Bunker Rake Policy

Rakes in or out of Bunkers?

The Following is an excerpt from the USGA “Rules and Decisions”

There is no perfect answer for the position of rakes, but on balance it is felt there is less likelihood of an advantage or disadvantage to the plater if rakes are place outside bunkers.

It may be argued that there is more likelihood of a ball being deflected into or kept out of a bunker if the rake is placed outside the bunker. It could also be argued that if the rake is in the bunker it is most unlikely that the ball will be deflected out of the bunker.

However, in practice, players who leave rakes in bunkers frequently leave them at the side which tends to stop a ball rolling into the flat part of the bunker, resulting in much more difficult shots that would otherwise have been the case. This is most prevalent at a course where the bunkers are small. When a ball comes to rest on or against a rake in the bunker and the player must proceed under Rule 24-1, it may not be possible to replace the ball on the same spot or find a spot in the bunker which is not nearer to the hole.

If rakes are left in the middle of the bunker the only way to position them is to throw them into the bunker and causes damage to the surface. Also, if a rake is in the middle of a large bunker it is either not used or the play is obligated to rake a large area of the bunker resulting in unnecessary delay.