[Steve]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Palmer, particularly the (2) nines the King designed (supposedly), is the absolute wrong design for The Villages.

Huge, slope-face bunkers, designed to funnel the balls back towards the center of the bunkers (making the shot easier), but leading to a situation that it's difficult (& time-consuming) for older folks to rake their entry and exit foot prints.

I played in a group last year. On the 4th hole on Laurel Valley, bunker on the right-side, 30+ yards from the green ... lost a guy in the bunker.

He was not in optimal health or condition and carried way too much weight above his waist. He slipped on the side slope of the bunker, rolled down to the center (him, not his ball). Took us about 20 minutes to get him out of the bunker. Finally got him out, by "rolling" him towards the lower edge, dragging him out and then "levering" him upright. I wish I had video, but I didn't want to be "one of those", that standby watching & filming the travails of unfortunate circumstances. Would have garnered 1,000,000 views on YouTube.

I'm not defending those who don't rake bunkers, but the Palmer design leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion, for this type of golf environment.

Regarding the steep slope of some of the bunkers and the difficulty in raking entry and exit footprints: What I have noticed everywhere I have played over my many years of golf is people don't know how to enter and exit a bunker. Regardless of where your ball is in the bunker you should always enter from the LOW side. Too many people enter from the spot nearest to their ball and if it's a steep slope they either leave massive deep footprints or "slide" down to their ball. Then they try to climb that same steep slope to get out. Entering from the LOW side you walk in, hit your shot and walk out the same way you went in, raking your footprints as you leave (I hope!).