Greenkeeping Guide Volume 17: Bunker Maintenance, Sand Selection, and Playability

Modern bunker care is one of the most misunderstood parts of golf course maintenance. Players often see only the surface the smooth sand, the crisp edges, the way a ball reacts when it lands but beneath that surface lies a disciplined system of shaping, sand management, drainage protection, and daily refinement. Greenkeeping Guide Volume Seventeen: Bunker Maintenance, Sand Selection, and Playability brings clarity to this essential part of course conditioning, showing how thoughtful stewardship turns a bunker from a trouble spot into a predictable, fair, and visually strong feature of the course. This volume explains how bunker sand behaves under weather, irrigation, and play, and how particle size, shape, and purity influence firmness, splash, and consistency. It explores the quiet work of maintaining edges, managing contamination, protecting liners, and preserving drainage systems that keep bunkers stable through heavy rain and seasonal pressure. The book also examines the daily practices that shape playability, from raking patterns to moisture management, and shows how these small actions influence the experience of every golfer who steps into a bunker. >For deeper operations training, see Golf Course Operations Leadership Handbook: https: //