Rather more importantly, though, it’s restoring the element of jeopardy to bunkers that we modern golfers have largely forgotten.
Somehow, it has got to the stage where we golfers expect – make that demand – a perfect lie when we are in a bunker. And yet bunkers are supposed to be hazards. We don’t feel the same way about rough, and nor do we think that if we hit it against a tree that we have a right not to be tangled up in the roots.
During my rounds post-lockdown, I have grimaced as I have approached these unraked bunkers, fearing the worst. That’s just as it should be. I shouldn’t have hit it in there in the first place.
Read more
Better still, if you are a skilful sand player, then unraked bunkers offer an opportunity to demonstrate your prowess and gain a deserved advantage over your opponent or the field.Just like a really tight lie does for the skilful chipper near the green. Or a hardpan fairway for the superior ball-striker with an iron in their hands from 180 yards out. Or a stiff breeze into and off the left for those able to flight a raking draw.
I say: get creative; embrace the challenge; see it as an opportunity to show your skills. Work out how to play the chunk and run from a footprint. Experiment with what works best when there is no sand under your ball. And if you can’t get it close? Well, take your medicine or hole a decent putt to save the day.
— Read on www.nationalclubgolfer.com/news/unraked-bunkers-post-lockdown-golf/
Why we hope unraked bunkers are here to stay (yes, really) | National Club Golfer
