Testing the Sand ?

[Dellboy]

Just a quick question, had a game today, only a friendly warm up as I’m playing a comp on Tuesday.

Now in the game today we both hit our balls into a green side bunker, balls about 2-3 inches apart.

I marked my ball and my mate played his shot, he hit a great one and jumped out of the bunker to watch it go in the hole, so while he was punching the air I raked the bunker (his foot marks) placed my ball and played my shot (very badly)

While walking to the next green he told me if we were in a comp I would have lost the hole as I raked the bunker for him and in doing so I could have been seen as testing the sand.

His that right?? In the clubhouse afterward I asked 6 different people, 3 said yes loss of hole, 2 said no and one said what’s testing the sand!!

Cheers

Dellboy

 

[G1BB0]

arent you allowed to rake it if his footmarks etc affect your stance/shot?

hopefully I am right, but then again I am not up on the rules hence have a quick guide in my bag

 

[Imurg]

I think you're allowed to replace your ball in a similar lie to what it originally was - so if he played his shot then you're entitled to rake to replicate the lie. Any more than that and you're in trouble though.

 

[MashieNiblick]

Agree with Imurg

Under Rule 20-3biii if the original lie was altered "the original lie must be re-created as nearly as possible and the ball must be placed in that lie".

So OK to rake bunker to achieve that.

However, Decision 13-4/0.5 specifically says that raking a bunker would constitute testing the condition of the sand, unless covered by exception 2 to rule 13-4 which basically allows you to rake the buker after you have played your shot so long as you don't improve the lie of your ball, area of your stance or line of play for your next shot.

So in my view raking the bunker before you have played, otherwise than in order to follow rule 20-3, would be a no-no.

Good place to check Rules and especialy Decisions is the R&A Rules exploer on the R&A website.

http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-Amateur-Status/Rules-of-Golf.aspx#/rules/

 

[rosecott]

The simple solution would be for the player who played first from the bunker to do the raking and re-creation of the original lie.