Rakes
You may think rakes are a boring topic, and not worthy of a one or two minute read.
When golfers show up to play in the morning, the grounds crew has often freshly raked the bunkers (either by machine, or by hand).
Ideally, the rakes are placed in the middle of the bunker to make it easier for the golfer to 'rake their way out' in hopes they will leave the bunker in a well maintained condition for the next golfer. Another reason they are placed in the middle is to avoid any complications with rulings and crazy bounces of golf balls. For player safety, golfers should always enter the low side of the bunker and avoid steep slopes. Once they have hit, the golfer should level and smooth all footprints, including the deep stance points, and rake their way out in a feathering motion away from themselves. Try to avoid dragging sand up to the edges or even out of the trap. An improperly raked bunker can have a negative impact on the experience of a fellow golfer playing later in the day.
With everyone’s participation, we can enhance the experience or culture for our members and guests.
To help the players accomplish these tasks at Kelowna Springs, we have started an experiment with a new style of rake. It has a longer handle and a wider head. The teeth have been positioned on one side to help with the deep holes and the backside of the rake is for the feathering and smoothing of light foot traffic. This season we are testing them out only in some of our smaller pot bunkers. Pending on results and golfer feedback, we will consider convert the rest of the rakes over time.
Happy golfing.
Gilbert LeBlanc, Superintendent
