My ball is placed on the bunker rake. What now? Rules Guy

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thank you, we have a guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book from front to back. Have a question? You have all the answers.

My bedside ball was held by a rake so it wouldn't roll down the slope and into the bottom of the attic. I suggested to my teammates that I raise the rake, which will allow the ball to roll down the floor. After all, it would be the same if the rake was not there. Thoughts? —Bruce Gardner, from Springs, South Africa

Sounds reasonable, Bruce…only it's not the correct procedure.

There is no penalty for moving the rake and causing the ball to move in time. However, you are required to replace the ball in its original spot, per Rules 15.2 and 9.4. If the ball does not come to rest after two attempts, under Rule 14.2e you will find the nearest place where it will come to rest, not near the hole and in this same house.

The Laws of Gravity and the Laws of Golf are not always the same.

For bunker-related guidance from our guru, read on…

My walking gun landed in the green basement. When I hit my sand shot, my ball seemed to come apart! In fact, there was a string ball under the sand behind and under my ball, where my wedge had hit. Both balls went about 4 feet and landed in the bunker. Do I have the option to replay my shot? My partner said I didn't, and it probably cost us $20, because we had four carryovers in the hole. —Matt Biel, Los Angeles, Calif.

I'm sorry for your loss, Matt. On the other hand, your partner knows his rules. You made a stroke on your ball. If the other, loose ball is removed from the process, you are not considered to have played the wrong ball, and there is no option to replay the stroke for free. (And on the bright side, no penalty, either – cold comfort, I know.)

That buried ball is a moving obstacle, so you would have been allowed to move it if you had seen it before you made the stroke. Yes, seeing something buried is a good idea; rather, he was a victim of bad luck. Every golfer knows the feeling at some point.

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