nickjdavis
Head Pro
Restrictions on Touching Sand in Bunker
(1) When Touching Sand Results in Penalty. Before making a stroke at a ball in a bunker, a player must not:
Would it therefore be OK to lightly rest the club on the sand in a bunker as part of the process of you taking your grip before moving in to your stance position? Many people use this process when playing from grass (letting the club rest under its own weight on the ground, letting the grip fall naturally into the left hand, before closing the fingers and then introducing the right hand to the grip) and the wording above does not seem to indicate that you would be unable to follow the same process when in a bunker.
Thoughts?
(1) When Touching Sand Results in Penalty. Before making a stroke at a ball in a bunker, a player must not:
- Deliberately touch sand in the bunker with a hand, club, rake or other object to test the condition of the sand to learn information for the next stroke, or
- Touch sand in the bunker with a club:
- In the area right in front of or right behind the ball (except as allowed under Rule 7.1a in fairly searching for a ball or under Rule 12.2a in removing a loose impediment or movable obstruction),
- In making a practice swing, or
- In making the backswing for a stroke
Would it therefore be OK to lightly rest the club on the sand in a bunker as part of the process of you taking your grip before moving in to your stance position? Many people use this process when playing from grass (letting the club rest under its own weight on the ground, letting the grip fall naturally into the left hand, before closing the fingers and then introducing the right hand to the grip) and the wording above does not seem to indicate that you would be unable to follow the same process when in a bunker.
Thoughts?