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.
Full Answer
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 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 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.”
Why is it called a bunker?
Etymology. 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 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.
What does greenside mean in golf?
Published on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. A greenside bunker shot is the only shot in golf where you are not hitting the golf ball. The club enters the sand before the ball and flies out of the bunker on a cushion of sand. In essence you are simply hitting behind the ball and fatting the shot.
What is the water on a golf course called?
In other words, "casual water" is water on the golf course that isn't meant to be there by design. Casual water can be anywhere on a golf course outside the water hazard, which is now called the "penalty area." If there's water somewhere in the "general area," then it's casual water or temporary water.
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.
Who invented bunkers in golf?
History of the original "Billy Bunker" In 1994 he introduced the Billy Bunker spec to the golf construction industry, and since then more than 600 golf courses across North America have used this method to construct bunkers.
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.
Why is golf called golf?
The word 'golf' is not an acronym for anything. Rather, it derives linguistically from the Dutch word 'kolf' or 'kolve,' meaning quite simply 'club. ' In the Scottish dialect of the late 14th or early 15th century, the Dutch term became 'goff' or 'gouff,' and only later in the 16th century 'golf.
What is a waste area in golf?
Waste areas are unmaintained areas of the course, and if you are in one you are allowed to ground your club. You can also take practice swings in the waste area. However, the action of grounding your club and taking practice swings must not improve conditions affecting your stroke (Rule 8.1).
Can you lightly ground Club in bunker?
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.
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 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 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 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 Is The Definition Of Bunker In Golf?
1. In golf, a bunker is a designed sand area on the course to test players’ ability to hit the ball out of the sand.
Examples Of Bunker In Commentary
1. Incredible! Spieth holes out from the bunker for a birdie and the win in sudden death on the par-4 18th hole.
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 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.
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 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.
Rules of Golf explained: Our expert says
Don’t worry. If this ever happens to you – and it’s happened to me plenty – you don’t have to be punished for your initial error by dropping into your dug in footmarks.
Have a question for our Rules of Golf expert?
Despite the simplification of the Rules of Golf at the beginning of 2019, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. And as I’ve passed the R&A’s level 2 rules exam with distinction, I am more than happy to help.
