Rakes in Bunkers - Moving Forward

[brakerider]

Moving on from COVID, it has been great to see that most courses have re-introduced rakes into bunkers. Whilst the lie isn't always perfect, without preferred lies it undoubtedly adds a level of difficulty to the game. It's a challenge most of us should and do want.

At my club in Sydney, a decision has been made to remove the rakes and bring back preferred lies for the foreseeable future. This decision (to summarise) was based on;

• maintenance hours req to maintain bunkers
• pace of play
• members not raking correctly

Now whilst I agree there are some positives, during the preferred lie period, certain players may as well have tee'd it up in the bunker given the position they were putting their ball on. It created a very unrealistic experience, particularly for the higher handicapped player. Maybe some would view it as giving them a fair opportunity to get out of the bunker, but in my eyes it is a hazard we should all strive to improve our play from.

Admittedly, a lot of bunkers at Sydney courses would've copped it from the recent heavy rain. However surely this is factored in as a cost to run a golf course? My particular course is now looking to charge upwards of $20k joining fee. Is reasonable to expect reasonable quality bunkers at a course of this price point? Is it just a money hungry board looking to save a few bucks?

What is your course doing?

[Dotty]

...
What is your course doing?

This week, it is a salmon and trout nursery.

The problem is too many bunkers on most club courses, due to club committees want something that looks like the golf courses on TV and resort holidays (and course designers justifying their quote). Then, fees go up to pay for them. Then, members don't rake the bunkers, because they believe that they have already paid for that maintenance.

Personally, I believe a bunker is a hazard (as opposed to simply having the same lie, stance and soil interaction, but nothing green under the ball). Remove half the bunkers and make the remaining ones more hazardous.

p.s. There is also a tendency to use bunkers to prevent balls running into the water hazards, as members complain about constantly losing balls. (And sand beside water gives the beach resort vibe, when attracting new members.)

[Webster]

I believe it would be a positive move if Clubs stayed with the preferred lies bunker rule for all club play. No more pugged lies. Bunker shots are hard enough and penalty enough for Club golfers, for whom a perfect raked lie makes no difference. No need for raking which is usually substandard anyway. Just smooth over the bunker with your foot when done and move along.

[Toolish]

Our course is back to rakes and normal rules about 3 weeks ago after playing preferred lies most of last year.

I played with a guy last weekend who was complaining that the bunkers had not been raked overnight and blaming if for his crap bunker play. I didn't find them too bad. They are a hazard, you get bad lies in golf no matter where you hit it, part of the game. It is frustrating but it is life.

To be noted, this guy also blamed a spike mark for a missed putt, not sure this course has had a metal spike on it for 15 years and we were first group out so a good effort for a soft spike mark to still be there from previous day. He had the tour mentality, never his fault.

[pt73]

My club is also back to rakes in the bunkers and no preferred lies but the first week back was a s..t fight as some members just walked out of them without raking.

You can send emails, put it on the website but some people just ignore it, just like my major gripe which is divots not being repaired.

[Stuartd147]

Its a tricky situation for sure...my 2 cents...I think you can throw the rakes away.

We have just started flags back in and agree with many of the comments so far. We, too, have recently removed some bunkers to reduce maintenance costs and make the course more accessible for shorter players, did not change much for better players at all.

The Pro's on TV get perfect lies in bunkers and we do not. I could even play decent bunker shots from their lies!!

Our players often do not rake properly so you can be very disadvantaged at times and even a good round can be lost because of someone else actions. (or inaction!!).

Leave rakes out would be my vote!!

[thecollective]

Disagree with the preferred lies, don't go in bunkers; period. If you do and you can't get out take an unplayable. Only exception to the rule is a water lie (undrained bunker, casual water)

During COVID I had a few footprint lies at my course, saw it as a great challenge. Ditto with divot in fairway. Used to play at Tanunda where most of the bunkers have shoddy drainage - did wonders for my bunker play as I learnt to get the ball first before the sod/sand

Big fan of the fewer but more penal bunkers comment and the smoothing with your foot gets a thumbs up as well

[pt73]

Its a tricky situation for sure...my 2 cents...I think you can throw the rakes away.

We have just started flags back in and agree with many of the comments so far. We, too, have recently removed some bunkers to reduce maintenance costs and make the course more accessible for shorter players, did not change much for better players at all.

The Pro's on TV get perfect lies in bunkers and we do not. I could even play decent bunker shots from their lies!!

Our players often do not rake properly so you can be very disadvantaged at times and even a good round can be lost because of someone else actions. (or inaction!!).

Leave rakes out would be my vote!!

We had just done major renovations to all our bunkers just before COVID hit and the sand was really soft so lots of plugged lies especially in the faces so we made it mandatory to take a drop if you were plugged in the face to stop any damage to the face.

We also asked members to smooth out any deep footmarks created when entering the bunkers which many members just ignored that so there were some that looked an elephant had been there.

[Hatchman]

I believe it would be a positive move if Clubs stayed with the preferred lies bunker rule for all club play. No more pugged lies. Bunker shots are hard enough and penalty enough for Club golfers, for whom a perfect raked lie makes no difference. No need for raking which is usually substandard anyway. Just smooth over the bunker with your foot when done and move along.

I'm all for this. A bunker is penal enough for most, no need to be further disadvantaged by either lack of maintenance or ignorance of some other player.
Having said that if they wanted to make the green less accessible a grass bunker (area of long grass where bunkers would or used to be) is much harder to play from than sand bunkers. Only issue with these is possible lost ball if the grass is not maintained to a length.

[Captain Nemo]

Being at the same club as OP, I have to agree it’s the best way forward as so many old ****s can’t be bothered to rake them properly!

[thecollective]

Being at the same club as OP, I have to agree it’s the best way forward as so many old ****s can’t be bothered to rake them properly!

They will never learn, same with slow play, they don’t give a toss about anyone else.


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[Captain Nemo]

They will never learn, same with slow play, they don’t give a toss about anyone else.


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Pace of play is great just the bunkers!

[thecollective]

Pace of play is great just the bunkers!

Probably just where I play, being a tier 2 as well a lack of awareness breeds in many of the oldies.

We also get the old timers leaving the rake horizontally on the edge of the lip, I don’t know how you could possibly think that is the correct spot


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[markTHEblake]

Big difference between footprints in unraked bunkers on the Mornington Peninsular and the Gold coast Swamp. My view is if the bunkers cant be maintained decently for whatever reason, let em have preferred lie.

[aussieashley]

I agree that the bunker is a hazard and I shouldn’t be hitting my ball in there. And if I knew where my ball was gonna go, I wouldn’t.
But as a weekend warrior, I’m ok with preferred lies. I don’t think it makes it that much easier for the average golfer.
Same as mTb, I’ve seen enough footprints in ours to say let them have a preferred lie.

[MAZA68]

Preferred lie, if the bunkers do get raked it is usually a token effort. Speed the game up and take away the bunker rakes.

[BUSHY]

Whatever happened to the original basic tenet of the game


"Play the ball as it lies."
It doesn’t get any simpler than that.

[thecollective]

Whatever happened to the original basic tenet of the game


"Play the ball as it lies."
It doesn’t get any simpler than that.

good to see im not the only one who has seen the light

[AndyP]

I also take free drops away from grandstands.

[MAZA68]

I also take free drops away from grandstands.

and advertising signage, TV Cables.....

[Jazz18]

Bunker play is a skill set of the game of golf and all that clubs are doing by keeping preferred lies and no rakes is negating one of golfs skill sets. If ur no good at it, take an unplayable as TC suggested or do better.

Bunkers should return to having rakes and play as it lies. Members of clubs should be insisting on it or at least ask the question. I know I'll be asking why my club hasn't changed back already. Good breaks, bad breaks, they are all part of the game. That's life.

This is also a geeat example of the lack of leadership from Golf Australia. Given they are the keeper of all our handicaps in Australia, you'd think this would need to be a nationally managed return to playing by the rules. This decision by clubs in particular, would effect scores and in turn handicaps. Either a return across the board or your course should be re rated for slope and/or scratch rating.

[BUSHY]

Bunker play is a skill set of the game of golf and all that clubs are doing by keeping preferred lies and no rakes is negating one of golfs skill sets. If ur no good at it, take an unplayable as TC suggested or do better.

Bunkers should return to having rakes and play as it lies. Members of clubs should be insisting on it or at least ask the question. I know I'll be asking why my club hasn't changed back already. Good breaks, bad breaks, they are all part of the game. That's life.

This is also a geeat example of the lack of leadership from Golf Australia. Given they are the keeper of all our handicaps in Australia, you'd think this would need to be a nationally managed return to playing by the rules. This decision by clubs in particular, would effect scores and in turn handicaps. Either a return across the board or your course should be re rated for slope and/or scratch rating.

In QLD it’s not Golf Australia’s call. Likely similar elsewhere.

Under current QLD laws the golf club must conform with two (2) Industry Covid-19 Safe Plans.

The Industry COVID Safe Plan for Queensland Hotels and Clubs and the Industry COVID Safe Plan for Outdoor Team Sports.

[WBennett]

Our fairways are still patchy after the drought. Sometimes a perfect drive ends up with a crap lie. It happens.

Rakes belong in bunkers, bunkers don't have to be consistent, and golf can suck sometimes.

[3Puttpete]

Paint yellow lines around them and get rid of the rakes and preferred lies.

[Johnny Canuck]

Yes bunkers are a hazard.

No, “playing it as it lies” shouldn’t include having to try and get the ball out of a massive footprint that Joe the Plumber made because he wes too lazy to put down his beer to use the rake.