Touching Sand in Bunker

[3offTheTee]

Playing in a 4BBB Comp today. The rake was in the bunker and prior to playing his shot, which was in the sand the guy picked up the rake his sand wedge touching the sand.

2 shot penalty I thought but did not call it.

Clarification please that I was correct.

 

[brendy]

Yup penalty, testing conditions.

 

[DCB]

If he's just using the club to hook and raise the rake, then he hasn't used the club to "test the condition" has he ?

 

[brendy]

If he touched the sand though.

 

[Yerman]

Still "grounding the club" if it touched the sand = penalty.

 

[mansell]

I would more than likely let it go, it’s a tough one to call though

 

[Yerman]

I tend to agree, I find the spirit of fairplay is more important than the letter of the law when no advantqge is gained. However the penalty for agreeing to ignore the rules is disqualification - they try to get you every which way.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Unfortunately it would be a penalty under 'stupid rule number 2'. Number one being having to play out of a divot but not an animal scraping.

I wouldn't call it myself.

 

[SyR]

He probably wasn't trying the test the condition, but he shouldn't lift the rake up in this manner.

 

[JezzE]

But who would decide what did and didn't constitute a divot... to play devil's advocate in this old chestnut that crops up pretty frequently? One man's divot is another's minor indentation/shallow surface scrape/small bare patch etc

 

[medwayjon]

The Rules on bunkers are over-complex in my oppinion. Honestly, read the r&a rulebook, never ceases to amaze me.

In friendly play, I would have let it go but in a comp or with a wager on it, 2-stroke penalty.

 

[DCB]

So, our player whilst climbing into a deep pot bunker uses his club as a walking stick to steady himself as he is about he fall deeper into the bunker.

What happens there ?

 

[bobmac]

So, our player whilst climbing into a deep pot bunker uses his club as a walking stick to steady himself as he is about he fall deeper into the bunker.

What happens there ?

If he uses a club to stop himself from falling over and touches the sand, no penalty

 

[JT77]

I know its silly but it is an infringement, and you cant let it go, even though its him that made the infraction, by you letting it go, they could have called for the hole as you have allowed an infringment on the rules of golf i think.

 

[doublebogey7]

I would say exception 1 of rule covers this. If the sand is touched whilst removing an obstruction there would be no penalty. Provided nothing was done that would constitute testing of the condition of the sand or improves the lie of the ball.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Would be pretty harsh to call it but I guess the rule has been broken. What would the GM guys do in this situation? I can see it causing a huge row and sallying the atmosphere of the game but as others mention (rightly) them is the rules and we should be sticking to them

 

[chrisd]

I am sure that the rule allows for touching the sand so long as his action is not deemed as testing the sand - picking the rake up with a club would be ok as far as I was concerned as I can't see how you can "test the sand" with a rake hanging from you sand wedge. This is (in my view) an exception covered in Rule 13-4 b In fact you can place the rake or your set of clubs in the bunker with you so long as you dont test the sand!

Chris

 

[JT77]

I think that the fact his wedge touched the sand whilst retrieving the rake is the problem, if his wedge had been able to gather the rake with no contact i guess it would not be an issue, but if his club contacts the sand then it is a problem. He could gage the consistancy of the bunker by his wedge coming into contact, wether its hard or soft etc, it is the same in essence as grounding a club in a hazard.

 

[The_LHC]

The stupid part of this rule is that you can easily test the sand with your feet when you walk into the bunker.

 

[Imurg]

As if testing the sand is going to help any of us actually get out of the sodding bunker anyway.....