When does 'tidying' a bunker turn into improving your line of play?

Golfers new to the game are often unaware that it’s a penalty to repair a pitch mark or replace a divot if it’s on your line of play (Rule 8.1). By doing so, you’re improving your next shot and that runs against one of golf’s main principles—play the course as it lies. Fortunately, golf’s governing bodies have softened their stance on things that formerly were a penalty such as removing stones in a bunker and repairing shoe damage such as cleat marks on a putting green.

Where things get a little unclear, however, are actions taken in a bunker that some might consider testing the surface or improving the conditions affecting the stroke. Let’s quickly review what is and isn’t a penalty.

Under Rule 12.2b, you can do things such as lean on a club that touches the surfaces of the bunker while waiting to hit a shot. You also can smooth the sand with the rake before playing from a bunker as long as you are doing it to clean up footprints, etc., and not to learn how firm or fluffy it might be.

You are not, though, allowed to rake anywhere you want without getting in trouble. If you rake the sand in front of your ball on the line you intend to hit the shot, that’s likely considered improving conditions affecting the stroke (8.1a/1) and comes with the general penalty (two shots in stroke play or loss of hole in match play).

The word “likely” is important here as there could be a compelling argument that your action of raking in front of the ball did not improve conditions. However, it’s doubtful you could talk your way out of a penalty. Ironically, if the ruling didn’t go your way and you struck the sand in anger as a result, there’s no penalty for that.

Improving conditions in sand is not just something you see in amateur golf. Patrick Reed was penalised for doing it at the 2019 Hero World Challenge. He removed some sand from behind his ball in a waste area and was penalised two shots.

A closer look at Patrick Reed’s two-stroke penalty during Round 3 of the Hero World Challenge. pic.twitter.com/z2aqkajnYq

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 7, 2019

The takeaway is you’re probably OK to rake a bunker before hitting your shot, like when you drag the rake behind you to cover your own footprints, but when you get up around your ball, don’t do anything that can be construed as improving conditions.

Main image: Somchai Sookkasem