1 Aesthetics are important Over the last decade or so, we have seen the evolution of a bunker style with a very complex curved edge, far more movement than was seen on most of the bunkers surviving from yesteryear. And they look terrible. There is a huge, huge difference between the authentic blowout bunker with an edge that is genuinely rough and one of today’s curvy monstrosities. I have tried to be polite when designers have shown me these things. I have tried to find ways to ask them ‘What were you thinking?’ without being rude. The answers I get are some variant on ‘We want them to look natural’. Who on earth could think that an edge composed of repeated short curves was natural? At least the old look, with longer, swooping curves, was lower profile and didn’t get in our faces to quite the same extent. What is abundantly true is that bunker styling is a second order issue. The most important factor relating to a bunker is its position; its look and feel is only an aesthetic issue. So yes, I would rather see an ugly bunker well placed than a pretty one in the wrong spot. But no-one is going to tell me that aesthetics are not important to golfers. Talking of aesthetics, we have given GCA a light renovation. Regular readers may know we have a refresh after every eighteen issues. As we enter our fourth ‘round’, we’ve updated our layout with the aim of improving the experience for all readers, regardless of whether you choose our printed or digital edition. ‘What were you thinking?’ you might ask. WELCOME ADAM LAWRENCE
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