Sand

photo credit: danperry.com   Why do some courses brag about the condition of their sand traps?  They speak of fluffy, silk-like powder imported from some distant corner of the world.  Hasn’t this taken the teeth out of the original purpose of the sand trap (to penalize)?

Tour Pros, often aim for sand traps because for most, it’s much easier to hit out of a sand trap than to hit from high rough.  Because the traps are in such perfect condition, it’s a breeze to knock a shot close to the pin.

I believe that instead of raking the sand smoothly, it should be raked with furrows.  When a ball lands in a furrowed trap, it obviously penalized the golfer which is what a trap is meant to do.