Why Links Bunkers Are So Challenging
If you’ve only played parkland golf, a bunker is usually just another hazard. On a true links course, however, bunkers are often the hole’s defining feature—and they’re designed to be avoided, not escaped from.
Many of the oldest links bunkers weren’t originally built by course architects. They began as natural hollows in the dunes, created by wind erosion or grazing animals seeking shelter from the coastal elements. Early golfers simply incorporated these rugged depressions into the course, and over time they evolved into the dramatic revetted bunkers that have become a hallmark of links golf.
Unlike the shallow sand traps found on many inland courses, links bunkers are deep, steep-faced and frequently edged with stacked layers of turf known as revetting. Their vertical walls often leave only one sensible option: play sideways or even backwards. A heroic shot is rarely the smart shot.
What makes them even more intimidating is their strategic placement. Architects don’t simply protect greens—they use bunkers to influence every decision from the tee. Fairway contours, prevailing winds and natural slopes all work together to funnel slightly errant shots into trouble.
The result is golf that rewards thoughtful course management over brute force. On a links course, avoiding the bunkers is every bit as important as finding the fairway. As many Open Championship competitors have discovered, the fastest way to ruin a scorecard is to underestimate the true cost of a visit to the sand.
This week watch out for drives that catch the 2 bunkers on the corner of the dog leg 6th. This is a 514 yard par 4, so getting into one of these bunkers will be costly.
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