Pot bunkers are deep, sand filled hazards found traditionally on links style golf courses. We are enjoying a great weeks links golf viewing with the annual playing of the Scottish Open followed by The Open Championship. Both championships give golf fans around the world a great look at some of the finest links golf courses in the world. These courses also have some of the most famous pot bunkers. So famous, in fact, that some of the pot bunkers have their own names. Pot bunkers with names like hell, the principal’s nose, road hole bunker and more.
The first thought that pops to mind when talking about links golf is the pot bunkers. Pot bunkers take a difficult part of the game of golf and ramp up the difficulty even more. They are deeper than regular bunkers. The sand in them is more dense. Finally, one or all sides of the pot bunker can be sheer and steep.
The history of pot bunkers goes back to the original links courses of Scotland. Some people say they were formed by sheep who would huddle in an area slowly creating a deep pot depression over time. Others will say that nature itself created the first pot bunkers with high coastal winds shaping the land and carving out these pits. Yet others will say they were originally formed by golfers wearing down areas around the course as they walked over it time and again.
All the above may be true, but certainly, pot bunkers were also man made. There are stories about the early days at The Old Course at Saint Andrews where pot bunkers were dug by the grounds crew during the day but filled in overnight by unknown golfers. One such golfer, A.G. Sutherland was blamed for re-digging a filled in small pot bunker at The Old Course. To this day, the bunker is named after him and called Sutherland.
Pot bunkers are not exclusive to links golf and are now created all around the world. However, they seem to just fit better on a links golf course. They are part of the defense but in a weird way part of the beauty of the course. Plus, there is just something about putting a golfer in a pot bunker and wondering how ugly this could get. Even the best in the world can’t always conquer some of these steep sod-stacked faces every time. Next week, the 2023 Open Championship will be played at Royal Liverpool. If a player gets near one of the steep edges of pot bunkers, I can guarantee you that the television coverage will switch to them. We just can’t look away. Pot bunkers are the ultimate stand and deliver hazards and sometimes a golfer just can’t win.