sand trap etiquette (1 Viewer)

[grateful zed]

how well do you rake a sand trap after you've hit?

 

[Parrothead]

bury your poop

 

[Cowboysfan8]

I wouldn't say perfection, but I try to leave it better than I found it

 

[Joe Summer]

Depends on the course, the time of day, and the proximity to a rake.

Nice course: yes, always

Muni: yes, if there is a rake nearby and it is before 5 p.m.

 

[Joe Summer]

Oops, I thought you were asking "Do you always rake".

To answer the OP's question:

Nice course: always leave it better than I found it.

Muni: give it a quick rake unless I'm playing the Twilight Rate in which case I usually just dust it with my foot.

 

[grateful zed]

bump for the sunday evening crowd.

 

[Cjw_55106]

I only rake the area in which I was involved. Do a decent job but don’t think about it too much

 

[Zow]

I wouldn't say perfection, but I try to leave it better than I found it

Same here. 

 

[rascal]

Rake the area I disturbed

 

[urbanhack]

The first you need to get right is to call it a bunker not a sand trap

 

[Sinn Fein]

Hard to fit into your criteria - I will rake any area I have disturbed, so shot and footprints, and any ball trail if it rolled in.  I am not recreating Augusta though - just putting it back to its original condition.

Better question might be:  Where do you leave the rake?  I don't even know what the proper etiquette is for that...

 

[Cowboysfan8]

Hard to fit into your criteria - I will rake any area I have disturbed, so shot and footprints, and any ball trail if it rolled in.  I am not recreating Augusta though - just putting it back to its original condition.

Better question might be:  Where do you leave the rake?  I don't even know what the proper etiquette is for that...

I believe the rake is supposed to be placed outside the bunker. I always leave it out but always thought it should be left in

 

[Norman Paperman]

Wait - you guys golf without a caddy?

 

[Sinn Fein]

I believe the rake is supposed to be placed outside the bunker. I always leave it out but always thought it should be left in

Rake is definitely out of the bunker - but do you leave it in front of the bunker, or on the green-side of the bunker, or on the side of the bunker?

 

[[scooter]]

Better question might be:  Where do you leave the rake?  I don't even know what the proper etiquette is for that...

There's no official rule on where to put the rake. Some courses ask you to leave them inside the bunker, others prefer that you leave them outside.

Personally, I think all rakes should be left in the bunker, as that is where they have the lowest odds of interfering with your shot. 

If you're going to leave the rake outside the bunker, then place it along the edge of the bunker which is furthest from the green, and align it so that it is parallel to the fairway.

 

[Cowboysfan8]

Rake is definitely out of the bunker - but do you leave it in front of the bunker, or on the green-side of the bunker, or on the side of the bunker?

No rhyme or reason for where I leave it, but always outside the bunker, and always right near the edge

 

[Nipsey]

The shot I hit from the bunker has no bearing on how I rake the bunker but it may determine how I release the rake when finished.

 

[Apple Jack]

Some courses want them in the bunker, but most out. And where to leave depends on how many rakes there are, where the bunker is and if there are obvious entry areas. It's usually pretty obvious where to put them.

Definitely leave it better than you found it. Without slowing the group, I'll tidy up areas left a mess by heathens. And usually get most of the ball marks.

 

[strykerpks]

I'm probably a 25 handicap. Always rake and leave it to the outside, or furthest from the fairway. I don't care if it's a muni or not. Treat it like it's yours.

 

[Zow]

The first you need to get right is to call it a bunker not a sand trap

IIRC the term "bunker" is not longer mentioned, used, or referred to in the official rules. 

 

[Zow]

Rake is definitely out of the bunker - but do you leave it in front of the bunker, or on the green-side of the bunker, or on the side of the bunker?

This isn't always the case.  What is the case is that the course wants consistency.  I'd say the most I play at actually to rake end into the bunker with stick out.  This prevents the balls from getting a super terrible lie yet doesn't provide the advantage of the rake blocking the ball from going in. 

 

[Judge Smails]

I just despise golfers who don’t rank bunkers. Should be banned. Thoughtless hacks. 

 

[[scooter]]

The first you need to get right is to call it a bunker not a sand trap

IIRC the term "bunker" is not longer mentioned, used, or referred to in the official rules. 

"Bunker" is one of 5 formally defined areas of a golf course:

• "general area" (previously known as "through the green"); this is everywhere on the course except for the following 4 areas:
  
• "teeing area" of the hole you're playing
  
• "penalty area" (e.g., water hazards)
  
• "bunkers"
  
• "putting green" of the hole you're playing
  

 

[belljr]

“The short answer is, there is no real right or wrong here,” says Thomas Pagel, Senior Director of Rules at the USGA.

Though there’s not a specific rule about where to put rakes, there is a decision that deals with the issue. It explains that the biggest concern is the rake getting in the way of play. So, don’t leave them inside the bunker along a steep bank, because it could catch someone’s ball. Don’t toss rakes into the middle of bunkers, because you’re just a jerk if you do that. And don’t lay them in front of bunkers, because it could stop someone’s ball from going into the bunker.

“The recommendation is to leave rakes outside of the bunker,” says Pagel. “We always place rakes outside of the bunker and parallel to the line of play for USGA Championships.”

This is the important part.!!!    

 

[matuski]

I wouldn't say perfection, but I try to leave it better than I found it

what if it was perfect before you hit your ball in there and screwed it all up?

 

[TheIronSheik]

I worked on the grounds crew of a golf course for about 5 years when I was young.  Raking sand traps and weedeating creek banks were the worst jobs you could be assigned for the day.  I always rake the area I affected as best I can.  But I'm out there playing golf, so I'm not trying to make it perfect.  

Only exception would be if I'm playing a course and they have a huge bunker and they only decide to put one rake on it, I'm not walking all over the course to get a rake.  And while I feel a little bad, that's the course's fault.  Not mine.

As for where I put the rake, I always try to put the rake in the opposite diagonal spot of the other rake, out of the bunker.  My other pet peeve is when a bunker has two rakes and they are right next to each other.   

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

I like to bring in a boulder or two, get them situated just so, and then rake in a nice Zen garden type pattern.  Sure, it takes a few extra moments, but I believe the folks who come after me appreciate the effort.

 

[Blue Dot Orange Dot]

I always take what I affected and usually will clear up any mess someone else left behind. I do the same thing on the greens, repair my ball mark and then walk around looking for at least one more to fix. 

Rake is put back where I found it; most courses I play the rakes are outside the trap. 

 

[avoiding injuries]

I rake my ball mark, swing divot and foot prints. I also always put the rake in my cart so it doesn’t obstruct the players behind me. 

I always get funny looks with 2-3 rakes in my cart. 

 

[[scooter]]

I always take what I affected and usually will clear up any mess someone else left behind. I do the same thing on the greens, repair my ball mark and then walk around looking for at least one more to fix. 

Rake is put back where I found it; most courses I play the rakes are outside the trap. 

Also, every golfer should watch this video on how to repair ball marks. (This video is a good one, too)

 

[grateful zed]

i was taught to put the rake in the bunker.

a ball that is not hit into a bunker should not be interfered with by a rake lying in the fairway.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

i was taught to put the rake in the bunker.

a ball that is not hit into a bunker should not be interfered with by a rake lying in the fairway.

yeah, me too ...except NOT along the edge where can trap a ball around the lip.

 

[Joe Summer]

If your ball gets trapped in the sand by a rake, can't you just remove the rake and replace the ball?

 

[Binky The Doormat]

If your ball gets trapped in the sand by a rake, can't you just remove the rake and replace the ball?

replace the ball where?  

you're clearly not a bowler.