Golf rules: Can you use the back of your driver to chunk it out of the bunker?

This is a pretty impressive shot to have in your bag...

Ben Smith's picture
Mon, 1 Nov 2021
Golf rules: Can you use the back of your driver to chunk it out of the bunker?

Most PGA Tour professionals will encourage their golf balls to get into the bunker if they hit one a bit off line. 

They prefer to play out of the sand because they are good enough to guarantee a good strike. 

These players know what they are doing and are great at scrambling for par or making birdie on par 5s. 

But to us choppers we dread going into the sand, especially if it's a bit wet or we have a dodgy lie. 

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There have been examples on tour of tour professionals being able to putt the balls out of the bunker. 

It's an impressive shot and one not for the faint of heart. 

But what about using the back of your driver to effectively chunk the ball out of the bunker?

Is that allowed?

A video was posted on the popular Instagram page @golfrules_blakey recently showing just that. 

Take a look here:

Let's take a second and just applaud the creativity of that shot. 

But is it legal?

The answer: yes it is. 

This comes under rules 10.1 and 12.2. 

Provided the player attempts to strike the ball with the clubhead and they don't touch the ground with the club behind their ball in the bunker before the shot it is legal. 

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