Tuesday, December 24, 2024

My ball is lodged towards a bunker rake. What now? Guidelines Man

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland after his ball is wedged against a rake on the 16th hole during day one of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Golf Championship at Mount Juliet Golf Club in Thomastown, Kilkenny.

What do the foundations say a couple of ball resting towards a bunker rake?

Getty Photographs

The Guidelines of Golf are difficult! Fortunately, we’ve obtained the guru. Our Guidelines Man is aware of the guide entrance to again. Received a query? He’s obtained all of the solutions.

My ball in a greenside bunker was held by a rake in order that it didn’t roll down the slope into the underside of the bunker. I recommended to my enjoying companions that I carry the rake, which might let the ball to roll down into the underside of the bunker. In any case, that’s what it will have carried out so if the rake had not been there. Ideas? —Bruce Gardner, Springs, South Africa

Sounds cheap, Bruce … solely it’s not the correct process.

There’s no penalty for eradicating the rake and inflicting the ball to maneuver within the course of. Nonetheless, you might be required to switch the ball on its unique spot, per Guidelines 15.2 and 9.4. If the ball gained’t keep at relaxation on the spot after attempting twice, then below Rule 14.2e you’d discover the closest spot the place it will keep at relaxation, no nearer the opening and in the identical bunker.

The foundations of gravity and the Guidelines of Golf aren’t all the time one and the identical.

For extra bunker-related steering from our guru, learn on …


footprints in bunker

Guidelines Man: Can I ask the participant within the group forward to come back again and rake his footprints in my line of play?

By:


Guidelines Man



My strategy shot landed in a greenside bunker. Once I thumped my sand shot, my ball appeared to have cut up! In reality, there was a variety ball slightly below the sand proper behind and below my ball, which my wedge had hit. Each balls moved ahead about 4 ft and remained within the bunker. Did I’ve the choice to replay my shot? My companion stated I didn’t, and it in all probability price us $20, as a result of we had 4 carryovers on the opening. —Matt Biel, Los Angeles, Calif.

I’m sorry on your loss, Matt. On the brilliant facet, your companion is aware of his guidelines. You made a stroke at your individual ball. Although one other, deserted ball was dislodged within the course of, you’re not thought-about to have performed the incorrect ball, and there’s no choice to replay the stroke without cost. (Additionally on the brilliant facet, there isn’t any penalty, both — chilly consolation, I do know.)

That buried ball is a movable obstruction, so you’d have been allowed to maneuver it had you seen it prior to creating your stroke. After all, seeing a buried object is a somewhat neat trick; as an alternative, you had been a sufferer of somewhat unhealthy luck. Each golfer is aware of the sensation in some unspecified time in the future.

Need assistance unriddling the greens at your property course? Decide up a customized Inexperienced Guide from Golf Logix.

Received a query concerning the Guidelines? Ask the Guidelines Man! Ship your queries, confusions and feedback to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he gained’t throw the guide at you.

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