What if Bunker Rakes were banned indefinitely?

[Grant85]

I don't think this is all that unrealistic.

At the moment, most people are in the headspace of this is a temporary, one off event, and at some point we'll be back to normal. But potentially COVID19 might be the start and the virus risk to health may always remain and come in waves every few years.

So if bunker rakes were no longer able to be a thing?

Ultimately courses may choose to have fewer bunkers. Those that are there will have not much sand (many of us will be familiar with anyway) and you just play it as it lies.
People flatten things out roughly as they get out of a bunker, but ultimately it's a penalty and sometimes you'll get lucky and sometimes less lucky. Much like a bad bounce, an uneven lie in the fairway or having a gap through the trees etc. These will even out. The better players will find a way etc.

In reality you couldn't / wouldn't have thick fluffy sand that people might leave big thick footprints in.

But for me, not a huge negative. Would speed up play a bit and perhaps remove the obsession we have with bunkers when in reality they aren't all that much of a naturally occurring feature - even on links - and most bunkers we have today look totally unnatural. Courses may move to other green side protection such as grass bunkers, run off areas etc.

 

[Imurg]

Or we all buy those little plastic rakes that fit on the end of your sand wedge

 

[Shooter McPowick]

Perhaps these little personal rakes you can put on the end of a club will become more popular. However.....
I’m a member of a crown club it would be carnage but let’s face it the bunkers aren’t in grate shape anyway.
Better members clubs would make the personal rake system work I think, make them available to guests / visitors

 

[CliveW]

Perhaps these little personal rakes you can put on the end of a club will become more popular. However.....
I’m a member of a crown club it would be carnage but let’s face it the bunkers aren’t in grate shape anyway.
Better members clubs would make the personal rake system work I think, make them available to guests / visitors

What is a Crown Club and why would it be carnage?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

We have some of those clip on plastic rakes to buy if you are so disposed. Personally, I think smooth over with your feet and leave as is and that I dont see a problem with unraked bunkers permanently. They are a hazard, so why should we (and the pro's) have the bunkers as smooth as possible.

 

[Slab]

Worth remembering first though, you can’t catch this virus just by touching a rake handle (even if the handle is dripping with covid-19) Even if your hands are covered in it after raking a bunker & touching said rake you still aren’t infected

So since we as a population won’t all be taking our own shopping trolleys to tesco or carrying our own door handles and dozens of other things we share, I guess we’ll just have to make sure we don’t stick our fingers in a hole in our face until we’ve removed the possibility of having the virus on our hands or from the rake handle or both

Rakes (like door handles) will survive

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Rakes (like door handles) will survive

Likewise you, if you are so unfortunate to get the virus, may not.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Worth remembering first though, you can’t catch this virus just by touching a rake handle (even if the handle is dripping with covid-19) Even if your hands are covered in it after raking a bunker & touching said rake you still aren’t infected

So since we as a population won’t all be taking our own shopping trolleys to tesco or carrying our own door handles and dozens of other things we share, I guess we’ll just have to make sure we don’t stick our fingers in a hole in our face until we’ve removed the possibility of having the virus on our hands or from the rake handle or both

Rakes (like door handles) will survive

Aye - just as well we've stopped licking our ball to clean it when it gets a little mucky (can you believe that that was once common practice until it was realised that the stuff the greens staff put on the greens was really, really nasty and not at all good for you )

 

[Slab]

Likewise you, if you are so unfortunate to get the virus, may not.

Indeed (although that's a different thread)

 

[spongebob59]

At some courses you'll be hard pressed to find some sand

 

[Shooter McPowick]

What is a Crown Club and why would it be carnage?

Crown golf own a number of course in England, they offer membership but also remain a pay and play. Competitively priced so can be very popular among non members that generally don't care about the course.

 

[CliveW]

Crown golf own a number of course in England, they offer membership but also remain a pay and play. Competitively priced so can be very popular among non members that generally don't care about the course.

Thanks. I've never come across this before.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I don't think this is all that unrealistic.

At the moment, most people are in the headspace of this is a temporary, one off event, and at some point we'll be back to normal. But potentially COVID19 might be the start and the virus risk to health may always remain and come in waves every few years.

If it got to this stage then golf would be the least of my worries.

 

[rulefan]

Thanks. I've never come across this before.

https://crown-golf.co.uk/club-finder/

 

[full_throttle]

I'd have no issue with having one of these in my bag

 

[Deleted member 1147]

You could attach a little portable rake to you ball collector/chipper combo club

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Worth remembering first though, you can’t catch this virus just by touching a rake handle (even if the handle is dripping with covid-19) Even if your hands are covered in it after raking a bunker & touching said rake you still aren’t infected

So since we as a population won’t all be taking our own shopping trolleys to tesco or carrying our own door handles and dozens of other things we share, I guess we’ll just have to make sure we don’t stick our fingers in a hole in our face until we’ve removed the possibility of having the virus on our hands or from the rake handle or both

Rakes (like door handles) will survive

Are you trying to be clever or something? Or have I missed a sarcasm?
True if your hand has the virus on it, it will not affect you (unless you have a scratch )or you touch your mouth, nose or eyes .
But touching things with virus on them causes the spread of the virus , other things get touched and so on, and a lot of people subsequently get infected.
However, the nature of being a human being is that if the virus is on your hand( then clothes, then belongings in your pocket et al) then you stand an almost certain chance of getting it into your system.
Perhaps you could explain the reason for your post?
Are you advising we touch things willy nilly at this time??

 

[Slab]

Are you trying to be clever or something? Or have I missed a sarcasm?
True if your hand has the virus on it, it will not affect you (unless you have a scratch )or you touch your mouth, nose or eyes .
But touching things with virus on them causes the spread of the virus , other things get touched and so on, and a lot of people subsequently get infected.
However, the nature of being a human being is that if the virus is on your hand( then clothes, then belongings in your pocket et al) then you stand an almost certain chance of getting it into your system.
Perhaps you could explain the reason for your post?
Are you advising we touch things willy nilly at this time??

Is it me that’s missing the sarcasm in your post, I don’t get it what is so unique about a rake for a ban to be suggested

There are thousands of different things and millions (billions even) of individual items that the UK public currently share use of that could transfer the virus from one person to another. Why would a bunker rake be treated any differently than any other shared item. Why do we need to even consider removing it from use due to the risk that equally applies to these thousands of other items

Whatever process is decided upon as the best way for everyone to share all the other items I’m sure will be perfectly suitable for a bunker rake too i.e flagstick, clubhouse airgun, shoe brush, shower switch, toilet door handle, chair arm, table condiments and dozens of other things we’ll touch before leaving the course/clubhouse and head off to the shops to share even more things like trolleys, door handles etc etc

We do need a safe, best practice for all these shared things, but there’s nothing about a rake that means it needs to be treated any differently. So if its good enough for a Tesco trolley handle its good enough for a bunker rake

 

[Dando]

Aye - just as well we've stopped licking our ball to clean it when it gets a little mucky (can you believe that that was once common practice until it was realised that the stuff the greens staff put on the greens was really, really nasty and not at all good for you )

I still lick my balls to clean them if there isn't a proper ball cleaner about

 

[Mandofred]

Are you trying to be clever or something? Or have I missed a sarcasm?
True if your hand has the virus on it, it will not affect you (unless you have a scratch )or you touch your mouth, nose or eyes .
But touching things with virus on them causes the spread of the virus , other things get touched and so on, and a lot of people subsequently get infected.
However, the nature of being a human being is that if the virus is on your hand( then clothes, then belongings in your pocket et al) then you stand an almost certain chance of getting it into your system.
Perhaps you could explain the reason for your post?
Are you advising we touch things willy nilly at this time??

I was wondering about this myself. Touching things is one of the ways the virus spreads. If not....why clean door handles, shopping trolleys, golf range baskets, etc etc.