Here we go with another Rules Rundown with Northern Region Executive Director Cameron MacGregor. This time, he reveals options for suriving a bad break in a bunker.
I was playing the other day, and my ball was positioned just in front of the green, very close to the putting surface. There were two bunkers in front of the green, but they were offset to the sides, leaving my line of play to the green wide open. (But there’s the rub!)
When I hit my shot, I inadvertently hit a “Michigan hook,” and my ball dribbled into the bunker on the right.
The lie wasn’t great. In fact, I considered it unplayable, and my confidence was a little rattled. So, what were my options?
Well, I had four options for getting out of this predicament:
For one penalty stroke:
- Back-on-the-line relief inside the bunker. I could go back as far as I wanted, keeping the spot where my ball lay between me and the hole, and drop within one club-length of that line. Still in the bunker, though!
- Lateral relief inside the bunker. I could drop within two club-lengths of where my ball lay, no closer to the hole. Still in the bunker.
- Stroke-and-distance relief. I could go back to where I hit my previous shot, dropping within one club-length of that spot. In this case, that would put me back on the grass, just in front of the green, with a clear shot at the hole. This is the option I would choose.
For two penalty strokes:
- Back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker. I could go back as far as I wanted, keeping the spot where my ball lay between me and the hole, and drop outside the bunker. Out of the bunker, but at the cost of two penalty strokes.
Sometimes, the best way out of a bunker isn’t another bunker shot. For just one penalty stroke, stroke-and-distance relief can get you back to a much more favorable position!
