Bunker rakes in or out? Ok, we’ve done that one and we could spend the rest of the day debating it. But sometimes the decision your club makes on rake placement can have a very significant effect on your round.
For this scenario, the rakes have been left outside the bunker and your ball has come to rest against one. It’s the only thing keeping your ball out of the sand and, when you move the rake, the ball is definitely moving along with it.
What would you do in this situation? Are you putting the ball back? Do you get a penalty? What if the ball ends up in the bunker? Let’s take a look…
Movable obstruction rules: What happens when my ball ends up on a bunker rake?
This one happens often enough that it has its own diagram in the Rules of Golf. And despite the initial panic you might feel when you arrive on the scene, it’s very straightforward to sort out.
The rake is a movable obstruction and Rule 15.2a says you can remove those without penalty. If your ball is up against it (the rules are slightly different if your ball ends up in or on a movable obstruction such as a towel), you can just shift the rake out of the way.
If your ball moves while you’re doing so, you won’t be penalised and you simply replace the ball on its original spot. Should you not have been paying attention to where that is, you can use your best guess.
And while this rule doesn’t force you to mark the spot of the ball before you move the rake, it can help you locate that original spot.
Got a question for our expert?
Despite the changes to the Rules of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. I’ll try to help by featuring the best of your queries in this column.
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What do you think of this rule about bunker rakes and movable obstructions in general. Let me know by leaving a comment below, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or get in touch on X.
NOW READ: Bunker rakes: In or out? Here’s what the rules say
