Rules Guy: Is it a penalty if you accidentally touch the sand while picking up an object?
What do the rules say about accidentally touching the bunker?
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The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.
If a player picks up a movable object — say, a candy wrapper — from the bunker and touches the sand with his fingers, is he obligated to take a penalty stroke? —Stephen Yemm, Cinderford, Gloucestershire, UK
Well, that depends: Cadbury, Hershey’s or Kit Kat bar?
Under Rule 12.2b(2), incidentally touching the sand is not a penalty in taking reasonable actions to remove a movable obstruction in a bunker, even if an improvement in the lie results from doing so. (Thanks, Rule 8.1b(2)!)
Getting up-and-down after doing so and it’s both a sandy and a trashy.
For more bunker guidance from our guru, read on …
Rules Guy: Is it legal to smooth deer tracks in the bunker?
If my ball is close to the green in the general area and there is a bunker in line with the hole, can I go into the bunker and make a practice swing touching the sand, before I play my ball? —Kenneth Samuel, via email
Kenneth, you’re not exactly brimming with confidence in your wedge play. At least you can be confident in the relevant Rules.
You can practice in the sand: Rule 12.2b applies only to the bunker your ball actually lies in.
If your ball doesn’t lie in a bunker, you’re limited only by Rule 8.1, which prohibits improving your line, not testing/practicing/touching sand. You would, however, be prohibited from cleaning up your mess if you make the line of play worse, under Rule 8.1d.
Our best advice: Go practice high-lofted pitch shots.
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Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book at you.
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