Remembering them might save you a shot or two.
Before you learn some important bunker rules, here’s a fun fact: bunkers don’t have to be filled with sand. Seriously. The definition of a bunker in the Rules of Golf says “the word ‘sand’ includes any material similar to sand that is used as bunker material [such as crushed shells], as well as any soil that is mixed in with the sand”.
Who knew? Here five other things that are good to know about bunkers.
1. If you have an unplayable ball in the bunker, you don’t have to drop in the bunker when taking relief.
You have four options for taking relief and two of them let you play from outside the sand. The first is to replay from the spot where you just hit (plus add a stroke penalty). The other is that you can drop outside the bunker using “back on the line” relief. The only downside for this drop is that you have to accept a two-stroke penalty instead of one (Rule 19.3b).
2. If you slam your club into the bunker in anger before hitting, there is no penalty for touching the sand.
Most golfers are aware that the most important rule in bunker play is to not ground your club prior to the through-swing. If you’re making a practice swing and accidentally skim the sand, you’re looking at a two-stroke penalty or loss of hole in matchplay. But touching the sand is not always forbidden. If you get angry enough to slam your wedge down into the bunker, Rule 12.2b(2) says it’s not a penalty provided it was not done in an attempt to test conditions affecting the next stroke.
3. Those steep grassy lips are not part of the bunker.
It’s not all that uncommon to skull a sand shot or hit some sort of thin rocket from the fairway or tee that plugs into the steep lip of a bunker. That can be a good thing, actually, provided it’s not in the sandy part of the lip. “A lip, wall or face at the edge of a prepared area and consisting of soil, grass, stacked turf or artificial materials” is not considered part of the actual bunker. Therefore, you’re entitled to embedded-ball relief under Rule 16.3b, meaning you can get out of that brutal situation penalty-free.
4. Not all sand is treated the same.
It’s understandable if you think that any time your ball is resting in sand, Rule 12 (Bunkers) is in effect. Not true. For example, at the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst, any ungroomed sand deposits were considered part of the general area, and players were allowed to ground their club at address. That also was the rule at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. If you’re not sure what a bunker is and what a bunker isn’t, you’re probably smart to check the scorecard or pro shop for guidance. In short, grounding your club in a fairway bunker is a penalty, but if it’s a sandy area that doesn’t feature rakes or grooming, there’s a good bet it’s not considered a bunker.
5. If your ball is completely buried in a bunker, you’re entitled to a peek.
Rule 7.1 gives you the right to probe the sand to identify your ball if it’s partially or fully buried. But once you know it’s yours, you’re supposed to re-create the lie in the sand. However, the player “may leave a small part of the ball visible if the ball had been covered by sand”, the rule book says.
