BUNKERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Touching Sand in a Bunker. (Rule 12.2b(1&2)) You still must respect the lie of the ball and the sand when playing out of a bunker. While incidental contact is no longer penalized, you will get the general penalty if you deliberately touch sand in the bunker with your hand or ground your club to test the condition of the bunker, hit sand with a practice swing, or touch sand on your back swing while making a stroke. However, provided you are doing nothing to test the condition of the bunker, you may lean on a club to rest in a bunker, touch the sand to prevent yourself from falling, place/lie down extra clubs in the bunker, touch sand when reasonable searching for your ball or remove loose impediments and movable obstructions. Click HERE to see a video explanation.
 

 

 

Removing Loose Impediments in a Bunkers. (Rule 12.2a) You will now be able to remove any loose impediments (leaves, sticks, stones, etc.) that lie in a bunker at any time, regardless of where the ball lies. However, be sure to examine the lie of the ball in relation to a loose impediment. If the ball moves when removing a loose impediment, you will be penalized one stroke and will be required to replace the ball. So if the ball is potentially being held up or supported by a loose impediment, its best to just play the ball as it lies and not risk getting that penalty stroke.

 

When removing a loose impediment, you may do so by reasonably removing the loose impediment with a hand or club (i.e. flicking a leaf out of the way with an iron). If/when you touch sand in a bunker with your hand or club, there will be no penalty provided touching the sand was incidental and reasonable to do so when removing the loose impediment. By "reasonable" the Rules mean it was in the least intrusive manner (Interpretation 12.2a/1), meaning you need to remove the loose impediment and also try touching/moving as little sand as possible. Click HERE and HERE to see the video explanation.

 

 

Removing Movable Obstructions in Bunkers. (Rule 12.2a) This Rule will be a carryover from the previous year, but it is still worth repeating. You may still remove movable obstructions (bunker rakes, soda can, scorecard, etc.) from a bunker whenever you like. The difference between this Rule and removing a loose impediment (leaves, sticks, stones, etc.), is that if a ball is moved by removing a movable obstruction, the ball must be replaced from where it was moved and there is no penalty.

 

 

 

Unplayable Ball in a Bunker. (Rule 19.3) A ball may also be declared unplayable in a bunker using the three options listed below, plus a new option for 2019. For the three listed below, if options #2 and #3 are used, the ball must be dropped within that same bunker under those Rules with a one stroke penalty. In 2019, a new Rule will allow players to drop a ball outside of the bunker using the principles of option #2, but this will cost you 2 penalty strokes. Click HERE to see a video explanation.

 

 

 

  • Stroke and Distance. Take a stroke and distance penalty and play the ball from where it was last played.
     
  • Back on a line Relief. Use the flagstick and current location of the ball to establish a line between those two points and drop a ball on an extanesion of that line with no limit to how far back it may go. The ball must be dropped in the same bunker.
     
    • Also new in 2019, you may now drop a ball outside of the bunker using this relief option, but it will cost you two (2) penalty strokes.
       
  • Lateral Relief. Drop a ball within two club lengths of the current spot of the ball, and no closer to the hole. The ball must be dropped in the same bunker.