Plugged in face

[Tab373]

Quick query. I was in a fairway bunker yesterday hit a 6 iron thin straight into the lip. So it was out of the sand imbedded in the face I could of played it but would seriously damage the face of bunker. So I went to take a drop. Playing partner says penalty drop 1 shot drop no nearer the hole. So would have to drop back in bunker and play my 4th shot.whats the rule

 

[guest100718]

Quick query. I was in a fairway bunker yesterday hit a 6 iron thin straight into the lip. So it was out of the sand imbedded in the face I could of played it but would seriously damage the face of bunker. So I went to take a drop. Playing partner says penalty drop 1 shot drop no nearer the hole. So would have to drop back in bunker and play my 4th shot.whats the rule

You take an unplayable, and go from there. You cant drop into the hazard.

 

[Colin L]

A little more information needed. What was the nature of the face of the bunker - grass, turf or earth?

If the face of a bunker is earth, the face is part of the bunker and so a ball embedded in it is in the bunker. Your option is to play it as it lies, or deem it unplayable. If you deem it unplayable, you can drop within 2 club lengths or along the line from the hole through where the ball lies - in each case in the bunker and of course not nearer the hole. The only available drop outside the bunker is where you played your last stroke.

If the face of a bunker is grass or stacked turf, a ball embedded in it is not in the bunker and may be eligible for free relief under Rule 25-2. For that to be the case, the face must be closely mown. If the face is stacked turf you need to look to see if there is a Local Rule deeming it not be closely mown.

 

[KenL]

Hmm!

i thought there had to be a local rule in place declaring that faces of bunkers WERE closely mown?

I know at my club (stacked turf or turf faces) we do not get free relief - even in winter when we have preferred lies on the fairway.

I wish this were a fixed rule of golf for all possible bunker constructions.

 

[Colin L]

Its the other way round, Ken.

See Decision 33-8/39

http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-33,d33-8-39

If I remember rightly, it is in the Luffness Local Rules, for example.

 

[Tab373]

A little more information needed. What was the nature of the face of the bunker - grass, turf or earth?

If the face of a bunker is earth, the face is part of the bunker and so a ball embedded in it is in the bunker. Your option is to play it as it lies, or deem it unplayable. If you deem it unplayable, you can drop within 2 club lengths or along the line from the hole through where the ball lies - in each case in the bunker and of course not nearer the hole. The only available drop outside the bunker is where you played your last stroke.

If the face of a bunker is grass or stacked turf, a ball embedded in it is not in the bunker and may be eligible for free relief under Rule 25-2. For that to be the case, the face must be closely mown. If the face is stacked turf you need to look to see if there is a Local Rule deeming it not be closely mown.

The face is grass

 

[KenL]

Its the other way round, Ken.

See Decision 33-8/39

http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-33,d33-8-39

If I remember rightly, it is in the Luffness Local Rules, for example.

Interesting, thanks.

 

[williamalex1]

I thought ??? you would have to drop in the bunker if that was where your last shot was played from , you can't go back further back than that point, just ask Tiger Woods

 

[Tab373]

It just goes to show the rules need to be made simpler. And it would speed up play. The bunker was off the fairway but the greenkeepers mow around the bunker. I guess if I had just played a 9 instead of being greedy with a 6 I wouldn't need to ask. But it's still not clear to me so I dropped it back to where I played my bunker shot from and played from there but declared myself out the hole. Only a friendly game.

 

[woody69]

It just goes to show the rules need to be made simpler. And it would speed up play. The bunker was off the fairway but the greenkeepers mow around the bunker. I guess if I had just played a 9 instead of being greedy with a 6 I wouldn't need to ask. But it's still not clear to me so I dropped it back to where I played my bunker shot from and played from there but declared myself out the hole. Only a friendly game.

The rule is fairly simple isn't it? Face is grass, therefore not in the bunker. Was the grass "closely mown"? You suggest it was by your comment they mow around the bunker, therefore free relief by dropping as near as possible to where it was embedded no nearer the hole and not back in the hazard.

 

[backwoodsman]

It just goes to show the rules need to be made simpler. And it would speed up play. The bunker was off the fairway but the greenkeepers mow around the bunker. I guess if I had just played a 9 instead of being greedy with a 6 I wouldn't need to ask. But it's still not clear to me so I dropped it back to where I played my bunker shot from and played from there but declared myself out the hole. Only a friendly game.

I think the confusion arises from the use of the phrase "face of the bunker". If the "face" is grass, its not part of the bunker, & therefore it's not really "the face of the bunker".

So if your ball embedded into grass, or into the ground by going through grass, then it is through the green and not in a hazard. If it is closely mown grass you get free relief, and a drop as close as possible to the point where it was embedded (and all the subsequent hoo-ha about rolling into hazards etc). If it is not closely mown then you have the normal unplayable options under one stroke penalty - which means you could drop back behind the bunker, (or even in it If you want to choose to play from where your previous shot was played). Unless of course,the local rule about free relief through the green is in force

 

[Colin L]

The face is grass

It’s mostly been said, but to summarise:

The OP’s ball is embedded in the grass face bordering a bunker. His options depend on whether the grass is closely mown or not.

a) He may play the ball as it lies whether the grass is closely mown or not.

b) If it is closely mown and there is no local rule deeming it to be not closely mown, he may take relief under Rule 25-2. He must drop his ball so that it strikes the course through the green (i.e. not in the bunker).

c) If it is not closely mown (either because the grass is too long or because there is the local rule deeming it to be so) he may deem his ball unplayable and drop it within two club lengths or on the line from hole through where the ball lay. His drop can be outside the bunker or in it at his choice. He can also opt to play from where he made his previous stroke which in this case is in the bunker.

The OP decided to play again from where he had played his last stroke and so was not required by the rules to give up on the hole.

 

[Raesy92]

Would the drop have to be basically where it is plugged?

Assuming will roll in the bunker each time it is dropped then it will be placed at that area?

 

[rulefan]

If he is taking relief under 25-2 (ie plugged ball) he must drop the ball as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.

If he has to treat it as unplayable he may drop it (as said above) within two club lengths or on the line from hole through where the ball lay. His drop can be outside the bunker or in it at his choice. He can also opt to play from where he made his previous stroke which in this case is in the bunker.

 

[Colin L]

Would the drop have to be basically where it is plugged?

Assuming will roll in the bunker each time it is dropped then it will be placed at that area?

For relief from the embedded ball, yes, the ball must be dropped as nearly as possible to where it lay. If it rolls into the bunker, you drop once more. If it again rolls into the bunker, you place it at the spot where it struck the course the second time. If it won’t stay at rest because of the slope, you find the nearest spot, not nearer the hole where, when placed, it will stay at rest. It is possible that this could be several metres away.