Linda,
Great columns – thank you!
What is the penalty if your golf bag accidentally tips into
or rolls into a sand bunker? My bag recently rolled into the bunker a long way
behind where my ball was. Is it a penalty for every club in the bag or 1
penalty?
And then another question- can one take a club into a sand
bunker and put it down (say you've taken 2 clubs into the bunker to decide
which one to use) without penalty?
Many thanks,
Lulu from Cape Town, South Africa
Dear Lulu,
Question #1:
Provided your lie, area of intended stance or swing, or line
of play have not been improved [Rule 13-2], and the ball has not been moved
[Rule 18-2a], there is no penalty if your bag tips or rolls into a bunker. In
the situation you describe, you did not incur a penalty.
Question #2:
You may place any number of clubs in a bunker. In fact, you
may carry your entire bag into the bunker with you and park it in the sand
[Rule 13-4, Exception 1]. Placing your clubs in the bunker does not constitute
“testing the condition of the hazard” [Decision 13-4/0.5].
Linda
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