Near Impossible Bunker Shot - What's my Options ?

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Guys, were would I stand rules wise with this.

I was playing in a comp a few weeks back and dropped my 2nd into a greenside bunker. Nothing new there :)

The problem facing me is the ball came to rest in a tee cup sized hole with virtually no sand around it. It was visibly rock hard clay around the ball, no sand to speak of.

We have this in a few bunkers where the sand just gets blown out and leaves spots where there is literally millimeters of sand.

Now it looks virtually impossibly to get a club onto the ball.

I gave it a go, came in steep, and managed to catch the top of the ball sending it squirting through the green and 20 yards the other side. Probably the best I could hope for. I could just as easily just scrapped the top and sent it up the side of the bunker and it would have just rolled back down into the same position again.

So, in this situation am I entitled to any kind of relief ? Probably not I expect :(

Would it been a better option to take an unplayable and drop further back in the bunker where there was some sand ?

Reason I ask now is that I've seen this bunker in similar condition a few times now, luckily I've avoided it, but want to know where I stand next time.

Thanks
 
Drop under penalty if you think doing so will save you stroke.

If the hole is caused by a burrowing animal you can get relief.

Whatever happens, you can't drop it out of the bunker unless a local rule permits (if it's GUR for example).

If I were you, i'd complain to your committee/greenkeeper - sounds like the bunker is in a shocking state.
 
Rule 28 - Unplayable

If a player deems his ball unplayable he must under penalty of one shot

a) Play a ball as near as possible from where the ball was last played

b) Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped

c) Drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the spot the ball lay but not nearer the hole

If the ball is unplayable in a bunker the player may proceed under a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under c the ball must be dropped in the bunker

When proceeding under this rule the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball
 
Thanks guys.

At the time I was pretty unhappy with the result, but thinking about it now I got v lucky. Anything could have happened from ending up back where I was to bending my favorite wedge. :(

I think the best option would have been to drop further back in the bunker. My approach shot was some 160-170 yards back down the fairway.

The club has just finished refurbing half the bunkers. I heard mention they spent about £25k doing it. But there are still a couple of bunkers that you really don't want to end up in.

It's actually quite interesting playing as the sand in the new bunkers is 'heavier' than the older ones so you have to make adjustments. :eek:

Ended up in the same bunker, same position, today. But looked like they had topped up the sand so was able to flop it out. :D
 
Rule 28 - Unplayable

If a player deems his ball unplayable he must under penalty of one shot

a) Play a ball as near as possible from where the ball was last played

b) Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped

c) Drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the spot the ball lay but not nearer the hole

If the ball is unplayable in a bunker the player may proceed under a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under c the ball must be dropped in the bunker

When proceeding under this rule the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball
Click to expand...


Fascinating. So what the rules are saying is that you can drop a ball outside a bunker as long as you keep the unplayable point between you and the hole. I thought you had to play it from either the last spot played (a), or drop it in the bunker (c). Didnt know (b) was still an option from a bunker. Very very useful information. Thank you.
 
Rule 28 - Unplayable

If a player deems his ball unplayable he must under penalty of one shot

a) Play a ball as near as possible from where the ball was last played

b) Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped

c) Drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the spot the ball lay but not nearer the hole

If the ball is unplayable in a bunker the player may proceed under a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under c the ball must be dropped in the bunker

When proceeding under this rule the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball
Click to expand...


Fascinating. So what the rules are saying is that you can drop a ball outside a bunker as long as you keep the unplayable point between you and the hole. I thought you had to play it from either the last spot played (a), or drop it in the bunker (c). Didnt know (b) was still an option from a bunker. Very very useful information. Thank you.
Click to expand...



I don't think rule 28 is for when your ball in in a bunker or hazzard.
 
Page 107 (definition of rule 28) - A Player may deem unplayable ANYWHERE on the course except water hazard
 
Interesting. I was always under the impression you had to drop into the bunker as well or back to where you were.

I'm sure this has come up a couple of times in some flooded bunker posts. I'll have to go search.

Perhaps that falls under a different rule maybe? Not sure, I'm definitely no rules expert.
 
Think I found it

Flooded Bunker

Looks like that falls under abnormal ground conditions and you get a 'free drop' in the bunker. Or you can take an unplayable and drop out the bunker as above with a 1 stroke penalty.

Have I got that right ?

So in my case above as I was taking an unplayable I'd have been better dropping back behind the bunker.
 
Rule 28......note the last part about the ball unplayable in a bunker.




If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must under penalty of
one stroke:
a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original
ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point
directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is
dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may
be dropped; or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay,
but not nearer the hole.
If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under
Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball
must be dropped in the bunker.
 
Twire, am I being thick here.

But isn't that different to what homer posted for rule 28.

Homers Post

If a player deems his ball unplayable he must under penalty of one shot

a) Play a ball as near as possible from where the ball was last played

b) Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped

c) Drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the spot the ball lay but not nearer the hole

If the ball is unplayable in a bunker the player may proceed under a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under c the ball must be dropped in the bunker
Click to expand...

Your Post

If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must under penalty of
one stroke:
a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original
ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point
directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is
dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may
be dropped; or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay,
but not nearer the hole.
If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under
Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.
Click to expand...

Homer says just clause c where you say b or c

Or have I misread something here ?
 
Great thanks guys.

Damm. This game is hard enough as it is without needing to be able to interpret the rules correctly as well :)
 
I think I forgot to post b or c for the bunker. Twire has it spot on and I'm an idiot :o
Click to expand...

Bugger. Thought you'd solved my 'cant get out of pot bunkers' problem. You got my hopes soaring like an eagle and them smashed them against the rocks of dispair.
Still at least I had 3 hours of unadulterated optimism and I thank you for that. ;)
 
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