man-made hazards such as bunkers.
Can I ground my club in a waste bunker?
Players can ground their club in a waste bunker, including taking practice strokes and testing the soil. However, golfers aren't allowed to use practice swings or shot preparation to move loose impediments -- sand, shells, loose soil -- that are naturally part of the waste bunker.
Why is a sand trap called a bunker?
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.”
What is a sand trap in golf?
: an artificial hazard on a golf course consisting of a depression containing sand.
How do sand traps work in golf?
0:083:49How to Hit Out of Sand Traps - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe basic objective is this the more sand you hit behind the ball the less distance the ball goes.MoreThe basic objective is this the more sand you hit behind the ball the less distance the ball goes. So in a fairway bunker. The goal is to pick the ball off without touching the sand.
Is a sand trap considered a hazard?
When weighing up the options a player has out of a bunker, they must first realise a sand trap is classed as a hazard. Like water hazards, bunkers have a different set of rules when compared to normal shots from the fairway or rough. This means you have options and don't always have to play the ball as it lies.
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?
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 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).
Why are sand bunkers important?
They tend to be shaped and styled in various ways and are included to test the accuracy and strategy of players all over the course.
What is a sand bunker?
According to the R&A, a sand bunker is “a specially prepared area of sand” that acts as a course hazard, while a waste bunker is just a “general area” that has no special rules assigned to it.
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)."
Where are cross bunkers in golf?
Cross bunkers can be entirely in the fairway, entirely in the rough, or partially in the rough and jutting into the fairway. They are typically (but not always) wider than they are deep and aligned roughly perpendicular to the fairway.
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 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 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.
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.
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 use a golf club to steady yourself?
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 touch sand in bunkers?
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 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 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.
What is a bunker in golf?
A links course bunker is usually an extension or manipulation of a sand dune and , although the sand area itself is rather small, the catchment area which pulls balls into the hazard is very large. Where weather allows, other types of bunker are present such as the "Amoeba shape", popular during the 1970s and 1980s, ...
Why are bunkers important in golf?
As the game of golf has spread, the bunker has become more artificial in places where the geographical profile is different to the original links land. Now, the bunker is a more formalised part of golf course design and is positioned in order to provide a more interesting challenge for the golfer. As a result of these changes, bunkers now take on ...
What is a greenside bunker?
Finally, greenside bunkers are the linchpin hazards of the typical golf hole, as they dictate the overlying strategy, as the position of the greenside hazard reflects where the best approach shot can be played from and, therefore, where the fairway and approach bunkers should be placed.
What is a link bunker?
The original links courses predominantly use small deep bunkers with steep turf faces which are often revetted, as this helps to keep the wind out of the base of the trap, limiting sand movement. These are known as pot bunkers. A links course bunker is usually an extension or manipulation of a sand dune and, although the sand area itself is rather ...
What does a ripped edge on a golf bunker look like?
Torn edges are also a feature of this type of bunker, as the ripped edge makes the bunker look more like a scar of exposed earth rather than a regimented and manicured feature. Parkland courses tend to utilise ...
What is the anatomy of a golf course?
The anatomy of a golf course - Bunkers. Bunkers were originally created on links land, which would have principally been open farm land or common land, by sheep or cattle finding hollows to shelter from the extreme weather conditions. The animal hooves would have broken down the turf within the hollows, exposing the sand beneath, ...
Where are carry bunkers placed?
Carry bunkers are placed short of the landing zone, and often on the side of the fairway that would be preferable for the approach shot to be played from, challenging the golfer to play over it in order to gain an advantage.
