The Open Championship may still be five months away, but the groundskeeping staff at St. Andrews is hard at work preparing for the return of golf’s oldest championship.
Specifically, they’re working on the Hell Bunker, a cavernous hazard on the 14th hole that has become one of the course’s most iconic landmarks:
They've been busy rebuilding the infamous Hell Bunker @TheHomeofGolf ahead of #TheOpen. More: http://t.co/x44iiAg03o pic.twitter.com/HJ9U9Zgwvs
— The Open (@TheOpen) February 17, 2015
According to a St. Andrews blog post, the staff will rebuild a total of 50 bunkers this winter in anticipation of the year’s third major, which was last contested at the Old Course in 2010. Work on the Hell Bunker actually began in November and efforts focused around rebuilding its 10-foot face, with new sod laid at a 65-degree angle.
Players will be able to test out the renovations July 13-19, when Rory McIlroy defends the title he won last year at Royal Liverpool.