Bunker rake stickers

There are certain challenges in golf course maintenance that are near universal: ball mark repair, bunker raking, cart etiquette, etc. Bretton Woods is not immune to these issues either. Our latest step towards improving the work around the bunkers is with stickers on the bunker rake handles.

The biggest challenge for bunker maintenance from a golfer’s perspective is getting fellow players to rake the bunker, either partially or completely. Consistent raking from the membership is an on-going area for improvement and the Golf Committee, in conjunction with the Golf staff and Grounds department, is working to address this issue.

From the standpoint of the Grounds Department, once the players (hopefully) use the rake, our desire is for them to place the rake back into the bunker. There is no rule as to where the rake should be placed. The USGA gives a recommendation for it to be out of the bunker, but still hedges by stating that whatever works for each course is the best solution.

 

We want the rake back in the bunker as a time-saving effort for our staff in a couple of ways. We have 69 bunkers on the course, and it takes about three and a half hours to rake all of them with our machine. At each bunker, our staff rakes the edge of the bunker, places the rake along the edge, and then rakes the center. Finding and placing the rakes along the edge is much more efficient if the employee does not need to search for the rakes tossed wherever they may be. Especially as we get into the growing season and the bunker faces start to grow vigorously, the rakes can be hard to find. Even several seconds per bunker spent searching for rakes adds up to several minutes over the entire course. Though this may not seem important, when our goal is to be completed ahead of play, those minutes can be crucial. Particularly, when you factor in early play off the back 9 on weekends, having those few minutes can be the difference between finishing or not. If we lose that time, and are caught by golfers, the job becomes nearly impossible, because once we are caught by one group, we are caught by every group thereafter until there is a sizable gap in play.

The second instance of time saving occurs when mowing around the bunkers. When rakes are left outside the bunker, the staff member on the mower must get off and move the rake out of the way so as not to hit it with the blades. Again, losing several seconds per bunker can equate to several minutes overall.

To better communicate where we would like the bunker rakes, this week we placed stickers on every rake handle on the course: “Leave rakes in bunkers.” We expect this very direct, and hard to miss, reminder will encourage everyone to put the rake back into the bunker.

 

We may never attain 100% rake usage, but reminding those people who do rake, what to do with the rake when they finish is still helpful. The new stickers should help convey the policy much easier.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please remember to remove any bunker sand that may be stuck to your spikes before walking on the greens.

 

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org