During a match play event I landed in a greenside bunker. When I reached the bunker I found it unplayable. Someone had walked around the face of the bunker leaving some footprints that were at least 1 foot deep. There was also a remnant of a sand castle in the middle of the bunker. My ball was at the bottom of a 6 inch deep footprint. In the spirit of fair play I felt they should have allowed me to rake the bunker and drop the ball. They didn’t agree and said it’s against the rules to improve your lie in a hazard. I closed my eyes and swung for the fences and looked up to see my ball 6 feet from the cup. Fortunately, we won the hole. Would it have been within the rules of match play to allow me to rake the bunker?

No. The Rules of Golf would require you to play it as it laid.

On the other hand, if I was just playing a match with you and no other players were involved, I would have had no problem with your proposed remedy.

By the way, great shot. Certainly more memorable than raking the bunker first.

It is a season long club team event. I know that the field needs to be protected but I feel certain circumstances should be applied. Actually forget that with all the rules already in golf...

Upon close of the event i would have given the GM and pro a piece of my mind. if you're going to have an event at your club, i mean, i understand not being in the greatest of shape but give a drive around the course and make sure there's no damn SANDCASTLES in the bunkers. Hazard or not, there's a limit.

birdieXris wrote:

Upon close of the event i would have given the GM and pro a piece of my mind. if you're going to have an event at your club, i mean, i understand not being in the greatest of shape but give a drive around the course and make sure there's no damn SANDCASTLES in the bunkers. Hazard or not, there's a limit.

I'm laughing uncontrollably right now.

What's the ruling if your ball gets stuck in a turrent of the sandcastle? Or lodged into one of the walls?

I can't even begin to imagine how fun it would be to hit it out of a lie like that. It probably wouldn't have the best results, but I'd make damn sure that someone was videotaping.

3put wrote:

I feel certain circumstances should be applied.

Whilst I do understand the pain, it's just unfortunate and unlucky. But do think about this if you will: a bunker in modern golf is meant to be a punishment for a bad shot, not a perfectly raked piece of sand that makes it just as easy to hit from as from the fairway. You find your ball in the bunker? Tough luck, you shouldn't have hit it in there to begin with. Why on earth would you want to have it raked before hitting from it?

Kids created sandcastles in it? Too bad. A boar used it as a public toilet? Yuck! But again, too bad! Golf isn't fair, it's meant to be a test of skill and character.

PS: I'ld have loved to see you hit from it on video too

In 1999 at age 15 I was plkaying in stroke play qualifying for the US junior amateur. I hit a shot on hole 5 in round 1 into the sand next to the green and there was a HUGE ant mound just in front of my ball. I asked for a ruling and the rules official game me no relief because the ant hill was a loose impediment and you can`t move loose impediments in a hazard. He said "good luck" to me and I closed me eyes somehow got it to within 2 feet of the hole and saved par. Even so I shot rounds of 79 and 86 and missed the cut.

3put wrote:

My ball was at the bottom of a 6 inch deep footprint. In the spirit of fair play I felt they should have allowed me to rake the bunker and drop the ball. They didn’t agree and said it’s against the rules to improve your lie in a hazard. I closed my eyes and swung for the fences and looked up to see my ball 6 feet from the cup. Fortunately, we won the hole. ....

Pretty good, but not as good as Player (see above). He is truly amazing, isn't he?