Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Ask Linda #599-Sand outside bunker


Greetings Linda–

At a local golf course, the machine used to groom the bunker pulls sand out onto the lip and beyond.

My questions are:

1. What is considered in and out of the bunker?

2. Is sand pulled from the bunker in the grooming process ground under repair?

3.Can you ground your club on sand that is outside a bunker but was once in the bunker?

Looking forward to your answer.
Lou from Kansas City

Dear Lou,

The photo you sent me is of a traditional bunker–a hollowed-out area filled with sand surrounded by grass-covered ground. Here are the answers to your questions:

1. A ball is in the bunker when any part of it touches the sand in the bunker. Sand lying outside the bunker (on the grass-covered ground) is not in the bunker, so a ball lying on such sand is not in the bunker.

2. Sand pulled out of a bunker is not ground under repair. You must play your ball as it lies, and you may not brush the sand away. Sand is a loose impediment only when it lies on the putting green.

3. You may ground your club on the sand that is outside the bunker.

Linda
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