bunker rule?

[hovis]

Yesterday whilst playing in a friendly game my pp hit his ball into a greenside bunker. The bunkers on this particular hole had just been re-sanded so the sand was deep, light and fluffy.
My pp decided to go into a different bunker next to the one with his ball in to take some practice swings and get a feel for the sand? Is this ok?

 

[DCB]

No:lol:

 

[Maninblack4612]

No :lol:

 

[hovis]

No:lol:

I said " no, your testing the hazard" he said " but I'm not in this hazzard"

 

[chrisd]

Coo, I must try that one in the comp on Sunday!

 

[CliveW]

Rule 13-4a ....."the player must not test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard"

 

[hovis]

Rule 13-4a ....."the player must not test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard"

Thanks clive, wait until i see that chump!

 

[atticusfinch]

Thanks clive, wait until i see that chump!

Be prepared for an argument that the hazards were not similar. Similar means bunker/bunker or water/water.

 

[Foxholer]

Be prepared for an argument that the hazards were not similar. Similar means bunker/bunker or water/water.

Would have to then query why the guy was in another bunker practicing at all!

And by the response to the original challenge....

Is there precedent?

 

[duncan mackie]

Is there precedent?

doesn't need to be - it's all there in the choice of wording.

the long version of which then becomes 'the hazard or any other hazard having a resemblance in appearance, character, or quantity without being identical.'

which in practice means exactly what atticusfinch posted.

 

[Hack-Man-Hob]

similair (ish) query.... wondered what the actual rule is tho

FRIENDLY CASUAL game ...par 3, playing partner lands in a freshly sanded light fluffy bunker and ball disappears, in the minute or so it takes us to get to the green the heavens have opened and the impact area the ball should have made is disappeared. So to us the ball has vanished underground with no clear sign of where it entered. As it was only a friendly knock we raked a few square feet of roughly where we thought it went, found it a good 2 inches under the sand, free drop in a less fluffy area of the bunker and away we went.

Spent the next few holes debating over what the actual rule was... testing the hazard / play as it lies / identifiying the ball / 3 off the tee etc etc and where just wondered if anyone has a clear idea on this freaky little situation or has come across it before, I beat him anyways so the huge 50 pence prize fund wasn't really in any danger of going to a small claims court.

 

[Colin L]

I'm assuming the heavens hadn't covered the area in water, just erased the signs of the impact. You are entitled to rake around searching for a ball buried in a bunker. Once you find the ball, you must recreate the lie it was in by burying it again. You are allowed however to leave a little bit of the top of the ball visible.

See Rule 12-1a
http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-12/

 

[pogle]

similair (ish) query.... wondered what the actual rule is tho

FRIENDLY CASUAL game ...par 3, playing partner lands in a freshly sanded light fluffy bunker and ball disappears, in the minute or so it takes us to get to the green the heavens have opened and the impact area the ball should have made is disappeared. So to us the ball has vanished underground with no clear sign of where it entered. As it was only a friendly knock we raked a few square feet of roughly where we thought it went, found it a good 2 inches under the sand, free drop in a less fluffy area of the bunker and away we went.

Spent the next few holes debating over what the actual rule was... testing the hazard / play as it lies / identifiying the ball / 3 off the tee etc etc and where just wondered if anyone has a clear idea on this freaky little situation or has come across it before, I beat him anyways so the huge 50 pence prize fund wasn't really in any danger of going to a small claims court.

Rule 12-1 covers it. If a ball lying anywhere on the course is covered by sand then you are allowed to move sand in order to find it. Once you've found it then you must recreate the lie - but you are allowed to leave a small bit of the ball visible if it's completely covered by sand. If you move the ball then no penalty and replace it. "Anywhere on the course" includes bunkers.

It's similar for a ball in a hazard covered by loose impediments - leaves etc. However in this case if you move the ball then there is a penalty.

 

[Hack-Man-Hob]

Fantastic thanks for clearing that up, not to far wrong with no penalty then, albeit a with a wee bit better lie and a little clearer from the lip! I can't envisage having to pull that rule out any time soon but I'll never forget it now! Thanks again