Bunkers GUR & a fair drop

[JollyRedDevil]

Played in a friendly yesterday and my FC landed in a bunker. It was completely covered in ice and no place left in the bunker to drop. He dropped outside and carried on.
What would the ruling be in a competition if you caanot drop in the bunker. A one stroke penalty?

 

[clubchamp98]

We played in a society once and their rule was If a bunker is out of play for whatever reason you could find another bunker not nearer the hole and drop there .
This worked very well especially in winter as it was reasonably fair.

obviously this is not an option for competition play but for just a winter roll up or Micky mouse winter comps while bunker renovation is done seemed very sensible.
If no other bunker was available then npr was used.

 

[cliveb]

Yes, I dropped correctly. I was asking if there was an option within the rules that allowed a "fair" relief drop. I had two virtually impossible places to play from yesterday after dropping from the bunker. I would have had a much easier situation if I been in the bunker even if the ball was in a poor lie in the bunker.

Isn't it up to you to know the course layout and understand that if you go in that bunker while it's GUR, then you'll end up dropping in a horrid place? In those circumstances, do what people who are bad bunker players would do at all times: avoid it.

 

[atticusfinch]

There are no do-overs. Live with your mistakes. Unless the applicable rule allows correcting it.

 

[duncan mackie]

Played in a friendly yesterday and my FC landed in a bunker. It was completely covered in ice and no place left in the bunker to drop. He dropped outside and carried on.
What would the ruling be in a competition if you caanot drop in the bunker. A one stroke penalty?

Yes

 

[rulefan]

Played in a friendly yesterday and my FC landed in a bunker. It was completely covered in ice and no place left in the bunker to drop. He dropped outside and carried on.
What would the ruling be in a competition if you caanot drop in the bunker. A one stroke penalty?

It depends on where it was dropped. 1 penalty if dropped on the flagline. 2 penalties if dropped elsewhere.

 

[KenL]

this used to be an issue at Nairn. Over winter 5 or 6 greenside bunkers were re revetted at a time and they would all be GUR. so you had to take NPR. all that's changed now as all closely mown areas you have to use a mat anyway

We too have optional mats but closely mown areas have been narrowed and shaped so that some greenside bunkers now have semi-rough leading into them!

 

[KenL]

Isn't it up to you to know the course layout and understand that if you go in that bunker while it's GUR, then you'll end up dropping in a horrid place? In those circumstances, do what people who are bad bunker players would do at all times: avoid it.

Seriously? These bunkers are right by the green and can be either side of a pinched entry.

Both these holes are ~430 yard par 4s.
I am cat 1 and need to try my best for par. In both cases I was unlucky to go in at all.

My course has about 100 bunkers. If everyone avoided all the bunkers you would go round in 100, I'm hoping to get round in about 75.

 

[rulefan]

Seriously? These bunkers are right by the green and can be either side of a pinched entry.

Both these holes are ~430 yard par 4s.
I am cat 1 and need to try my best for par. In both cases I was unlucky to go in at all.

My course has about 100 bunkers. If everyone avoided all the bunkers you would go round in 100, I'm hoping to get round in about 75.

How far from the tee are the bunkers?

 

[cliveb]

Seriously? These bunkers are right by the green and can be either side of a pinched entry.

Both these holes are ~430 yard par 4s.
I am cat 1 and need to try my best for par. In both cases I was unlucky to go in at all.

OK, I appreciate that you feel the need to go for the green, and ending up in a bunker is a possibility, and that when they are normally in play you are happy with that.

But during the period they are GUR, you know that if you go in one you'll be faced with a tricky drop.
The course management decision as to whether to go for the green therefore changes. It's up to you to balance the pros and cons - that's all I'm saying.

 

[KenL]

I can see that makes sense cliveb.

However, there are 7 greens on the course at the moment. That's a lot layups and trying to get up and down for par.

 

[KenL]

Oops

 

[rulefan]

It is winter golf. Play the course as it is. Engage brain.

 

[jim8flog]

We too have optional mats but closely mown areas have been narrowed and shaped so that some greenside bunkers now have semi-rough leading into them!

None of the bunkers where I play have closely mown grass next to them. We used to have and then were advised by STRI that it is good greenkeeping practice to not have short grass close to the bunker as it can lead to erosion of the grass if the salts have not been fully washed out of sand prior to topping up the bunkers.

 

[backwoodsman]

There seems an obvious solution to the OP.

Increasing the size of the area around the bunker marked as GUR should reduce, or perhaps even remove, the problem as OP sees it.

So, talk to the relevant decision making body in the club. If you can convince them that your argument has validity, then happy days, they probably will do something. But if you can't convince them, then it will be lump it.

 

[duncan mackie]

There seems an obvious solution to the OP.

Increasing the size of the area around the bunker marked as GUR should reduce, or perhaps even remove, the problem as OP sees it.

So, talk to the relevant decision making body in the club. If you can convince them that your argument has validity, then happy days, they probably will do something. But if you can't convince them, then it will be lump it.

Yep; as posted back on page 1 there are solutions if the committee deem it appropriate......