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Bunkers, those sandy zones strategically placed around greens and fairways, are often seen as punitive obstacles. Yet, a better understanding of the rules that apply there can transform this perception. It’s not just about technique: knowing what you are allowed to do in a bunker also means knowing how to take advantage of a difficult situation.
Contrary to a common misconception, bunkers are not designed to make you fail. They are an integral part of the course and offer an opportunity to demonstrate mastery, thinking, and strategy. Provided, of course, you know the specific rules that apply there.
Do you think you cannot warm up in a bunker before starting your round? Think again.
It is perfectly permitted to take a practice swing in a bunker… as long as it is not the one where your ball lies. This means that if you want to feel the texture of the sand, test an exit angle, or simply warm up, you can head to a neighboring bunker before or during your round.
This gesture can make all the difference if you haven’t had time to specifically warm up in the sand. It remains perfectly legal under the stated conditions, and it offers you a real opportunity to better prepare your shots.
Even the best golfers can find themselves in a desperate situation: ball buried under a lip, impossible stance, dangerous slope… Fortunately, the rules offer several solutions.
If all the previous options are impossible or too risky, you can take the ball out of the bunker in a straight line behind the original spot. This costs two penalty strokes but can sometimes avoid disaster.
Sometimes taking a two-stroke penalty limits the damage. Better a controlled double bogey than a quadruple bogey after three failed attempts.
The bunker is a special area with specific rules, especially concerning contact with the sand. Here are the key points to avoid costly mistakes.
Any intentional contact with the sand can result in a penalty:
🟡 These actions can lead to a general penalty: two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.
It is however possible to:
🟡 All these actions are permitted as long as they do not improve the conditions affecting the stroke.
Knowing the rules is not enough: you also need to integrate them into your game.
A good player knows how to adapt their strategy according to the rules. For example:
Practice courses are often equipped with specific bunkers. Take advantage of this to reproduce extreme situations: plugged ball, difficult stance, compact sand… and test your options by applying the rules covered here.
Even without touching it, you can observe the texture, color, and cohesion of the sand to adapt your shot. Visual clues can indicate if it is soft, wet, or compact, thus influencing your choice of club or attack angle.
Golf is not played only with a club and ball: it is also played in the mind and in understanding the rules. Every detail counts, especially in areas as strategic as bunkers.
By mastering regulatory subtleties:
Passionate golfer and co-founder of Teech Golf. My mission with Teech is to build technology that becomes a true companion in helping you improve your game.
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