Hitting the sand in a bunker after your shot - penalty?

[NWJocko]

Hopefully some of you knowledgable chaps might be able to help me (please for Bob )....

My understanding (and there's every chance I'm mistaken) was that after you've played your shot from a bunker, if you hit the sand with your club it's a penalty? Is this not correct?

Was watching the europro on sky last night ands one of the players played his bunker shot poorly, but out on the green. He then had 2 swings in the bunker, both of which launched a load of sand onto the green.

Is this not a penalty or is it only if you do it before your shot thereby "testing" the sand?

Thanks for your help.

 

[splashtryagain]

Hi there, I was always under the impression that once your ball was out of the bunker you could play in it as much as you liked?
Up for a round soon?

 

[NWJocko]

Hi there, I was always under the impression that once your ball was out of the bunker you could play in it as much as you liked?
Up for a round soon?

Ah, that'll be right then. I knew about the "testing" the sand issue but wasn't sure what the crack was once you'd skulled it 30 yards across the green (in my case!).

Definitely up for a game soon, I'll send you a pm.

 

[john0]

If his ball hadnt came out of the bunker then it would have been a penalty, but as it ball finished on the green he can make sand castles if he wants

 

[NWJocko]

If his ball hadnt came out of the bunker then it would have been a penalty, but as it ball finished on the green he can make sand castles if he wants

I'll need to chuck a bucket and spade in my bag the amount of bunkers I've been in recently then!!

Isn't even that many on my chuffing course but I seem to be able to pick them out! Precision iron play I like to call it.......

 

[funkyfred]

If his ball hadnt came out of the bunker then it would have been a penalty, but as it ball finished on the green he can make sand castles if he wants

However!! if the ball goes into another, different bunker you cant play with the sand, as its deemed testing the lie.
I think Mickelson got caught out this way a year or so ago.

 

[Fyldewhite]

No penalty.
Even if the ball remains in the bunker the player could smooth the sand with a club providing it doesn't help in his next shot. If it's in a different bunker then he can smooth away unrestricted. Can't see how the ruling would be different in the circumstances described. There's a rack of decisions around various situations (13-4/36 to 40). Worth a read as there's a few urban myths about testing the surface.

 

[twohats]

I'll need to chuck a bucket and spade in my bag the amount of bunkers I've been in recently then!!

Isn't even that many on my chuffing course but I seem to be able to pick them out! Precision iron play I like to call it.......

I might just start taking a mini digger with me....or a team of ground workers....

 

[bladeplayer]

No penalty.
Even if the ball remains in the bunker the player could smooth the sand with a club providing it doesn't help in his next shot. If it's in a different bunker then he can smooth away unrestricted. Can't see how the ruling would be different in the circumstances described. There's a rack of decisions around various situations (13-4/36 to 40). Worth a read as there's a few urban myths about testing the surface.

IF his ball was still in the same bunker would it not be a penalty for grounding his club in that hazzard ?? i could be wrong here but i was told if the ball stays in the same bunker you cant even rake that bunker until your out of it.. wasnt there an issue with rory on something like that , he brushed/kicked the sand .. dont think he got penalised tho .. i wouldnt anyhow just in case ..

 

[Matty]

Okay, this is my understanding:

Your ball is in a bunker and you play your shot, there are 3 possible outcomes:

1/ You get your ball out and onto grass:
- you can now take practice swings and smooth the sand with a rake, your hand - whatever
2/ You get your ball out but into another hazard / bunker
- you can smooth the sand. You should be very careful though that any other actions you take and the smoothing of the bunker cannot be construed as testing the sand as your ball lies in another hazard.
3/ You don't get your ball out of the hazard
- you can smooth the sand. If this was a large bunker it may cause delay to move up the bunker, play your next shot and then return to smooth all areas of the bunker. Again, you need to but cautious that your actions cannot be deemed to be testing the sand.

Rory kicked out at the sand after a poor bunker shot. The decision was that he was smoothing the sand rather than testing the surface so he was not penalised if I am recalling correctly.

 

[MashieNiblick]

As Fyldewhite says there some relevant decisions which clarify this. In particular, if you don't get the ball out...

13-4/35 Hitting Sand in Bunker with Club After Failing to Extricate Ball

Q. A made a stroke in a bunker and failed to get the ball out. He then swung his club into the sand, but his action did not affect his new lie in the bunker. However, since A had to make another stroke in the bunker, was he in breach of Rule 13-4?
A. Yes. None of the Exceptions under Rule 13-4 apply to A's action.

13-4/36 Smoothing Irregularities in Bunker After Stroke But Before Ball Extricated

Q. A makes a stroke in a bunker but fails to extricate his ball from the bunker. He smoothes irregularities in the area where the stroke was made. The smoothing does not breach Rule 13-2 with respect to his next stroke. However, his opponent, B claims that the smoothing assisted A in his subsequent play of the hole because it constituted testing the consistency of the sand. Is B right?
A. No. In such circumstances Exception 2 to Rule 13-4 permits smoothing, provided nothing is done to breach Rule 13-2 with respect to the player’s next stroke.

So hitting sand in bunker after shot if you don't get your ball out is a 2 stroke penalty. Smoothing sand is ok so long as it doesn't affect your next shot.

http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-Amateu...mp;subRuleNum=4