Unplayable Lie In A Bunker: Rules Of Golf

Golf Monthly

In this video, Neil Tappin and Jeremy Ellwood talk you through your options when you are faced with an unplayable lie in a bunker.

Transcript

00:00 Right, so we have a, what we are going to call an unplayable lie in the bunker.

00:08 Truth be told Jez, if I was in this situation on the golf course I would probably have a

00:12 go at this.

00:13 I think there is always that element of, I can do this isn't there.

00:16 So you are generally going to have a go at it.

00:18 I would probably hit it up here and then it would roll back down again.

00:20 Probably, but you would have a go.

00:22 But there is going to be situations on the golf course, there might be some heather in

00:26 the bunker where you have just plugged underneath the lip of the heather or something where

00:29 you really can't get to it.

00:30 You can't get a stance if the face is almost vertical.

00:33 So what are your options?

00:34 Well your options as with any unplayable lie, you can decide when it is unplayable, it is

00:38 entirely up to you.

00:40 You are the sole judge of when the ball is unplayable and you wish to proceed under the

00:44 unplayable ball rules.

00:46 You have the three options that you normally have.

00:48 So you go back to where you last played it from, which on this hole is way up there somewhere.

00:52 You can drop it within two club lengths of where it lies, not nearer the hole.

00:57 Somewhere in the flat down here on this little area.

00:59 So today it might not plug, but typically in a bunker there is a real chance of it plugging.

01:03 I think even today, even with the bunker being a bit wet, I think it would plug.

01:06 It might well do.

01:07 You can go back as far as you like on the line, but stay within the bunker.

01:11 These are all under penalty of one shot.

01:13 So those are your traditional options, but from the new rules onwards you have a fourth

01:19 option in bunkers now, which allows you to drop back on the line outside the bunker,

01:24 but there is an extra shot penalty.

01:25 So two shots.

01:26 Quite a steep penalty that, Jez, but I think I will probably have to take that.

01:30 If you are someone who bunkers really are a problem, or you just really couldn't get

01:34 a stance up there and you don't want to risk it plugging, I have not seen anyone do it

01:38 myself yet, but maybe people have.

01:40 Let's do it.

01:41 You do now have this option.

01:42 You can come outside the bunker, back on line as far as you like.

01:45 Keep in line with the flag.

01:46 Yes.

01:47 You can see the plug mark there.

01:49 So around about here Jez?

01:50 Around about there.

01:51 Knee high.

01:52 And then a nice tight bare lie to chip over from.

01:56 In reality here you might have gone back so much further over there and played a fuller

02:00 shot.

02:01 But truth is it is wet underfoot, it is muddy everywhere, there are some trees behind the

02:06 camera, so it is a nasty scenario to be in.

02:09 I probably wouldn't take this.

02:10 Are you going to ask me to play this?

02:11 Let's see what you have got.

02:12 Come on.

02:13 Come on.

02:14 Good luck everyone.

02:15 You are going to give it up the top then and it will roll down.

02:16 Good luck everyone.

02:17 Oh, well I have duffed it.

02:18 You might just get far enough to go down the slope.

02:25 No now you have left yourself in three putt country.

02:27 I definitely would have played it if it was in the face of the bunker.

02:30 Hopefully that gives you some idea about your options if you find yourself in a really tricky

02:34 spot in the sand.

02:37 (chimes)

02:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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