What are your options for an unplayable ball in a bunker?
By The Fairway Labs TeamReviewed
Bunkers
Penalty: One stroke
What are your options for an unplayable ball in a bunker?
PenaltyOne stroke· under Rule 19
What to do
- 1Decide which in-bunker option suits your lie, or take the costlier option to escape the sand entirely.
- 2Measure your two club-lengths, or establish your back-on-the-line reference point.
- 3Drop the ball within the correct relief area for the option you chose.
- 4Add your penalty stroke or strokes and play on.
Based on the modern Rules of Golf (Rule 19), as published by the USGA and The R&A and effective from the 2019 revision. Local rules can modify some situations — check the scorecard or with the committee when in doubt.
Related rulings
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