#SandTraps May 3
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
In May 2025, many of us have decided to participate in the 30-Day Golf Coach4aday Challenge. Each day the goal is to share something about a particular golf course, golf equipment, or to actually get on the course and play a few holes. Golf is the only sport where you can be furious, humbled, and ecstatic—all in the span of one hole, and still call it “relaxing.” It’s a game where you are cajoling and chasing a tiny ball into a gopher hole. For many it becomes a lifelong obsession and an excuse to buy outrageous pants and the latest driver.
Today my golf observation is going to be about SAND TRAPS.
This challenge will not be for everybody but there are plenty that enjoy the game despite not being anywhere close to playing at a high level. That includes me.
Golf 30-Day Challenge Guidelines
As with previous challenges, participants are encouraged to adapt the guidelines to fit their own circumstances. If you can, commit to getting out on the golf course—but if that’s not in the cards, share a story about a favorite course or a piece of gear you love (or love to hate).
- Record something about your day on the course or talk about a golf course or piece of equipment.
- Share with a challenge partner if you have one.
- Join the conversation by posting on social media with the hashtag #Coach4adayChallenge
Day 3-Sand Traps
The history of sand traps—also known as bunkers—on golf courses dates back to the origins of the game in Scotland during the 15th century. Interestingly, bunkers weren’t originally designed features; they were natural depressions or pits formed by wind and grazing animals, particularly sheep, on the coastal linksland where early golf was played.
Today some of the most famous bunkers are found at Augusta National. That course home of The Masters has 44 sand traps each containing a glimmering white sand that is not actually sand.
That bunkers at this course contains Feldspar. The white sand in the bunkers at Augusta is actually a by-product of mining the Feldspar and separating the aluminum from the quartz. The waste product gives The Masters sand bunkers a unique and beautiful appearance.
Just before the 1975 tournament, Augusta National swapped out its ordinary beige bunker sand for the now-iconic bright white variety. This striking sand is actually pure quartz, sourced from Spruce Pine, North Carolina—a region known for some of the finest quartz deposits in the world. Referred to as Spruce Pine sand, it not only gives the course its signature look but also prevents golf balls from burying into tricky lies. Interestingly, this same ultra-pure quartz plays a key role in computer chip manufacturing, making it as essential to Silicon Valley as it is to Amen Corner.
One final fact about these bunkers the material comes from Spruce Pine NC. Great article in Our State Magazine that will tell you more.
Recent Comments