Hi Linda,
I’ve not needed to ask you a question for ages as you
answered so many of them for me last year. Thanks for your great continuing
blog too.
Just an additional point on Ask Linda
#834-Rake bunker, ball still in it…
Yesterday, me and my opponent were both in the bunker 2
inches apart. He was behind me so I marked my ball. He took his shot, which
buried my marker. We found it, raked the bunker (which I now see we cannot do
from your column) and then I placed my ball where I thought it had been.
Obviously, it’s hard to keep another person's marker in the right place when
taking a shot very near it, so is it then acceptable to replace the 2nd ball in
roughly where you think it was, and if agreed by both?
All the best,
Lou from Wales, UK
Dear Lou,
There is a difference between improving your lie in the
bunker and restoring your original lie when you have lifted your ball because
it interfered with another player’s shot. When you are asked to mark and lift a
ball in a bunker, it is likely that
your lie will be altered by the other player’s sand shot. You should always
make a mental note as to what your lie looked like so that you are able to
restore it prior to replacing and hitting your ball. That may involve some
raking and sand sculpting (yes, you may use your hands for this purpose). You must
do your best to re-create your original lie in a bunker, and you are entitled
to use whatever means are at your disposal [Rule 20-3b (iii)].
Linda
Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
