Bunker Rakes

[Imurg]

Ok here's one to get you talking!!

Rakes in or out of the bunker?????

Personally, I think rakes should be in. if a rake is outside it could prevent the ball from going into the bunker in the first place. But a rake in the bunker would rarely help a ball escape so the ball remains in the bunker.

Over to you guys............

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Our rakes have little stands to lift them up so the end (with the prongs) is in the bunker and the handle is in the air. Suppose to make them easier to get hold off but also stops the ball hitting them and not going into the bunker. Have to say I think rakes in for me

 

[Deleted member 1147]

At my club they are stood upright in tubes beside the bunker. This way they should take up limited room and not interfere with play too much!

 

[viscount17]

if out they should be at the side. have to admit to benefitting from rakes both in and out.

 

[barb]

Our rakes have stands for them, though not everyone puts them back on the stands and sometimes they are left in the bunker and sometimes on the grass with the claws sticking up, I find that really annoying

 

[backwoodsman]

Rake head in the sand, handle resting on side of bunker, with only just enough protruding over the dge so it's easy to pick up. That way, there's very little handle outside the bunker to interfere with the roll of a ball, the handle is off the sand, so doesn't stop ball rolling across the sand, and if you hit the rake head, you were well stuffed already anyway.

 

[andiritchie]

thats the million dollar question i would say inside the bunker

 

[evita4]

I would say in the bunker, however, it should be placed at the end of the bunker nearest the hole. This way the rake will have minimum impact on any ball.

 

[RGuk]

Rake head in the sand, handle resting on side of bunker, with only just enough protruding over the dge so it's easy to pick up. That way, there's very little handle outside the bunker to interfere with the roll of a ball, the handle is off the sand, so doesn't stop ball rolling across the sand, and if you hit the rake head, you were well stuffed already anyway.

Agreed on this! One of my courses has rake handle "stands" (by the very edge) so only the rake bit and the stand can affect the ball.

 

[OldWindy]

In, of course.

 

[Greenkeeper]

Rake head in the sand, handle resting on side of bunker, with only just enough protruding over the dge so it's easy to pick up. That way, there's very little handle outside the bunker to interfere with the roll of a ball, the handle is off the sand, so doesn't stop ball rolling across the sand, and if you hit the rake head, you were well stuffed already anyway.

yes full marks sir, As suggested by the R&A declaration.

 

[TonyN]

Probably inside for me, however, what about out at the back?
Surely if you go in, its very rare it rolls up and out, and if it does its normally fast enough it would jump and probably clear the rake anyway.

 

[USER1999]

I thought the R and A wanted rakes outside bunkers?

 

[toonarmy]

I always put the head on the rod rest and leave the handle outside as this only puts a small amount on the ground and seems to me to be the least obtrusive position.

At least if you go in the hazard you get a true fair lie and not something interfered with. If you hit the handle (no different to a branch) then it may keep you out or put you in - a rub of the green, if you will. Either way, it's incredibly unlikely. I know that would annoy me a lot less than finding my ball caught in the bunker by the rake and then having to be careful not to move the ball etc.

Seems I'm in the minority though!

 

[rgs]

I think Rakes in the bunker.

On our course we have too few rakes for some of our bunkers which are quite large. As usual when you enter the bunker the rake is on the far side and entails a walk around the bunker to get the rake.

 

[bernix]

The R&A recommends that rakes should be left outside the bunker. I think the main argument is that most rakes are left at the side where it prevents balls from running into the flat part of the bunker.

Read Decisions MISCELLANEOUS

 

[Cernunnos]

THere are many arguments for & against both inside & outside of a bunker. Some would even argue that there should be no rakes at all, as thats the purest form of the game, its merely good manners to leave the bunker as you found it.

One of the best solutions is to have the rake in its own stand on the edge of a bunker, but imagine if your ball hit this rake standing up & the next thing is that it either prevents it from its path which would have been the green, or worse, into the wet stuff.

Otherwise leave the bunker rake to one side on the ground, lined up with the direction of play.

Some people say a rake should be behind a bunker, though my reaction is that a lucky ball that bounces in the bunker & then out will be prevented from contiuing, say onto the green from there.

No my solution is either to one side of the bunker, on the outside, in the direction of play, or provide each player with foldable rakes