Should a bunker rake be left inside or outside the bunker after it's raked? Women & Golf’s rules expert Sheila Waltham explains all.
By Sheila Waltham
Should a rake be left inside or outside the bunker after it’s been raked?
There is no Rule of Golf governing the position of rakes in bunkers, it is a Committee decision as to their preference. Nonetheless, the Committee Procedures do provide some insights into making the decision.
If a rake is left outside a bunker, then deflections into or away from the bunker may occur, whereas if left inside the bunker, it is more likely that a ball would remain within the bunker. Also, leaving rakes inside bunkers makes it easier for greenstaff to cut the grass in surrounding areas. If that is all we consider, then it is a straightforward decision: leave the rake in the bunker.
However, reality is more complex. Players often leave rakes close to the edge of the bunker, which can stop a ball rolling to the flatter central portion of the bunker. This may result in a more difficult shot for the player and/or the need to take relief from a movable obstruction (rake), where replacing the ball on a slope and no nearer the hole may prove difficult. All of which tends to be very irritating for the player.
If rakes are left in the middle of bunkers, players would have to throw them in causing an uneven playing surface and others would have to walk into the bunker to retrieve the rake, resulting in more footprints to rake and delaying play.
The recommendation is that rakes should be left outside bunkers in areas where they are least likely to affect the movement of the ball ie away from the fairway and line of play. However, I reiterate that this is a Committee decision.
About the author
Sheila Waltham has been a qualified rules official for over 15 years and joined the England Golf Tournament Panel of Referees in 2019. A keen golfer since 1995, Sheila’s interest in the Rules was born out of the realisation that a lot of the information she received as a novice golfer was incorrect. So, she took matters into her own hands!
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