Bunkers and free drops.

[Oddsocks]

As far as im aware there isnt a rule covering this (happy to stand corrected) but i would love to see a rule in place covering unraked bunkers.

On sunday a guy in our 4 ball had gone from 10-6 +1 from par in an impressive and steady round, with only 3 over on the front 9 yet when we got to the 17th par 4 he's approach shot see him miss the green and hit a greenside bunker after a nasty bounce. ok it happens to the best of us.

When he got to he's ball the guy was ready to explode (not wise for a 70+ year old guy) and i honestly thought he's head was going to explode leaving a headless corpse in its wake.

I can only assume the guys in front had either had an ileagal rave in the bunker or took about 8 to get out. The guy in our group who hit the bunker had he's ball inside a 5 inch foot print.

Id love to see a rule where:

" if your ball lands in an unraked bunker you can mark it, rake it and take one drop at your own risk "

if it lands and pankcakes itself thats your own risk, but i dont see how you should be punsihed for people with poor course manors.

 

[Lindyhop67]

Poor course manors? I've been to a few!

But anyway...this is the same debate as a ball lying in a divot. You've got to take the rough with the smooth and play the course as you find it.

 

[Oddsocks]

suppose. i just felt for the guy when he put in an imaaculate back 9 only to be punished byt someone with appauling etiquette

 

[Robobum]

What if it was a deer (or two) that had been in the bunker or a fox something.....would you want free relief then??

It's a hazard, don't go in them!!

If the guy was 70+ he would have remembered when bunkers were rough ground without rakes anyway.

 

[USER1999]

Rub of the green. Play it as it lies. The way golf should be.

 

[daymond]

If you could get a free drop every time you end up in a divot or a size 10 footprint in a bunker I believe only about 10% of golfers would replace/rake on the basis that " O well those behind get a free drop ". Golf courses would become ploughed fields.
If every golfer made a point of replacing every divot found on the course the condition of courses would improve greatly.
If I found myself in a deep footprint in a bunker I would seriously consider declaring the ball unplayable and take a penalty drop in the bunker or even the rules alternatives.

 

[Twire]

What if it was a deer (or two) that had been in the bunker or a fox something.....would you want free relief then??

Only if they had left a calling card.

 

[Putt_Low]

Sounds like a nice guy to play with...