sev112
Tour Winner
Argument at work today , hence question for the educated masses on here
When can you drop a ball out of a bunker ..?
- Thread starter sev112
- Start date
goldenbare
Challenge Tour Pro
don't think you can without a penalty stroke 
Tommo21
Tour Winner
When it's full of water.
The_LHC
Head Pro
Not without a penalty stroke you can't.
You can drop it out any time you want, will only cost one shot a time. You can declare any lie unplayable, still costs though.
SammmeBee
Journeyman Pro
Declare it unplayable....go back and drop it where you last played from....
Anytime you are taking free relief when in the bunker but wish to take the option of adding a penalty stroke and dropping it outside the bunker going back in line as far as you like....
Anytime you are taking free relief when in the bunker but wish to take the option of adding a penalty stroke and dropping it outside the bunker going back in line as far as you like....
Without a penalty shot?
When it's deemed GUR
When it's deemed GUR
needs to be declared as such at the proshop/first tee/starters hut.
SammmeBee
Journeyman Pro
White line and a sign maybe....?
Robobum
Money List Winner
????
A white line and/ or a GUR sign will suffice, it doesn't have to be listed anywhere.
goldenbare
Challenge Tour Pro
I think thats cheating, changing the Question. surely then its not a bunker its GUR
Yerman
Journeyman Pro
When no-one is looking!!! 
Whereditgo
Journeyman Pro
When no-one is looking!!!
Toby_LeRhone
Head Pro
This one's easy. Apart from taking the option of declaring a ball in a bunker unplayable and dropping as close to the position from where you last hit it, there are numerous occasions when you can, as the question asks, drop a ball out of a bunker. These include every option to drop taken when you havent hit the ball into a bunker in the first place, then you're expressly required to not drop it in a bunker.
SharkAttack
Q-School Graduate
If you declare it unplayable the only way you can drop it out of the bunker is to go back to the spot the original shot was played from and drop as near to where it was played. Otherwise you must drop in the bunker under.
Shark
Tommo21
Tour Winner
No mention of that in the question, was it edited.
sev112
Tour Winner
Nope - not an edited question, just a slightly deliberately simple question to see teh responses. I think it's been quite useful debate. I deliberately didn't mention penalty shots to see what responses came.
Came from an initial argument about whether you can declare it unplayable and then drop out of the bunker for 1 shot - (well you can if you go back to where you played the original shot from), but the real source of teh question was when there was water partially filling the bunker. If the bunker is totally FULL of water then you can (have to?) drop outside teh bunker but it costs you 1 shot.
However the real argument was (and still is with my colleague at work) is if teh bunker is partially filled with water. I say that you have to drop the ball in the bunker for no penalty, and that it must be dropped at teh closest point not in the water. However my colleague has shown me a graphic which suggests that with a partially filled bunker, you have a choice - you can choose to drop outside the bunker for a 1 shot penalty within 2 club lengths of the edge of teh bunker ....
This was news to me, and obviously a cause for much discussion and not much work !!!!
Thoughts now ?
Came from an initial argument about whether you can declare it unplayable and then drop out of the bunker for 1 shot - (well you can if you go back to where you played the original shot from), but the real source of teh question was when there was water partially filling the bunker. If the bunker is totally FULL of water then you can (have to?) drop outside teh bunker but it costs you 1 shot.
However the real argument was (and still is with my colleague at work) is if teh bunker is partially filled with water. I say that you have to drop the ball in the bunker for no penalty, and that it must be dropped at teh closest point not in the water. However my colleague has shown me a graphic which suggests that with a partially filled bunker, you have a choice - you can choose to drop outside the bunker for a 1 shot penalty within 2 club lengths of the edge of teh bunker ....
This was news to me, and obviously a cause for much discussion and not much work !!!!
Thoughts now ?
Tommo21
Tour Winner
Very good, now run along.
DCB
Well-known member
Rul 28 covers the situation.
If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must under penalty of one stroke:
a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5);
or
b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped;
or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.
If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.
When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.
So, the player can drop outside a bunker, under penalty and play as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played. That's his only option for dropping outside the bunker.
If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must under penalty of one stroke:
a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5);
or
b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped;
or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.
If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.
When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.
So, the player can drop outside a bunker, under penalty and play as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played. That's his only option for dropping outside the bunker.
sev112
Tour Winner
But another good debate seeing as how many various interpretations seen above ( well a few anyway)
