The bunker sand at this Open Championship comes from surprising source

The sand used in the 104 bunkers at this Open Championship at Royal Birkdale comes from a surprising source: local dunes. This feature creates unique and challenging conditions for players, different from what they are accustomed to on many American courses.

More Than Just Sand: The Specifics of Royal Birkdale's Bunkers

"Please, don't get in the bunker," was advice many players and caddies might have given during practice rounds before the start of The Open Championship. The sand at Royal Birkdale is indeed special: coarse, heavy, dark – and extremely troublesome for play. This is not a typical golf course, and its 104 bunkers are far from those found on American courses.

Unlike many American courses, such as Hartford, Colonial, or even Augusta National, where bunkers are often filled with artificial sand and smoothed to perfection by machines, Royal Birkdale's bunkers present a real challenge. "This is linksland sand," said English golfer Matt Wallace on Wednesday afternoon. He emphasized that the sand at Augusta National and many other American courses is trucked in. "Linksland golf is all about sand. The ball settles in these bunkers. You can't hit it as high. You can't do much with it, really, at all," Wallace added.

Australian golfer Lucas Herbert, upon hearing that Tiger Woods won The Open Championship in 2006 at Royal Liverpool without playing a single bunker shot, joked, "Sign me up for that." His caddie, Nick Pugh, noted that the sand at this tournament not only differs from the sand at other tournaments but also how it's raked. "These R&A-sanctioned rakes, with their widely spaced teeth, guarantee that there will be ridges" in the bunkers, he said. These ridges add to the difficulty, especially if the ball lands near one, significantly limiting the player's options.

"Locally Sourced" Sand: The Royal Birkdale Philosophy

The vertical sod walls, characteristic of bunkers on the British Isles' coastlines, are known for their difficulty. But the furrows left by R&A rakes in the real sand traps add even more trouble. If the ball stops near such a ridge, the player's options are severely limited.

The sand in Royal Birkdale's bunkers is real, "locally sourced," to use a phrase from the farm-to-table movement. At Augusta National, the sand is trucked in. On almost every new course, sand is also trucked in. Course operators order sand of the desired shape and size. At Royal Birkdale, players get what nature provides.

The Royal Birkdale course is not within half a mile of the Irish Sea. Between the sea and the course lies a wide, flat beach, then a wide strip of dunes, a coastal road, another wide strip of duneland, and only then the course itself. Between the course and the adjacent dunes, one can see a small mountain of sand mined by the club. A bulldozer stands nearby. This sand is delivered to the course as needed.

Environmental Aspect and Dune Preservation

The sand mining system might seem like heresy to Americans accustomed to fighting coastal erosion and protecting dunes. However, the opposite view prevails here. The mining of these dunes is sanctioned by the national conservation group Natural England. Firstly, imported sand leaves a carbon footprint and has an environmental cost. Moreover, local golf enthusiasts argue that this stretch of dunes has become too stagnant, with invasive trees taking hold of the dunes and preventing their natural movement. True links courses were created by wind currents that spread sand and grass seeds. Wallace seemed to instinctively understand this when he said, "This is linksland sand."

The Old Course in St. Andrews, on the east coast of Scotland, leads directly to the beach. Turnberry, on the west coast of Scotland, also leads directly to the beach. When people think of The Open Championship, this is what comes to mind: the sea, the beach, a sandy course emerging directly from them. Royal Birkdale is different. It is not immediately adjacent to the sea. But it is very duney. It is as sandy as any course in The Open Championship rotation. Many consider Royal Birkdale the most "American" of The Open courses. However, there is another perspective: it is one of the most linksy courses possible. It is as sandy as any other. This should be a great and true Open Championship.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com.