Yes
Says Jeremy Ellwood
There are several reasons why this is a good idea, but the most fundamental is that many golfers aren’t particularly good out of bunkers, so the more bunkers a course has, the more difficult most golfers will find it. The more difficult most golfers find it, the more it will adversely affect enjoyment and pace of play.
No-one is saying that we want to eradicate all of the challenges that add to the experience of playing golf and, yes, well-placed, well-designed bunkers add enormously to the strategy and aesthetics. But there are other ways to challenge golfers via run-offs, mounds, humps, hollows and so on.
Other factors are at play, too, these days including maintainability, sustainability and cost. Bunker maintenance is a labour-intensive process, so might…
