When did the whole world decide that bunker rakes need to be left outside the bunker?? I see it everywhere I play, and it drives me nuts. I've always been taught/told that when you're done cleaning up the bunker after your shot, that you should leave the rake in the bunker, with the handle pointing in the direction of play on that hole (towards the green). That way, the only people hitting rakes with their shots are the ones that were going into the bunker to begin with.

Am I wrong? Or has this rule of thumb changed over the past 30yrs of my playing time??

There is no official rule as to where the rakes need to go besides to go with what the clubhouse tells you to do. In fact, the USGA recomments leaving them outside of the bunker. However, I'm in the same boat as you. I hate it when the rakes are left outside of the bunker for several reasons. The most recent one, which just happened yesterday when the roughs were extremely thick, I stepped on one that was hidden in the deep rough and turned my ankle over. It's not the first time I've stepped on a rake, either. It tends to happen when I'm backing up, lining up a shot. I can only imagine what could happen if I was to step on the fork part of the rake. What really gets me, though, is when the bunker is right next to the green, and people leave the rake on the first cut of the green.

The best two balls I hit all day today were when I stepped on a rake.

merlin2driver wrote:

The best two balls I hit all day today were when I stepped on a rake.

Rim shot!!

FWIW, I was just bit by an idiot who left the rake inside the fairway bunker with the shaft parallel to the front edge, i.e. blocking any ball rolling in the bunker. I ended up with my ball maybe 2" from the edge at the back of the bunker, unable to take a swing!

If you are going to leave the rake in (not what I think is best), at least make it so that the handle is facing towards the tee and the rake facing towards the green, parallel to the direction of play.

I think everyone should just go to the kind of rakes that stand up (stick in the ground) That will stop people from stepping on them and stop them from generally being in the way (while also making them easily found.)

The best place for a rake is definitely outside the bunker away from the line of play. I.e. if the bunker is in the front right of the playing area, put the rake on the back right side. Most large bunkers have more than one rake so this can't always happen but it's a good rule of thumb. By placing the rake outside the bunker, it's a better scenario than having it in the bunker. The rake could keep a ball from going into the bunker OR it could deflect a ball into the bunker whereas if the rake is in the bunker, it is more likely that it would keep a ball IN the bunker rather than deflect it out.

Then there's the drop aspect. Say it comes to rest, ether way in or out, against the rake. Outside the bunker you can move the rake and replace the ball if it moves under no penalty. IN the bunker, you can do the same, however it may be impossible to keep the ball from moving nearer the hole (on a slope, etc) in a trap, and then you have a whole 'nother kettle of fish when the playing competitor says you're testing the sand by moving the rake (which under the rules you're not allowed to test the sand).

I think it keeps things a lot cleaner by having the rakes outside the bunkers and keeps things from getting too wishy washy as far as what to do. I've only ever had a rake deflect my ball into the bunker two times in 24 years of playing golf. The VAST majority of the time it kept it from rolling in, which is fine by me.

The only true way to settle it is to have a rule where players must carry their own rake -- like that's gonna happen --- and then we won't need them on the course. My vote: Rake on the outside of the bunker, hands down.

I like the vertical storage option the best. If my ball manages to hit a 1" diameter rake shaft, then I deserve to hit it from wherever it ends up.

At the course I play, I'm happy if there is a rake near the trap, and ecstatic if it appears to have EVER been used.

mdbuschsr wrote:

I like the vertical storage option the best. If my ball manages to hit a 1" diameter rake shaft, then I deserve to hit it from wherever it ends up. At the course I play, I'm happy if there is a rake near the trap, and ecstatic if it appears to have EVER been used.

Yea i hardly see the stand up rakes anymore. the ones that have the single metal horn and they just stick right in the ground. It's a shame. They're probably really expensive.

You know...when I was a kid, I learned to play this game on the sand greens of the New Salem Country Club in western North Dakota. Every hole had one of those stand up rakes in the back of the gree to rake the green when you were done putting. I'm guessing having a rake around the green to affect one's shot has a lot bigger effect on one's game than the rakes around the bunker. I thought that was the norm when I was a kid, and I was surprised to see that no one had them anymore as an adult.

Quote:

Yea i hardly see the stand up rakes anymore. the ones that have the single metal horn and they just stick right in the ground. It's a shame. They're probably really expensive.

Yep, one knucklehead sticks one into his foot and its a multi-million lawsuit for the course

[quote="Kurt the Knife"]

Quote:

Yep, one knucklehead sticks one into his foot and its a multi-million lawsuit for the course

That's cause it has to be courses fault he's an idiot, can't be blaming yourself.

Matt

birdieXris wrote:

I think everyone should just go to the kind of rakes that stand up (stick in the ground) That will stop people from stepping on them and stop them from generally being in the way (while also making them easily found.) The best place for a rake is definitely outside the bunker away from the line of play. I.e. if the bunker is in the front right of the playing area, put the rake on the back right side. Most large bunkers have more than one rake so this can't always happen but it's a good rule of thumb. By placing the rake outside the bunker, it's a better scenario than having it in the bunker. The rake could keep a ball from going into the bunker OR it could deflect a ball into the bunker whereas if the rake is in the bunker, it is more likely that it would keep a ball IN the bunker rather than deflect it out. Then there's the drop aspect. Say it comes to rest, ether way in or out, against the rake. Outside the bunker you can move the rake and replace the ball if it moves under no penalty. IN the bunker, you can do the same, however it may be impossible to keep the ball from moving nearer the hole (on a slope, etc) in a trap, and then you have a whole 'nother kettle of fish when the playing competitor says you're testing the sand by moving the rake (which under the rules you're not allowed to test the sand). I think it keeps things a lot cleaner by having the rakes outside the bunkers and keeps things from getting too wishy washy as far as what to do. I've only ever had a rake deflect my ball into the bunker two times in 24 years of playing golf. The VAST majority of the time it kept it from rolling in, which is fine by me. The only true way to settle it is to have a rule where players must carry their own rake -- like that's gonna happen --- and then we won't need them on the course. My vote: Rake on the outside of the bunker, hands down.

Just 1 more obsticle for my ball to work around. Like the yardage stakes. I usually take em and lay em down if with in 10 feet but before I would for some odd reason just hit and doink!!! It may end up behind berry tree.

I always pull any man-made obstacles in front of my shot if the ball would have a reasonable chance of killing me if it was to hit said obstacle.

About a month ago, I had a long shot over a pretty big hill. I walked 40 yards to the top of the hill (where the junk rough started) to remove the "no carts" sign before I shot. My partner made fun of me...but I have hit that hill before, and just the day before, I watched my partner almost take his head off by hitting that sign from about the same distance.