Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / William P. Winslow III / Sand bunkers serve multiple roles as components in the game of golf and golf course design. Bunkers began on early Scottish linksland courses as natural areas of exposed sand. However, as golf has grown since those early beginnings centuries ago, bunkers have become designed, constructed and maintained elements of the course. Significant resources are now used to build and maintain bunkers, in some cases more than are used on greens. As economic factors cause those in the golf business to search for opportunities to be more efficient, bunker maintenance and management plays a key role. This study identifies and analyzes the factors that are most important to bunker design, maintenance and management. It also examines the bunker design – management relationship and the impacts that bunker design decisions have on golf course management. A survey questionnaire targeted toward golf course designers and golf course superintendents was used to obtain opinions and statistical data pertaining to the study. A total of 109 completed surveys were returned. Survey responses were used to determine: 1. The importance of bunkers 2. Bunkers’ roles and characteristics 3. The most important factors related to bunker design and maintenance 4. The reasoning behind undertaking bunker modification projects 5. The degree of involvement among parties involved in bunker design and construction. Additional analysis was undertaken to determine potentially important differences or disconnects between the responses of the two survey groups – golf course architects and superintendents. Survey results and analysis indicate that the primary roles of bunkers are intended for player strategy and course aesthetics. The most important factors in bunker design and construction are their; location, visual appearance, drainage and structural quality, all of which directly impact a bunker’s overall maintainability. The results of the study and literature review show that the bunker design – management relationship appears to play a significant role in the playability and continued quality of bunkers over the long term. Issues that arise related to bunker maintenance and management can often be traced back to less than thoughtful decisions or actions made during design and construction. Conclusions are also presented regarding limitations of the study and potential areas for future related research. Additional exploration regarding the specifics of bunker design, construction and maintenance, as well as the associated resource expenditures, would be of relevance to professionals practicing in golf course architecture and maintenance. Future research also might focus on golf course components beyond bunkers using methodology similar to that set forth in this study.

Artists think differently. They challenge the practical and apply their ideas to the contemporary world creating many journeys and excitement along the way. Without them, the world would have remained flat and as unique as black and white. This thesis investigation is grounded in phenomenological theories of aesthetics proposed by Maurice Merleau-Ponty and John Dewey, the artistic approach of Jackson Pollock and Yves Klein, and my own perceptions of the process of creating art. The objective is to apply aesthetic concepts and principles derived from these sources to the practice of golf course architecture and expand the way we view and play in our golf course environment. Golf, unlike any other sport, is carried out over an area of awarded luck and encouraged misfortune that also happens to be a living environment. Without question, no two courses are alike. Nor is any hole on any course ever the same. Nor is any hole, even if played the very next day, going to relinquish the same experience. Daily tee and hole locations make for an infinite number of configurations; as does wind, the temperature, the condition of the grass or the suddenly drooping branches of a once upright tree. However, not all courses reach their potential and capitalize on the environments possibilities and the perception of those experiencing it. Some course designers simply place holes in a pattern to reach desired numbers of par and yardage in order to fulfill a requirement. With the unrelenting expense of land and the continued awareness of negative development impacts, the art of golf course architecture could be viewed a bit differently. By incorporating the attitude of an artist such as Jackson Pollock, or the mentality of a psychologist such as Merleau-Ponty, and revealing the possibilities of the subconscious, the golf course architect's design can do more than give shape to space. Blacksburg Country Club, located in Ellett Valley just outside of the town of Blacksburg, Virginia serves as a case study site for this design investigation. The intent of the thesis is to develop a design that addresses the technicalities of golf course architecture and the history of the profession while creating a piece of 'art in nature' that touches all the senses — the gateway to the soul. There just happens to be a game inside. / Master of Landscape Architecture