February 1, 2010

GALENA, OH — When you're finished raking a bunker, what do you do with the rake? Do you place it inside or outside the bunker? Are there rules or guidelines that govern the placement of rakes?

It's not a common question among golfers, but no matter where you place that rake - inside or outside the bunker - it will still be in a position to influence golf balls rolling its way.

So what's the rule? Chad Long, the king of sand bunkers, was asked to provide direction to the tournament field looking for appropriate answers to the rakes thrown around the course.

"Well... I have no idea how I got roped into this discussion, but I do have some answers.

There is no rule, which, of course, is what leads to the confusion," said Long. "I have been inside enough bunkers in one summer to make most of you guys cringe. I decided to do some homework after a particular round felt like half my round was played out of bunkers. I remembered dumping 1/4 cup of sand out of my shoes onto the parking lot.

The Rules of Golf published by the USGA states, 'Ultimately, it is a matter for the Committee to decide where it wishes rakes to be placed.' I read that initially and was like, 'What the f#%k does that mean?'

So I did some more digging. The 'committee' is likely your golf club or golf course. The first thing to do is to ask the golf course for its policy on rake placement. Your answer 99 percent of the time will be, 'Excuse me.' If you ask the question a second time, your second reply will be, 'Wherever', but with an attitude like your some kind of jackass.

If you can find a golf course with a rake policy, then simply follow that policy. If you don't win the lottery, you should follow some guidelines provided by the USGA. 'There is not a perfect answer for the position of rakes, but there is less likelihood of an advantage or disadvantage to the player if rakes are placed outside of bunkers.'

A rake placed outside a bunker might cause a ball to careen into the bunker, while a rake that is already in the bunker might cause a ball to careen out of the bunker. More likely, though, when a rake inside a bunker influences the ball, is the possibility that the ball will come to rest against the rake. This always happens to me for some reason.

In practice, golfers 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 a much more difficult shot than would otherwise have been the case. This is most prevalent at a course where the bunkers are small. When the ball comes to rest on or against a rake in the bunker, it may not be possible to replace the ball on the same spot or find a spot in the bunker which is not nearer the hole."

Dave Osborne asked about placing the rakes in the middle of the bunker, where they won't be able to stop a ball on the bunker's sloping sides?

Chad replied, "If rakes are left in the middle of the bunker the only way to position them is to throw them into the bunker and this causes damage to the surface. Plus rakes in the middle of a large bunker cause golfers to rake large areas of the bunker resulting in unnecessary delay. Since I am one of the slowest golfers on the planet, this is not an option for me.

Therefore, after considering all these aspects, it is recommended that rakes should be left outside bunkers in areas where they are least likely to affect the movement of the ball. I personally recommend that rakes outside the bunker be placed laying flat on the ground, tines up, and parallel to the hole's direction of play.

Osborne asked, "That sounds like a good policy. What is the proper policy on raking a bunker? I am sure it doesn't matter, but you appear to be an expert."

Long replied, "There actually is a procedure, but for idiots. Locate the lowest spot around the edge of the bunker that is conventient to your ball. This will be your entry and exit point. Identifying this spot keeps you from walking down a steep facing, stepping off a higher rim, or having to walk a longer distance which would require raking a greater area of sand.

Begin raking over the signs of play from the sand - the area where your club made contact with the sand, and your footprints. Pull the tines of the rake toward you as you begin moving back to the rim of the bunker. But be careful not to pull too much sand toward you. The idea is to restore an even surface to the sand without displacing too much sand. If you are pulling too much sand toward you, try pushing the tines outward a few times, too. All the while, you should be progressing back to the edge of the bunker.

To complete the raking of a bunker, step out of the bunker and make your final few passes over the sand with the rake. Unless otherwise instructed at the golf course, replace the rake outside the bunker parallel to the line of play.

I hope my experiences and knowledge can help everyone. Unfortunately, my sand shots are terrible and undesirable for instruction."