In golf, a bunker is a designed sand area on the course to test players’ ability to hit the ball out of the sand. Usually, near the green or fairway, bunkers can be manmade or natural. Greenside bunkers, fairway bunkers, and waster bunkers are the three types, and all vary in size, shape, and depth.
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.
What is a church pew bunker in golf?
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, there is simply more (often deeper) grass.
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 is the difference between a greenside and pot 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.
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.
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)."
Who is Brent Kelley?
Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. A "bunker" is a "specially prepared area intended to test the player’s ability to play a ball from the sand," as the latest edition of the Rules of Golf puts it. Bunkers, which used to be classified as "hazards" (a term ...
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.
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.
