Impediments in bunker

[stogiesnbogies]

Until someone starts buying me clubs I'm moving rocks before I hit.

ABSOLUTELY!!

And with me and my playing partners, the same goes for tree roots....you have the right to move the ball to a "hittable" position -no closer to the hole. LOL

 

[sparksjr]

Add me to the "not gonna damage my clubs or my body" group.

 

[Spivey]

I broke a club once and I have a big gouge in one of my wedges. I learned my lesson. I am moving the ball, will take the penalty stroke if need be. Rock in bunker? - It is getting a quick, short flight to the desert.

 

[Fourputt]

If I'm playing in a tourney I'm declaring an unplayable lie and moving the ball. Damaging clubs or my body just isn't in the cards.

I do this regardless of tournament or not. That's why Rule 28 exists. Why not play the same rules all the time. Nothing in the game says you have to risk injury, but the rules allow you to avoid hurting yourself while still playing correctly. Just take the penalty stroke as the price for hitting the poor shot that put you there in the first place.

Anyone who gives themselves free relief in these situations and posts a handicap is carrying a vanity cap.

One other comment. Many courses that have poor bunker sand with stones in it enact the local rule allowing the player to move a stone which might fly out in any direction and possible injure a bystander. This is an authorized local rule.

 

[Greg Kulbick]

Depends on the impediment. If its a big rock, the correct move is to put it in a playing partner's bag, so says Dufner.

 

[JoeyJoeJo]

Interesting the R&A and USGA seem to have differing stances here with the R&A allowing stone removal...

The following Local Rules, together with any additions or amendments as published by The R&A at the golf course, will apply to all Championships and International Matches run by The R&A.
.....

Stones in bunkers are movable obstructions (Rule 24-1 applies).

 

[ddec]

When just playing a casual round, I will remove a stone from the bunker. Nobody wants to ding up their club.

 

[deuce]

Why not play the same rules all the time. Nothing in the game says you have to risk injury, but the rules allow you to avoid hurting yourself while still playing correctly. Just take the penalty stroke as the price for hitting the poor shot that put you there in the first place.

Sometimes hitting into the sand isn't the bad shot. Why should you be penalized for an acceptable shot when it's a fault in the course conditions?

Vanity cap? Please ... none of us are going to be on tour. If my moving a rock in front of my ball in the sand trap drops my handicap* I'll gladly give you an extra stroke if we ever play and it means that much to you.

*For the once every dozen of rounds it happens, it's going to drop my handicap by what? 0.1 at most?

 

[drp3434]

I thought they were called sand traps, not rock traps... Not taking a penalty because the course doesn't keep their traps clean.

 

[Fourputt]

Interesting the R&A and USGA seem to have differing stances here with the R&A allowing stone removal...

Not really. The local rule allowing this is in the Rules of Golf and can be enacted anywhere that those rules apply. The difference may be that that more USGA sanctioned tournaments are held on courses with perfect bunkers, so such a rule is not necessary. Heck, even my home muni has good enough siand that it doesn't need to have such a rule in place.

I thought they were called sand traps, not rock traps... Not taking a penalty because the course doesn't keep their traps clean.

Actually they are called bunkers. Nothing in the definition says that they have to be made of beach sand. There a reason why they are considered "hazards".

[h=4]Bunker[/h]A “bunker’’ is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like.

The phrase "or the like" can cover a multitude of sins.

 

[drp3434]

Meh, either way no way I'm not moving it. I would expect my playing partners to do the same, and wouldn't penalize them. Wouldn't expect them to penalize me either. If they did, not sure how often we'd play together.

 

[Tadashi70]

Yep.

Playing in a tournament is one thing. But, candidly, even in a match I'm asking my opponent about moving rocks from a bunker. No sense in damaging a club like that.

What happens if you opponent says no. Is he a Richard cranium or playing with the rules? Do you get upset?

 

[kc720]

I'm fine with anyone removing something that may damage their club at any time in a bunker. Ask Coers about Indy, it ain't fun.

#coersgrind

 

[coers]

#coersgrind

no crap there. if I knew that boulder was under the sand I would have moved it. Now I'm stuck with a dam stone wedge. Thanks purgatory!!!

 

[ATLGolfer]

What happens if you opponent says no. Is he a Richard cranium or playing with the rules? Do you get upset?

If that happens, I play the shot as it lies.

Opponent is a doucher, but I won't get mad. Ain't no time for that.

 

[GenErr]

I would move the impediment, and if someone says something (no one that I play with would say anything) I would ignore them. They can penalize me if they want, its not like I'm playing for the Open Championship or anything. My limited funds leave no room for repairing damaged or dinged up golf clubs.

 

[tequila4kapp]

Anyone who gives themselves free relief in these situations and posts a handicap is carrying a vanity cap.

I started to get a little offended at this then laughed at the notion that I really need to start trying harder at this whole vanity cap thing...a 16.7 vanity cap is embarrassing

It isn't vanity it all, it is a feeling that some rules are just absurd. "Lost balls" to fall leaves in the middle of a fairway...rock or roots...ball clearly hit into the next fairway that mysteriously disappears as that group passes the ball on their way up the fairway, etc. I know it is arbitrary but I'm just not inclined to take a penalty in those situations. Ultimately the only person I'm hurting is myself when I have to play competitive rounds with my index .01 too low.

 

[Fourputt]

I started to get a little offended at this then laughed at the notion that I really need to start trying harder at this whole vanity cap thing...a 16.7 vanity cap is embarrassing

It isn't vanity it all, it is a feeling that some rules are just absurd. "Lost balls" to fall leaves in the middle of a fairway...rock or roots...ball clearly hit into the next fairway that mysteriously disappears as that group passes the ball on their way up the fairway, etc. I know it is arbitrary but I'm just not inclined to take a penalty in those situations. Ultimately the only person I'm hurting is myself when I have to play competitive rounds with my index .01 too low.

To each his own. :confused2:

 

[JoeyJoeJo]

its not like I'm playing for the Open Championship or anything.

The Open being an R&A event, you could move them

 

[wadesworld]

Yep.

Playing in a tournament is one thing. But, candidly, even in a match I'm asking my opponent about moving rocks from a bunker. No sense in damaging a club like that.

Not sure whether "in a match" referred to a friendly match or not. If not, and if the committee is doing their job correctly and it comes to light that you and your opponent agreed to remove a rock before playing from a bunker, you'd both be disqualified for agreeing to waive a rule.

 

[ATLGolfer]

Not sure whether "in a match" referred to a friendly match or not. If not, and if the committee is doing their job correctly and it comes to light that you and your opponent agreed to remove a rock before playing from a bunker, you'd both be disqualified for agreeing to waive a rule.

Friendly match, like playing against another THPer. In fact, even if I'm playing a contested match with a THPer, I routinely tell my opponent to move his ball out of divots or away from rocks, roots, etc. I want to win, but I also don't want someone to damage his clubs or get injured.

No one should break the rules during a tournament. That would be bad.

 

[wadesworld]

Friendly match, like playing against another THPer. In fact, even if I'm playing a contested match with a THPer, I routinely tell my opponent to move his ball out of divots or away from rocks, roots, etc. I want to win, but I also don't want someone to damage his clubs or get injured.

No one should break the rules during a tournament. That would be bad.

Gotcha. I've often done the same in friendly matches and encouraged my "fellow-competitor" to move his ball out of an injury-potential-laden situation.

 

[Tedfroop]

We have not adopted any local rules...All play is governed by USGA rules.

Will continue to play my ball without removing impediments, but will also continue to remove loose stones within reach after my shot.

We have 84 bunkers at my home course, so avoiding bunkers is not likely.

Thanks for the replies. If anyone finds anything definitive, please chime in. Cheers!

As long as your ball or your partners ball (in match play, 3 or 4 ball play) is not in the bunker you can remove the rocks. It is not considered testing the conditions if your ball is not in the bunker.

It would be a good suggestion to get a local rule put in place that you can remove stones in bunkers at any time. It is allowable under the rules of golf to have a local rules that covers the situation.