Bunkers: All you need to know

Splashing out of bunkers.

For the benefit of many of you who have recently joined us on the Golfmagic site I want to dwell on bunkers – especially how to get out of them and how to rake them.

There’s an art to both.

Let’s deal first with bunkers, what they are and why they are there, then we’ll look at how to get out of them and how to look after them.

What are bunkers?

The sand bunker is, according to the Rules of Golf (Section II definitions), ‘a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground from which turf has been removed and replaced with sand or the like (sometimes volcanic dust). Grass-covered ground bordering or within a bunker is not part of the bunker, the margin of which extends vertically downwards but not upwards. A ball is in a bunker when it lies in or any part of it touches the bunker."

Why are they there?

Originally early courses were laid out beside the sea, hence there was much sand among the turf creating an extra degree of difficulty.

It was decided that even though a ball came to rest on sand it should be ‘played as it lies’ and if you didn’t like it you could move it to a better spot nearby but you had to pay a forfeit (a penalty stroke).

Eventually as more courses were built inland and sand disappeared from the landscape, it was decided to re-create the hazard by introducing sand to natural and unnatural hollows.

Eventually they have become more sophisticated with sheer, rivetted faces made of layers of turf and more shallow fairway varieties bordering fairways, placed by course designers to put a premium on accuracy.

Volcanic sand in Tenerife.

Dozens of books have been written and millions of words spoken on bunker play but basically, escape from the deeper ones, beside a green, is down to technique.

Use the club design for the purpose – the sand wedge – which has a bulbous flange on the bottom (the sole) and was originally designed by Gene Sarazen in the 1930s to help lift the ball out on a cushion of sand.

But remember bunkers are a hazard and you are not entitled to ground your club (touch the surface) before you play your shot and until the ball has finally emerged from the hazard.

First create a solid foundation by shuffling your feet into the sand, the line of the toes aiming slightly left of your intended target (the flag stick). Grip down the handle a little and lay the face of the club so the leading edge aims at the target, then re-grip.

The secret is not to scoop the ball out but to slap the sand in a controlled but aggressive out-to-in swing, with the sole of the open-faced club, ensuring you follow through. If you strike the sand two inches behind the ball, it will tend to pop out almost automatically.

Different flanges on wedges.

If the ball is partly buried in the sand, use your sharper edged pitching wedge, close (yes ‘hood’) the face and chop down hard just behind the ball. Again it should pop out but with little spin and will tend to roll further. So allow for this.

What about fairway bunkers, when I need distance?

The secret here is to swing within yourself. Again shuffle your feet into a solid foundation and grip the club down the shaft a little.

If the lip is shallow on the bunker you can take as much as a 5- or 7-wood but remember to swing easily and concentrate on nipping the ball off the surface.

Concentrate on the front of the ball (nearest the target) as you swing. This will help achieve a shallower swing path and gather up less sand.

What can I move in a bunker

Small stones often find their way into bunkers which can damage your equipment as well as possibly injure you or someone standing nearby. Look out for Local Rules on the back of the scorecard to see if you can remove them from around the ball.

Usually leaves, sticks, banana skins, apple cores etc., are not regarded as items which can be removed though you can take relief from holes made by burrowing animals (not their footprints) as long as the ball remains in the hazard.

In what condition should I leave a bunker?

The bottom line is that you leave a bunker in the condition you expect to find it.

When you have played your shot, smooth the surface with the rake provided pulling the sand from the centre up to the edges so it can fall back naturally towards the centre.

Note rake on the left, not interfering with play.

The Rules of Golf legislators also ‘recommend’ that "the rake is laid down outside bunkers in a location where it will least likely affect play."

This recommendation can be traced to Decision 20-3d/2, which deals with a ball coming to rest against a rake within a bunker. In this decision, the ball moved when the rake was removed and Rule 24-1 requires the ball to be replaced.

However, in this case, the player was unable to get the ball to stay at rest on the spot where it had originally come to rest or anywhere else within the bunker not closer to the hole. As a result the player had to drop behind the bunker, under a penalty of one stroke.

While it’s accepted that if the ball strikes a rake outside of a bunker, by its proximity to the bunker, the ball could very well end up in the bunker, but it might not. Also, we don't know where the ball would have gone had it not struck the rake.

While it may seem unfair to have a ball hit the rake and it end up in the bunker, wouldn’t you rather play the bunker shot than be forced to take a penalty stroke and play over the bunker?

I hope that clarifies a few questions to do with bunkers. If you want to discuss these hazards further, you can find us on The Forum.