Rake In Bunker

[natgolfer]

In the Alexander of Tunis tournament on Saturday, my ball came to rest under a rake in a bunker. When I lifted the rake the ball rolled a few feet farther away from the original spot.

The official at the hole conferred with the referee who said that the ball should be placed on the original spot before the rake was moved. I did and the ball rolled away again.

I was then told to find the spot nearest the original spot, where the ball would not roll away and was not nearer the hole. I did and was told that my ball was in play.

I assume that this is the correct procedure.

Two points:
1. Most golfers would probably just push the ball a little deeper into the sand to prevent it from rolling, an obvious breach of the rules.
2. Now I understand why all rakes for bunkers should be left OUTSIDE the bunker.

[Gary Hill]

Yes. The procedure was handled correctly.

Points about your points:

1. Pushing the ball down in the sand is a breach of Rule 13-2 (Improving Lie).

2. If you were unable to find a spot not nearer the hole where the ball would come to rest, you would be forced to either declare the ball unplayable or drop outside the bunker. Both options carrry a penalty of one stroke.

Greenkeepers (usually under orders from owners) continually place rakes inside the bunkers even though it may result in a player being forced into a penalty. I have been told by many owners that this is done solely to facilitate cutting the grass.

OOPS!! There we go trespassing on their "nature preserve" again. :shakehead

[Happy Gilmore]

A golfer told me last year that there was a change in the rules of golf as where to replace the rake, i.e. in the bunker/sand trap, or outside the bunker.
He said that the rule was changed to placing the rake in the bunker, as not to allow an advantage to a player whos ball strikes a rake outside a bunker and then remains outside the bunker/hazzard, even if the ball was travelling fast enough to fully enter the trap.

I thought that his point was good, but noticed that all the course I played were still placing all the rakes outside the bunkers. That is what I have remained doing aswell.

Is there any truth to this "story"?

Thanks.

[Gary Hill]

No truth whatsoever to any part of that story.

[DCH]

Taken from the R&A/USGA Decisions Book
There is not a perfect answer for the position of rakes, but on balance it is felt there is less likelihood of an advantage or disadvantage to the player if rakes are placed outside of bunkers.
It may be argued that there is more likelihood of a ball being deflected into or kept out of a bunker if the rake is placed outside the bunker. It could also be argued that if the rake is in the bunker it is most unlikely that the ball will be deflected out of the bunker.
However, in practice, players who leave rakes in bunkers frequently leave them at the side which tends to stop a ball rolling into the flat part of the bunker, resulting in a much more difficult shot than would otherwise have been the case. This is most prevalent at a course where the bunkers are small. When the ball comes to rest on or against a rake in the bunker and the player must proceed under Rule 24-1, it may not be possible to replace the ball on the same spot or find a spot in the bunker which is not nearer the hole – see Decision 20-3d/2.
If rakes are left in the middle of the bunker the only way to position them is to throw them into the bunker and this causes damage to the surface. Also, if a rake is in the middle of a large bunker it is either not used or the player is obliged to rake a large area of the bunker resulting in unnecessary delay.
Therefore, after considering all these aspects, it is recommended that rakes should be left outside bunkers in areas where they are least likely to affect the movement of the ball.
Ultimately, it is a matter for the Committee to decide where it wishes rakes to be placed.

[HiG4s]

I wish they would have put the rakes outside the bunkers Monday,, I hit a low shot to the green it was moving pretty fast through a low bunker and I was expecting it to bounce through to the green. But when I got there it had hit a rake in the bunker and went 90* to the left about 4 ft. You could see the trail in the sand. Had it kept going 4 ft straight it would have been out of the bunker Doh..

The one course here has put a bracket on the carts and each cart has a rake, none on the course. Athough this can be a pain on cart path only days having to carry several clubs and a rake to the fairway bunkers on the other side of the fairway.