Can you practice in an adjacent bunker to your ball ?

[Crow]

The same now applies to penalty areas. Touching sand in a different bunker brings it all into line. The exception for touching the sand in the same bunker is because there is an opportunity to test the surface. Which in a bunker is likely to be more consistent than a PA.l

So if a bunker is treated differently to a penalty area in that one regard, why not just leave it as it was and be different in two points?
Or even allow the touching of the surface in a bunker to "bring everything into line".
You can test the surface anyway with your feet in taking your stance.

 

[clubchamp98]

All the rules are strict but which do you suggest are particularly so?

None more than others .
But you break rules or you don’t.
I just find this very strange given you can’t practice in a bunker even though a proper bunker shot you don’t hit the ball , you hit the sand and that brings the ball out the bunker.
but you can practice in said bunker exactly the same thing but without a ball.

 

[rulie]

This Rule change, effectively allowing practice swings in a bunker other than the bunker your ball is in, began several years ago following an incident at the Doral Open involving VJ Singh. He was in a fairway bunker and played his ball towards the green. It went over the green and into a green side bunker which he couldn’t see. He took several more swings in the fairway bunker, clearly touching the sand each time. This was against the Rules at the time. He wasn’t penalized because nobody noticed it. Later, the governing bodies watched a video of it and asked themselves, “Is this the result (ie, a penalty) that we want?” The answer was no, and the Rule was eventually changed.

 

[rulefan]

This Rule change, effectively allowing practice swings in a bunker other than the bunker your ball is in, began several years ago following an incident at the Doral Open involving VJ Singh. He was in a fairway bunker and played his ball towards the green. It went over the green and into a green side bunker which he couldn’t see. He took several more swings in the fairway bunker, clearly touching the sand each time. This was against the Rules at the time. He wasn’t penalized because nobody noticed it. Later, the governing bodies watched a video of it and asked themselves, “Is this the result (ie, a penalty) that we want?” The answer was no, and the Rule was eventually changed.

Makes sense.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I actually don't get the obsession with slow play - some groups will be inherently faster than others, some slower, but as long as a round is completed in 4 to 4 and a half hours (Fourball) then is it really an issue.

Just because some people can play 18 in 3 hours, doesn't mean everybody can.

Watched the video the OP mentions myself and mentioned it to a few guys at the club yesterday - none of them were aware of this rule, but it's one worth knowing especially if you're playing a course you're not familiar with or after some rain atc.

BIB…or simply spend a little time in the club’s practice bunker before going out.

 

[Crow]

This Rule change, effectively allowing practice swings in a bunker other than the bunker your ball is in, began several years ago following an incident at the Doral Open involving VJ Singh. He was in a fairway bunker and played his ball towards the green. It went over the green and into a green side bunker which he couldn’t see. He took several more swings in the fairway bunker, clearly touching the sand each time. This was against the Rules at the time. He wasn’t penalized because nobody noticed it. Later, the governing bodies watched a video of it and asked themselves, “Is this the result (ie, a penalty) that we want?” The answer was no, and the Rule was eventually changed.

Or why not say that once you've played out of a bunker you can splash about in that bunker to your hearts content, vent your frustration, build a sand castle, etc.
As long as you don't delay play of course.

Same result for Vijay, less ambiguity.

 

[Colin L]

Or why not say that once you've played out of a bunker you can splash about in that bunker to your hearts content, vent your frustration, build a sand castle, etc.
As long as you don't delay play of course.

Same result for Vijay, less ambiguity.

What ambiguity?

 

[Steven Rules]

Or why not say that once you've played out of a bunker you can splash about in that bunker to your hearts content, vent your frustration, build a sand castle, etc

Rule 12.2b(3) pretty much says this aleady....apart from the bit about sand castles.

 

[IanMcC]

Why unethical ?

Its against the rules to test the sand in 'your' bunker. An adjacent bunker's sand probably came from the same source, and has been subjected to the same weather.
That makes it unethical in my book.

 

[jim8flog]

I will say congratulations to your club in having similar sand conditions in each of the bunkers.

Where I play we will often have different sand conditions from end of a bunker to the other.

 

[D-S]

Every bunker is different, some are shaded, some are in full sun, some exposed to the wind others not at all - this will dramatically effect the consistency of the sand. Most importantly some are visited very often by the members, some hardly ever, so some will have been raked badly by members frequently before you go in, others (hopefully well) by the greenstaff - this will affect the sand depth. Everyone looks for consistency in bunkers but you will never get it.

 

[Crow]

Every bunker is different, some are shaded, some are in full sun, some exposed to the wind others not at all - this will dramatically effect the consistency of the sand. Most importantly some are visited very often by the members, some hardly ever, so some will have been raked badly by members frequently before you go in, others (hopefully well) by the greenstaff - this will affect the sand depth. Everyone looks for consistency in bunkers but you will never get it.

That strikes me as yet another reason not to allow testing in a different bunker.
If supposedly there's nothing to gain from it why allow it at all?
The best it can do is nothing, the worst is delay play and create more unraked surfaces and footprints in other bunkers.

 

[Backache]

I actually don't get the obsession with slow play - some groups will be inherently faster than others, some slower, but as long as a round is completed in 4 to 4 and a half hours (Fourball) then is it really an issue.

Four and a half hours for a round of golf is a very persuasive argument for the reintroduction of capital punishment.

 

[Backsticks]

Its against the rules to test the sand in 'your' bunker. An adjacent bunker's sand probably came from the same source, and has been subjected to the same weather.
That makes it unethical in my book.

Thats just making up your own rules.

 

[rulefan]

Its against the rules to test the sand in 'your' bunker. An adjacent bunker's sand probably came from the same source, and has been subjected to the same weather.
That makes it unethical in my book.

It is very unlikely that over the years a club or course has managed to source its sand from the same quarry or links area. It is not uncommon for a club to try different types of sand in different types of bunker eg crushed glass or different grain sizes. In addition the 'standards' for bunker sand have changed.

 

[IanMcC]

Thats just making up your own rules.

It's the entire Rule 12. Every statement in that Rule is about a ball in a bunker. None of this Rule refers to practice swings in a bunker your ball is not in.
See post #2, which explains it more succinctly that I can.

 

[Colin L]

It's the entire Rule 12. Every statement in that Rule is about a ball in a bunker. None of this Rule refers to practice swings in a bunker your ball is not in.
See post #2, which explains it more succinctly that I can.

I expect he was referring to your belief that taking practice swings in another bunker was unethical.

 

[rulie]

Do what you wish, just don’t breach the Rule.

 

[Jigger]

I actually don't get the obsession with slow play - some groups will be inherently faster than others, some slower, but as long as a round is completed in 4 to 4 and a half hours (Fourball) then is it really an issue.

Just because some people can play 18 in 3 hours, doesn't mean everybody can.

Watched the video the OP mentions myself and mentioned it to a few guys at the club yesterday - none of them were aware of this rule, but it's one worth knowing especially if you're playing a course you're not familiar with or after some rain atc.

I’ve always expected golf to take around that but I don’t know why more clubs don’t have target teeing off times on the hole information boards. I.e. tee 10 should display “you should be at this point in 2hrs 5mins”

Flip side of that is a mate of mine spent 3hrs getting around 9 holes on a short, easy course.

 

[Backsticks]

I expect he was referring to your belief that taking practice swings in another bunker was unethical.

I was. You are entitled to your belief, but if you want to play golf by the rules, then you cannot really have your cake and eat it, but judging someone else for playing within the rules but disagreeing with the rule.
And if Ian is playing with someone likeminded who also regards practicing a shot in an adjacent bunker as something one should not do - are the colluding to a change in the rules of golf ? And thus both disqualified ?