[halfstreet]

This year im trying to break away from the courses i normally play and try some of the cheaper less known courses in the area. Yesterday i played at a rather cheap course and came across an issue that i didnt know how to handle. I landed a ball in a green side "sand trap". However when i walked up to it, i discovered that it had no sand in it and i can only assume that it was constructed by digging a hole and raking it, it also had a couple very small weeds growing in it. Now i played it as a sand trap, but am wondering if i could of played it as a waste area? Any help is appreciated

[pimbertiemoft]

Unless there is a local rule, I'd assume that it's a hazard. Never very fun to run across.

[Searmoreibe]

Played a few of thoose myself. One course in particular has a lot of rocks in the traps and I usually tell my playing partners for the day that I will not swing my clubs into rocks and wil remove the ball and drop behind the trap somewhere and I dont take a penalty either. I know its against the rules but Im not hurting myself or my clubs because of lazy course management. Same course has some decent bunkers on the back 9 and I take my medicine and play out of the traps.

[Affiltavajefe]

I don't like cheap sand traps. The sand is so packed down and hard that it takes a miracle shot for me to actually get under it properly and get it out and stop it.

[nerrttrw]

My home course has a few traps like that. I play them as bunkers. It's just harder to pull off a good shot.

[halfstreet]

I don't like cheap sand traps. The sand is so packed down and hard that it takes a miracle shot for me to actually get under it properly and get it out and stop it.

this is exactly what i was having trouble with. after two failed attempts to get out of it i had to pull out the trusty hand wedge

[anxpuna]

The course my league plays in has terrible traps. They're usually hard packed, unless your ball happens to land in the bank, in which case it will just bury and not roll back down.

[ligaliaCods]

I wouldn't mind seeing some pics as the definition of cheap bad traps varies pretty hard.

Do these legitimately not have an ounce of sand in them?

[drycleden]

At my home course all traps are played as waste bunkers. Is there a lot of maintenance involved with keeping them up? I've heard people say that the cold winters up here make it hard to have good ones, but I don't understand why they couldn't get them nice with a bit of work in the spring.

Anybody have any course maintenance experience that can tell us why good sand bunkers are rare on cheaper courses?

[Affiltavajefe]

At my home course all traps are played as waste bunkers. Is there a lot of maintenance involved with keeping them up? I've heard people say that the cold winters up here make it hard to have good ones, but I don't understand why they couldn't get them nice with a bit of work in the spring.

Anybody have any course maintenance experience that can tell us why good sand bunkers are rare on cheaper courses?

A lot of courses don't want to spend the money needed to do more than fill it with sand and drive the rake-cart thing around it once every few days. Courses who aren't after a reputation as a top-notch course don't need perfect bunkers.

[nebrarlepleme]

I'm playing all bunkers and sandy areas as waste bunkers from now on. If it's good enough for True Blue, it's good enough for me!

[nerrttrw]

I wouldn't mind seeing some pics as the definition of cheap bad traps varies pretty hard.

Do these legitimately not have an ounce of sand in them?

The ones I'm talking about are a big mix of very hard packed down sand and dirt. Sort of like when those guys in the PGA today had a shot off the walking path, if you saw any of those shots. I can play a full shot off them fine because they play almost like regular dirt, but a bit softer.

[MrGunjMan_]

Unless its posted otherwise and designated as a, "waste area" or, "through the green", it should be treated as a bunker. I agree that bunkers which arent raked suck and my best advice is to simply treat it like a bare lie.

[halfstreet]

I wouldn't mind seeing some pics as the definition of cheap bad traps varies pretty hard.

Do these legitimately not have an ounce of sand in them?

If i make it back there i will take some pics, but i dont see that happening just because of how disappointed i was. From what my playing partner was telling me it use to be a private course, and was much nicer. Not sure if the economy took its toll on it or what but the couple traps i got into was what seemed to me to be pure brown michigan dirt

[Phouepou]

If I land in a bad trap I lift my ball, rake, and place.

[ligaliaCods]

If i make it back there i will take some pics, but i dont see that happening just because of how disappointed i was. From what my playing partner was telling me it use to be a private course, and was much nicer. Not sure if the economy took its toll on it or what but the couple traps i got into was what seemed to me to be pure brown michigan dirt

Man, that sounds horrible. I would assume it'll deter you from returning but I do hope to see some pics haha!

[ligaliaCods]

hahaha I google imaged 'worst bunker ever' and a pic shows up from THP!!! Bogey_Russ had this trainwreck of a lie..

[Loonakind]

hahaha I google imaged 'worst bunker ever' and a pic shows up from THP!!! Bogey_Russ had this trainwreck of a lie..

Wow is that gravel haha

[pimbertiemoft]

At my home course all traps are played as waste bunkers. Is there a lot of maintenance involved with keeping them up? I've heard people say that the cold winters up here make it hard to have good ones, but I don't understand why they couldn't get them nice with a bit of work in the spring.

Anybody have any course maintenance experience that can tell us why good sand bunkers are rare on cheaper courses?

I've been told that they are expensive to maintain. The ones at our course are decent, but they drain like a clogged toilet and then look/play awful until they are dry enough to fix again.

[ligaliaCods]

I've been told that they are expensive to maintain. The ones at our course are decent, but they drain like a clogged toilet and then look/play awful until they are dry enough to fix again.

I don't know too many courses that have excellent bunker drainage. My course is spending a bunch of money changing the sand and putting in new drainage and they still sit with puddles after rain. I want to play a course that manages it well to know the difference between excellent drainage and what I consider to be standard.