Ask Linda #155-Disagreement with #154

Dear Linda:
With regard to Ask Linda #154-Throwing club in bunker, I disagree with your perception that is maybe based on decision 13-4/21 where throwing a rake casually is the equivalent of placing it. However, in this situation, I believe decision 13-4/35 applies and the player is in breach of rule 13-4.
Lulu in PR

Dear Lulu,

You make an excellent point, and I’m very pleased to learn that my readers are so diligent about the rules.

Decision 13-4/21 talks about a rake that is casually thrown into a bunker and does not move the ball or improve the lie. The ruling is that the player does not incur a penalty.

Decision 14-4/35 discusses a player who makes a stroke at his ball in a bunker, fails to get it out, and then swings his club into the sand. This action violates the prohibitions in 13-4 against testing the condition of the hazard and touching the ground in the hazard, and the player is penalized two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play.

When I received the question about whether a player is penalized for angrily throwing his club in a bunker before he has hit his ball out, I was not entirely certain of the answer, so I consulted the USGA. The answer I received from the USGA rules specialist was the one I printed in Ask Linda #154, namely that there is no penalty for angrily throwing a club in a bunker as long as the lie of the ball is not improved.

While the rules of etiquette discourage displays of anger, the golf rules themselves tend to be more tolerant of emotional responses. For example, if a player intentionally moves a tee marker before playing his first stroke because it interferes with his stance, he is penalized two strokes/loss of hole. On the other hand, if he intentionally kicks and moves the marker, there is no penalty and the marker is replaced [Decision 11-2/2].

Lulu, I truly appreciate that you took the time to research the decisions and share your opinion. Please continue to do so. I certainly do not want to publish any incorrect information. I am always willing to do further research on any question to insure that my readers are correctly informed about the rules.

Linda

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