[Photo: David Madison]
This isn’t one of the five bunker rules that everybody should know, but just to get in the spirit of things, we’ve got this fun fact for you: bunkers don’t necessarily have to be filled with sand. Seriously. In the definition of a bunker, it 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”.
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Bunker play is scary enough for many golfers, but hitting out of crushed shells or crushed volcanic rock, or whatever else some architect can dream of, that just seems sadistic.
Anyway, back to the topic of bunker rules you really need to know – yet maybe don’t – here are five good ones:
1. If you have an unplayable lie in the bunker, you don’t have to drop in the bunker when taking relief
There are 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 got in trouble in the first place (plus add a stroke penalty). The other is one you might not know. You can drop just outside the bunker using “back on the line” relief. The only downside for this is that it’s a two-stroke penalty instead of one.
2. If you slam your club into the sand 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. Say you walked up to your ball and noticed it was plugged into a wall of sand in the bunker, a really nasty lie. That might make you angry enough to slam your wedge down into the bunker in anger. Rule 12.2b(2) says that’s not a penalty provided it was truly in anger and not an attempt to test conditions affecting the next stroke.
3. Those steep grassy lips are NOT part of the bunker 
Photo: Warren Little
It’s not uncommon to skull a sand shot or otherwise hit some sort of thin shot from the fairway or tee that plugs into the steep lip of a bunker. That’s good news for you provided it’s not in the sandy part of that 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 (Rule 16.3b), meaning you can get out of that situation penalty-free.
4. Not all sand is 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. Not all sand is treated the same. For example, during the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No.2, any ungroomed sand deposits were considered part of the general area and players were allowed to ground their club at address. Same 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 with the 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. It’s worth checking, though. Just ask Dustin Johnson, who was memorably penalised for grounding his club in an ungroomed sandy area on the 72nd hole of the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, costing him a spot in the playoff.
Photo: Dom Furore
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 sand to identify your ball if it’s partially or fully buried in the sand, 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”.
