Where do you put the rake?

Orikoru

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My club's weekly update included this little tidbit. Do you agree or disagree?

1694096952692.png


(Should be a good ten pages in this. 😆 )

That is exactly how I've always left rakes in fairness.
 
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I'd say that, in the 2nd picture, the head of the rake is too close to the edge of the bunker. It should lay such that a ball that runs into the head of the rake finishes near the centre of the bunker.
 

Lord Tyrion

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I'm pretty sure our club sent an email this year requesting them to be laid in the centre of the bunker so that is what I do. Prior to that I would have put the head in the bunker and rested the handle on the edge.

When I go to an away club I replace them exactly where I found them, hoping that the person using it prior to me has followed the same process and we are doing what the greenkeeper wants, assuming they laid them out in the morning.

Best ones, when clubs have the thin stands that you lean the rakes against. They are pretty clear indicators of where you should leave them so solves the problem for that course.
 

paddyjk

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Rakes should never be left in the bunker. I'm pretty sure the RandA agree with me too. Ours seem to be a mishmash of in and out. I'll just chuck it next to the bunker . Nothing worse than needlessly ending up against a rake in the bunker.
I'd be even happier if everyone just used the damn things !
 

rosecott

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Rakes should never be left in the bunker. I'm pretty sure the RandA agree with me too. Ours seem to be a mishmash of in and out. I'll just chuck it next to the bunker . Nothing worse than needlessly ending up against a rake in the bunker.

The RandA rules book used to say a lot about this, giving the arguments for and against placing rakes in bunkers. They were quite clear that in the middle of the bunker was a no-no. They finally came down on the side of rake outside the bunker in a position least likely to affect incoming balls.
 

clubchamp98

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My club's weekly update included this little tidbit. Do you agree or disagree?

View attachment 49392


(Should be a good ten pages in this. 😆 )

That is exactly how I've always left rakes in fairness.
Our club has asked us to do the complete opposite to this.
but to get the rake in the middle of some you need to throw it.
just happy if people use the bloody things.
To many don’t.
 

cliveb

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My club has metal stands at the edge of the bunkers that lift one end of the rake up. The other end sits on the sand.
I don't have a photo from my course to hand, but they are similar to this:

1694102634408.png

Most people put the head of the rake on the sand and the handle on the stand.
Some of them also leave the head too close to the edge of the bunker which can end up stopping a ball close to a lip.

I put the head end on the stand and the handle in the sand, as I reckon this is less likely to interfere with a ball going into the bunker.
But of course it's possible that the head of the rake is more likely to deflect a ball into the bunker. So I guess it's swings and roundabouts.

Perhaps it might be best to put the head of the rake on the stand and the handle on the grass outside the bunker? There are just too many possibilities, and each one has potential downsides.
 

timd77

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Nothing more frustrating than finding yourself in a bunker, the rake has caught the ball near the back lip and you’ve then got an impossible shot, downhill lie, trying to get some height on it. For this reason I always make sure the head is on the flattest part of the bunker. I’ve also pondered leaving it to the side of the bunker.

I’d be delighted if someone has the correct answer!
 

YandaB

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Nothing more frustrating than finding yourself in a bunker, the rake has caught the ball near the back lip and you’ve then got an impossible shot, downhill lie, trying to get some height on it. For this reason I always make sure the head is on the flattest part of the bunker. I’ve also pondered leaving it to the side of the bunker.

I’d be delighted if someone has the correct answer!
Skyhooks?
 

clubchamp98

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Nothing more frustrating than finding yourself in a bunker, the rake has caught the ball near the back lip and you’ve then got an impossible shot, downhill lie, trying to get some height on it. For this reason I always make sure the head is on the flattest part of the bunker. I’ve also pondered leaving it to the side of the bunker.

I’d be delighted if someone has the correct answer!
There isn’t one!

ours use the logic that if it’s in the middle of the bunker and your ball hits it Your usually in the middle of the bunker so no real punishment for being unlucky.

It might also stop you running up the face as well.
seems pretty sensible to me.
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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For my place…As shown by our head greenie in the video I posted in the ‘rake sand up or down face’ thread - in the middle of the bunker with rake handle pointing to the flag and head of rake green side.

Our bunkers are generally narrow front to back so place-dropping the rake in the middle without making a mess of the sand is easy.
 

rosecott

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What's wrong with the middle of the bunker?
RandA said:

If rakes are left in the middle of the bunker, the only way to position them is to throw them into the bunker and this causes damage to the surface. Also, if a rake is in the middle of a large bunker it is either not used or the player is obliged to rake a large area resulting in unnecessary delay.
 

KenL

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I do what the course I'm playing expects me to do.

We used to have stands at the side of the bunker, that was the best solution.

Now we have rakes with signs on asking people to put them in the bunker. The amount of people who put them right across the bunker so they can stop a ball going in is really annoying.
 

Springveldt

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Middle of the bunker is the sensible place imho, if you hit it at least you will have a shot. Nothing worse that someone leaving it close to the edge and leaving you up against the lip with a downhill lie and no chance of hitting a decent shot.
 

CountLippe

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RandA said:

If rakes are left in the middle of the bunker, the only way to position them is to throw them into the bunker and this causes damage to the surface. Also, if a rake is in the middle of a large bunker it is either not used or the player is obliged to rake a large area resulting in unnecessary delay.
Really? in over 30 years of playing golf this has never been brought to my attention! You learn something every day.
 
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