Pea gravel bunkers. I think such bunkers would offer disc golf the same challenge as the fairway bunker commonly found in ball golf. Run-ups would be extremely difficult, thus, most players would resort to a stand-and-deliver throwing technique from within such a bunker. Pea gravel would also require very little maintenance in comparison to the sand bunkers found on traditional ball golf courses.

Sounds like a great idea. I could see the gravel being spread outside of the bunker from use over time buti like the idea.

Certainly way more elegant than BUNCRs. I like it.

The course design group has suggested a variety of bunkers like this pea gravel style when the funds and/or equipment are available to build and maintain them. Essentially, these are bunkers where a player's shot has to be modified where they need to "stand & deliver" as in the pea gravel style or change the type of throw such as a "real" bunker where it's a depression with a built-up ridge maybe 5-7 ft high in front forcing the player to throw over the top.

Besides using sand or even pebbles instead of pea gravel, other "stand & deliver" bunkers are to create an area about 40-50 ft across with roughly 2 ft diameter boulders spaced maybe 18-24 inches apart. If you land in this boulder bunker, it would be easy to find your disc but not have much of a run-up, if any, upon release. A similar bunker could be also be created by arranging bigger logs in some sort of criss-cross pattern where there were places to stand but not have a run-up.

The pea gravel sounds like a great idea as well as the pot bunkers with high lips. The boulders and logs do not sound very safe. They sound like potential ankle breakers.

The spacing on the boulders and logs would be enough to allow a stance (18-24 inches apart) but not a run-up. Remember, you get "solid object relief" so the stances would always be on the ground behind a boulder. No different really from a bad lie in the woods where there are logs scattered around.

Kinda like Nockamixon where I almost broke my ankles several times trying to get decent D.

Kinda like Nockamixon where I almost broke my ankles several times trying to get decent D.

That is the course which led me to the idea of pea gravel bunkers. :D

The spacing on the boulders and logs would be enough to allow a stance (18-24 inches apart) but not a run-up. Remember, you get "solid object relief" so the stances would always be on the ground behind a boulder. No different really from a bad lie in the woods where there are logs scattered around.

18-24 inches apart??? That would work for shorter players like kids but my stance is close to 36inches or more at a stand still. This sounds dangerous and I could see alot of people calling unplayable lie. My biggest complaint about Tee-Pads is that they are too short. My X-step takes 9-11ft depending on the shot and alot of pads are only 8ft. Ok little off topic sorry

The idea is that the boulder bunker would restrict your normal stance because you threw into a defined hazard area. It's little different than the restrictions we all encounter with all kinds of lies in the woods off the fairway or even shallow ditches. I doubt you've never had restricted stances? Likewise, players figure out how to safely take a stance and throw in those situations without resorting to an unplayable lie call.

18-24 inches apart??? That would work for shorter players like kids but my stance is close to 36inches or more at a stand still. This sounds dangerous and I could see alot of people calling unplayable lie.

You are not guaranteed a run-up for every shot, nor are you guaranteed your preferred stance for every shot. A bunker is an obstacle in the fairway that is supposed to you encourage you not to land there. If you want a 36-inch stance or a run-up on Chuck's proposed thingy, then DON'T LAND IN THE BUNKER. :)

It really is that simple.

And what's wrong with calling an unplayable lie in there? I mean really? I'm about one-thousand percent certain I could stand and deliver from this fantasy bunker of Chucks and land outside of the bunker on good ground towards the hole in one shot, so if anybody wants to declare an unplayable lie and take a stroke to move backwards up to 5 meters or take that stroke to throw again from the previous spot while still counting the original throw, why on Earth should I have a problem with that? It sounds pretty silly to be throwing three and hoping you can land where I'm at in two when you can pitch up there, too, so why shouldn't they be allowed to screw themselves with the unplayable lie call?

I think some people think that an Unplayable Lie equals "free relief". It's actually quite expensive.

Kinda like Nockamixon where I almost broke my ankles several times trying to get decent D.

what part of "risk" and "reward" is not understood by this :D

I'm just emphasizing that safety is an issue for courses and insurance for parks or clubs.

I like the "pot" bunkers. They just have to be deep enough to restrict vision and normal arm movement. I'm thinking players with good tommies and thumbers will be able to handle these better than most. Ditches with adjoining berms would be good as well.

Pea gravel, sand, and other conglomerate types of materials would be good in bunkers because you can't get really good footing for those types of shots.

Chili Disc golf course in Rochester Ny has had inverted bunkers of mulch at least 10' high sense the worlds in 99.

A similar bunker could be also be created by arranging bigger logs in some sort of criss-cross pattern where there were places to stand but not have a run-up.

Reminds me of one of my courses. One hole has dozens of huge trees that were blown down by a tornado. They lie parallel to each other, perpendicular to the line of play. They're about two or three feet in diameter, and lie two or three feet apart. You really want to throw past them.

I think that the idea of areas from which it is more difficult to throw from is a good idea, but I would lean more towards the pea gravel bunker than the "graveyard" bunker where there are raised objects close enough together to inhibit a run-up.

My reason is the way each one would affect rollers. The pea gravel would probably slow a roller down, possibly enough to prevent it from leaving the bunker. A graveyard bunker would almost always trap the roller.

If we had a pea gravel bunker stretching across the fairway, covering, let's say, about 10% of the likely landing area of the disc, then there would be about a 10% chance of the disc landing in there (slightly greater actually, because a disc would be more likely to land outside the bunker and stop in the bunker than a disc would be to land inside the bunker and stop outside it).

A roller, however, that could not clear the bunker before it started rolling, would pretty much have a 100% chance of rolling into the bunker, and about the same chance of staying in it before it stopped, if it was of the graveyard, or Stonehenge, variety.

I guess it gets down to the purpose of the bunker. Is it:

- To inhibit the stance of any taken inside the bunker, or
- To stop/slow down a disc that travels on the bunker.

It could very well be both, but it seems that the former has been talked about here. If it is the latter as well, I would lean toward the pot bunker, that has a good chance of snagging an airborne disc as well as a roller, versus a horizontal bunker, that passively relies on the disc landing in the bunker in order to have an effect on the next shot.

The boulder bunker intended for the monster hole at Highbridge was going to be located where it would trap errant rollers, not "good" rollers. It would have been in a position where accurate rollers on either side would be unimpeded in a very wide mowed fairway.

I vote for the pea gravel. A person could trip and suffer a nasty injury trying to navigate a boulder field. Use the boulders for erosion control where they don't come into play.

Pea gravel bunkers is a good idea, I've thought about doing this type of obstacle many times. I like the idea of harder run ups, bad footing and a lip. The boulder/log field is also effective and these types of areas make me think about trying to miss those areas which is the point of a "hazard". The boulder/log is also easier and cheaper to construct.

I don't like rules about "stand and deliver" because it's an artificial means to provide difficulty. I think in a perfect world there wouldn't be these types of artificial means to increase difficulty such as mandos and S&D. Ideally I think the designer should design the hole in such a way that it isn't possible to take the lines that the mando removes by tee box placement and things like that. Unfortuneatly many times this isn't possible.

Now, if we can all just rent some tractors, dig some holes and fill 'em up with soft material we'd be in business.

Side note, the gravel bunker also adds difficulty because it poses the threat of foot faulting...

I've had similiar thoughts - using pea gravel - but instead use river stones - the ones best for skipping rocks - or even better, white-ball golf balls. My ideas cost $$$ though.

I like the grid patterned log bunker. Don't like it, don't throw there. Love it. People need to become more responsible on where they throw their plastic.

The BUNCR is silly.

The BUNCR is silly.
Might as well remove the casual relief rule then since a buncr is really just a name for a casual relief area.

Might as well remove the casual relief rule then since a buncr is really just a name for a casual relief area.

Really?

The BunCR concept is pretty simple, if your shot is outside the rope you throw another from the same lie. It is a distance penalty instead of extra strokes, hence the CR in the spelling, which indicates Casual Relief.

C. Casual Obstacles: A player may obtain relief only from the following obstacles: casual water, loose leaves or debris, broken branches no longer connected to a tree, motor vehicles, harmful insects or animals, players' equipment, spectators, or any item or area specifically designated by the director before the round. Obstacles may not be moved if any part of the obstacle is between the lie and the hole. The type of relief a player may obtain is based on the location of the obstacle and is limited as follows:
(1) Casual obstacles between the lie and the hole: A player may move obstacles which became a factor during the round as described by 803.05 B.

(2) Casual obstacles to stance or throwing motion: The player must first attempt to remove the obstacle unless a portion of the obstacle is also between the lie and the hole. If it is impractical to move the obstacle, or if a portion of the obstacle is also between the lie and the hole, the player's lie may be relocated to the nearest lie which is no closer to the hole; is on the line of play; and is not more than five meters from the original lie, as agreed to by a majority of the group or an official (unless greater casual relief is announced by the director). Alternatively, the player may declare an unplayable lie and proceed in accordance with 803.06.

(3) Casual obstacles to a run-up: The player may move the obstacle provided no part of the obstacle is between the lie and the hole.. No other relief is provided.



That's a bit of a stretch. They don't seem the same to me at all. But I guess if you can have a tournament were yellow rope is used to manufacture a disc golf course, then I guess it fits right in.

A buncr can use line of play relief [see 803.05C (2)], previous lie relief like USDGC [see 803.05C(2) "unless greater casual relief is announced by director"] or drop zone [804.01B Special Conditions]. The buncr has always been available as a hazard option within the rules. It just didn't have a name. The USDGC uses the most extreme version.