Q&A WITH Lind Hunemuller

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1 Standard Golf has been manufacturing Golf Course Accessories since the early 1900s, how did the bunker rake become a staple of your line-up?

A: In the early period of golf design most courses either didn’t have sand traps or very few. Bunkers were smaller in design and had just one type of sand. At that time, Standard Golf started to make a very basic bunker rake and offered it in one size. As golf grew, new courses were being designed with more bunkers and of varying sizes and shapes. As this occurred, Standard Golf added more styles, shapes and sizes of bunker rake heads and handles. Bunker rakes have now become a staple of every early season order, just like cups and flagsticks.

2 Not all “bunker rakes” are meant to be used by the golfer. Does Standard Golf have a rake that would be more of a maintenance tool or one used specifically to prepare a bunker for play by the Superintendent and their grounds crew?

A: Yes, we do, our Debris Rake. This rake has a 21" head and has a multitude of uses not only in the bunker, but around the course. This rake is perfect for Spring / Fall to help remove leaves and stones from the trap as well as to fluff up the sand after a heavy rain. In addition, this rake is great for pine straw areas, maintaining flowerbeds, mulch and areas between shrubs. It’s a great maintenance tool.

3 There is a lot of talk about how a bunker should be maintained: little sand, lots of sand, steps edges, no banks. How has Standard Golf changed with the times and innovated new products for the bunker?

A: In the boom years of course construction many courses went to a bigger / deeper sand trap design. At this time, we added rakes with wider heads and longer handles. Most recently we introduced The Chief Bunker Rake in 2018. This rake was a collaboration with Oakmont Country Club’s Superintendent David Delsandro and head pro Devin Gee to help with the “Aussie Style” of bunker maintenance. The rake is two-sided. A smooth side to pack down the vertical sides of the bunker to prevent balls from plugging and allow balls to settle on the bottom. The second side is a series of ridges (not teeth) that are used to rough up the bottom of the trap – with about ½" of sand on the bottom, long teeth on a rake would dig into the underlying fabric and destroy the bunker.

4 How customizable are the bunker rakes with Standard Golf? Can I have different sized heads / handles?

A: We offer seven (7) different head options from our 15" Economy Rake to the 25" Tour Pro and everything in between. Our handles also come in many sizes, styles and color options. We offer wood, ultralight steel, aluminum, composite and our very popular gator grip handle. Most all of our handles fit each of our heads (a few exceptions) so you can really mix and match to your specific need.

5 In or out of the bunker? What do you believe is the best place to leave a rake once used? And how do you prevent the rake from getting wet (dew) or sandy?

A: This is a great question, and one that does not have a firm response. I know that at many PGA Tour events the bunkers are left out completely to prevent contact with the ball and any potential rules violations. For a maintenance and everyday play facility, we recommend leaving the rake inside the bunker. This helps to eliminate carts or mowers accidently running over the rake and helps to speed up play. For courses that like to leave the rake out of the bunker, we have a very popular option, a curved rake handle. When used properly the head is on the ground, and then just the tip or top of the handle. The curve allows the majority of the handle to be above ground and easier to see and grab. Additionally, the ball can roll under and no dew or sand will attach to the rake head. We can add the curved rake handle to all of our rake heads except the Economy and Tour Lite.