Stones in bunker - rules of golf

[balaclava]

Rules:

Today my opponent’s ball lay in a bunker on the up slope at the front of a bunker resting on a stone. There was no way of removing the stone without the ball rolling back into the centre of the bunker.

I’ve looked in the book and it seems to be saying that lifting stones in bunkers is a local rule; I thought it was a rule of golf that stones in bunkers likely to be struck by the club head had to be removed a s matter of safety. Is it a local rule for stones and is there a general rule for safety?

I also seem to recall reading about balls resting on bunker rakes and that it was permissible to move the rake and if the ball moved it was played from where it moved to without penalty. I presumed that the same rule would apply to the removal of stones. My (free) little rules of golf book seems to be saying (in the case of the stone) that after the stone has been removed, if the balls has moved it should be lifted and dropped as close the where it had lay and played so long as it was no closer to the hole.

What’s the correct ruling; is it the same for stones and bunker rakes?

 

[Yerman]

My understanding is that if it is a local rule it will be on the score card for the course otherwise you play the ball as it lies or declare it unplayable and drop in the bunker for a penalty stroke.

 

[Yerman]

Correction -just checked my illustrated rule book which states that if playing the ball near a stone in a hazard could be a danger the it shold be treated as a movable obstruction and rule 24-1 applies.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We have a local rule that allows stones to be removed although I'm pretty sure you are supposed to carry on under the guidelines for moveable instructions (24-1)

 

[viscount17]

Just checked the rules which state that stones are loose impediments not moveable obstructions, so presumably we are into local rules here.

 

[brendy]

Spot on my good man, local rule it is. We have them as moveable.

 

[viscount17]

on safety grounds alone this should qualify for a rule change, hitting flint is not an option.

 

[SammmeBee]

A stone is a loose impediment by definition.....the local rule allows you to move them.....if you have flint in your bunkers and not the local rule then you need to ask the question to the powers that be....

 

[viscount17]

A stone is a loose impediment by definition.....the local rule allows you to move them.....if you have flint in your bunkers and not the local rule then you need to ask the question to the powers that be....

the point is that this is one of those rules that should not be down to a local ruling to cover up a deficiency. in an ideal world bunker sand would be sifted, as it probably is for championship courses, but until then leaving it up to the vagaries of local committees is unnecessary. common rule for all.

 

[SammmeBee]

You cannot move loose impedients in a hazard so you would actually be making another rule/the rule more complicated than it is - I know you hate the rules (or the way they are written) but look at what that is currently there:

- A stone is a loose impediment
- You cannot move a loose impediment in hazard
- You can move stones (one type of loose impediment) in a bunker (one type of hazard) if the local rule says so

To me that seems as simple as you can get it....