This rule in a nutshell: If an entire bunker is declared Ground Under Repair, it is no longer treated as a bunker – instead becoming part of the General Area. That means you can ground your club and play the ball as it lies unless your competition committee requires you to take relief.
When can you ground a club? It’s been seven years since the Rules of Golf allowed you to ground your club in a penalty area but it’s a question I still get asked from time to time when I’m out on the course.
Some of this, I think, is long-standing habits. It’s hard to think differently about something you’ve done for so long.
But it might also be because the Rules of Golf treat some areas of the course slightly differently than others depending on where your ball is.
So when I was asked this question, “Can I ground my club without penalty in a GUR bunker?”, I thought it might interest some of you.
Can you ground your club in a bunker?
The confusion comes because, as most of us recognise, Rule 12.2b places restrictions on touching sand in a bunker.
You can’t touch sand in the bunker with your club in the area right in front or right behind the ball, in making a practice swing, or in making a backswing for a stroke.
But you can “lean on a club to rest, stay balanced or prevent a fall” as outlined in Rule 12.2b (2).
Crucially for this week’s question, when an entire bunker is declared Ground Under Repair it is no longer a bunker. It’s now part of the General Area and the restrictions cease to apply.
You’re not compelled under the Rules to take relief from Ground Under Repair, so you can play the ball as it lies, unless your competition organisers have labelled it as a No Play Zone or have set up a mandatory drop zone nearby.
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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.
Can you ground your club in a bunker? What do you think of this rule? Let me know by leaving a comment below, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or get in touch on X.
