Bunkers, unplayable lies.

Ghacker

I over heard some ladies talking about taking unplayable lies in bunkers and droping their ball under penalty from the last place they played the ball.

Isn't this against the rules. You could go round the course without ever playing from a bunker, however you would have to add an extra shot to your score each time you are in a bunker.

Rule below.

Unplayable Ball.
The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.
If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under penalty of one stroke:
a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.
If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.
When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.

OilBeefHooked2

Ghacker wrote: »

I over heard some ladies talking about taking unplayable lies in bunkers and droping their ball under penalty from the last place they played the ball.

Isn't this against the rules. You could go round the course without ever playing from a bunker, however you would have to add an extra shot to your score each time you are in a bunker.

Rule below.

Unplayable Ball.
The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.
If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under penalty of one stroke:
a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.
If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.
When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.

The ladies were and are correct, read the bolded bit above.

Ilik Urgee

Can you rake the bunker before dropping?

ForeRight

Ilik Urgee wrote: »

Can you rake the bunker before dropping?

I don't think so.

I remember playing in a comp before and I was in a bunker. When I got to the bunker there were chunks out of the sand at the other side of the bunker to my ball. I raked it just out of courtesy to fix it up before playing my shot from the far side.

I was informed by my playing partner that I was in breach of the rules as my ball could possibly end up in that spot if I didn't get the ball out and I had improved my lie.

It was news to me to be honest.

OilBeefHooked2

Ilik Urgee wrote: »

Can you rake the bunker before dropping?

Nope.

OilBeefHooked2

ForeRight wrote: »

I don't think so.

I remember playing in a comp before and I was in a bunker. When I got to the bunker there were chunks out of the sand at the other side of the bunker to my ball. I raked it just out of courtesy to fix it up before playing my shot from the far side.

I was informed by my playing partner that I was in breach of the rules as my ball could possibly end up in that spot if I didn't get the ball out and I had improved my lie.

It was news to me to be honest.

Right answer, but wrong reasoning, you not allowed rake becuase you're not allowed to test the conditions.

Golfgraffix

There was a new 4 year rule brought in in 2012 that allowed you to rake a bunker before your shot but only if it was deemed to be caring for the course and if in doing so you did not break rule 13.2

Also good to note that if say you put your ball OB from a bunker that you can rake before taking your penalty drop.

J

ShivasIrons

ForeRight wrote: »

I don't think so.

I remember playing in a comp before and I was in a bunker. When I got to the bunker there were chunks out of the sand at the other side of the bunker to my ball. I raked it just out of courtesy to fix it up before playing my shot from the far side.

I was informed by my playing partner that I was in breach of the rules as my ball could possibly end up in that spot if I didn't get the ball out and I had improved my lie.

It was news to me to be honest.

Rule 13-4 Ball in Hazard; Prohibited actions

Except as provided in the Rules, before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard (whether a bunker or a water hazard) or that, having been lifted from a hazard, may be dropped or placed in the hazard, the player must not:

a. Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard;
b. Touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club; or
c. Touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard.

Exceptions


2. At any time, the player may smooth sand or soil in a hazard provided this is for the sole purpose of caring for the course and nothing is done to breach Rule 13-2 with respect to the next stroke. If a ball played from a hazard is outside the hazard after the stroke, the player may smooth sand or soil in the hazard without restriction.

Exception 2 to Rule 13-4 allows a player to rake a bunker for the sole purpose of tidying up the course.

This exception was added to the rules last year.

esker man

If you play out of a bunker and into a water hazard, are you forced to drop a ball in the bunker and play from there again?

kiers47

esker man wrote: »

If you play out of a bunker and into a water hazard, are you forced to drop a ball in the bunker and play from there again?

You have the same options as normal for entering a water hazard. Dropping in the bunker is one of the options all right.

GreeBo

esker man wrote: »

If you play out of a bunker and into a water hazard, are you forced to drop a ball in the bunker and play from there again?

Only if you elect to replay the shot.

Senecio

How do you rake a bunker (with the sole purpose of looking after the course) without testing the condition of the hazard?

GreeBo

Senecio wrote: »

How do you rake a bunker (with the sole purpose of looking after the course) without testing the condition of the hazard?

You (the player) are the one who distinguishes.
Same for touching the line of a putt, rolling a ball on the green, etc, etc.

Ilik Urgee

Golfgraffix wrote: »

There was a new 4 year rule brought in in 2012 that allowed you to rake a bunker before your shot but only if it was deemed to be caring for the course and if in doing so you did not break rule 13.2

Also good to note that if say you put your ball OB from a bunker that you can rake before taking your penalty drop.

J

Why? Ball not in play?

BoardsMember

Pretty sure I am right in saying you are always entitled to take your last shot again under penalty of stroke & distance, even when in a water hazard. God I hope I am right, otherwise I will be lambasted......

GreeBo

BoardsMember wrote: »

Pretty sure I am right in saying you are always entitled to take your last shot again under penalty of stroke & distance, even when in a water hazard. God I hope I am right, otherwise I will be lambasted......

Effectively you can but you are doing it for different reasons under different rules.

One of the options when you hit it into the drink is to replay your last shot.
This is different than declaring your ball unplayable and replaying your last shot.

But the reality is you replay your last shot in both cases....simples.

alxmorgan

Timely mail from Rules of Golf

One of the worst experiences in golf can be when you take a long, or downhill putt and you watch your ball roll straight past the hole and on into a bunker, especially if you are as bad at playing from the sand as I am. Those of us lucky enough to have been able to watch The Open Championship in Muirfield in mid-July may have seen Rory McIlroy do just that during his first, disappointing round. There were several videos of Rory’s embarrassing putt, but I see that the Open Championship have demanded that they be taken down on copyright grounds. At the time of writing the incident could still be viewed at this link.

We know that many professional golfers would rather play from a pristinely raked bunker than from the surrounding rough and Rory certainly had no problem in extricating his ball from the sand, although he still made a double-bogey on this occasion. However, this incident raises the question as to what are the options when players deem their ball unplayable in a bunker, either because they have a problem playing from sand or their ball is so badly plugged, or close to the lip, that they are uncertain that they can play out in any direction with a single stroke. There are three options under Rule 28, all of which incur one penalty stroke;
1. At any time, a player may choose to play a ball as nearly as possible from the spot at which the original ball was last played. In the above scenario Rory could have lifted his ball from the bunker and replaced it on the putting green at the place that he had originally played from, for a penalty of one stroke.
2. They may drop a ball in the same bunker behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped (providing it is still in the bunker).
3. They may drop a ball in the bunker within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.
I am sure that some readers may have thought that a player may choose to drop a ball outside the bunker, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped. This is a common misunderstanding. The option to drop outside the bunker along this line, under penalty of one stroke, only applies to situations where the ball lies in an abnormal ground condition (e.g. casual water) in the bunker, Rule 25-1b(ii)(b).

Good golfing,

It seems to suggest that if you land in water in a bunker you can drop out of the bunker under penalty. I always thought you had to drop in the bunker...but then maybe that was a free drop had to be in bunker.

Brains trust ?

GreeBo

alxmorgan wrote: »

Timely mail from Rules of Golf




It seems to suggest that if you land in water in a bunker you can drop out of the bunker under penalty. I always thought you had to drop in the bunker...but then maybe that was a free drop had to be in bunker.

Brains trust ?

If you cant drop in a bunker and avoid casual water then you either play from the water or drop outside, under penalty.

inthehole1

GreeBo wrote: »

If you cant drop in a bunker and avoid casual water then you either play from the water or drop outside, under penalty.

if your ball is in casual water in bunker
And you drop your ball in the bunker further back don't you still incur a penalty stroke

ShivasIrons

inthehole1 wrote: »

if your ball is in casual water in bunker
And you drop your ball in the bunker further back don't you still incur a penalty stroke

There is no penalty taking relief from casual water in a bunker if you still drop the ball in the bunker.

inthehole1

ShivasIrons wrote: »

There is no penalty taking relief from casual water in a bunker if you still drop the ball in the bunker.

are you sure of this
Was told by someone who plays seriously and said a bunker is classed as a hazard and if you land in casual water in bunker its bad luck and penalty drop unless bunkers have been declared unplayable for entire coutsr

ShivasIrons

inthehole1 wrote: »

are you sure of this
Was told by someone who plays seriously and said a bunker is classed as a hazard and if you land in casual water in bunker its bad luck and penalty drop unless bunkers have been declared unplayable for entire coutsr

I am certain of this, you should ask them to point out the rule which says that because 25-1 b taking relief from abnormal ground conditions says

(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either:
(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker or, if complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the condition;


Playing golf seriously is no indication of a knowledge of the rules, look at the simple mistakes made on professional tours down through the years.

PARlance

ShivasIrons wrote: »

There is no penalty taking relief from casual water in a bunker if you still drop the ball in the bunker.

Just as long as its not nearer the hole.