Bunker GUR

[berkeleybob 261]

So I played a round recently where my ball ended up in a sand trap next to the green. I walked up to it and it said that it’s under repair. Not knowing what to do about that, I just hit it out best I could. Then someone said I could take a drop outside the bunker. 

So afterward, I researched it, and the more I read more questions I had, so I thought I’d ask you folks:

What exactly is a bunker under repair?

The sand was rock hard, there were no tools lying around and no stakes marking off a damaged area—just a sign that read “Under Repair”. What needs to happen there to make it a common bunker again?

What relief should I have taken?

My ball landed in the middle of the bunker on top of the hard sand. I didn’t see an obstruction, so I just hit it. Is that what you would have done?

Does it make sense to drop outside the bunker?

I would lose a stroke if I did, yes?

 

*Apologies if this has been asked already, I did a search here and couldn’t find anything.

[RickyBobby_PR 9,645]

Op, what does the rule book say for Ground Under Repair?

[berkeleybob 261]

I can’t copy and paste the text, but here’s the link. It’s rule 16.1c:

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rule-16.html

I think the thing that’s throwing me off might be that the pictures in the rule references water. Those weren’t my conditions. 

FYI, I could find anything specific to “ground under repair”, just “abnormal course conditions”.

[DaveP043 5,610]

Check Rule 16.1c.   GUR is one of four specific Abnormal Course Conditions, you may want to read that definition, as well as the definition of GUR.  I know the drawing shows water, but any of the other Abnormal Course Conditions could be present.  You might have a liner under the sand in the bunker, an Immoveable Obstruction, and 16.1c would apply in that case as well. 

Also check Model Local Rule F-16, which is intended to apply to flooded bunkers, but could be applied when the Committee wants to take an entire bunker out of play.  If this is the case, the bunker is considered to be part of the General Area, and you'd get Relief from the GUR based on the Nearest Point of Complete Relief.

[DaveP043 5,610]

14 minutes ago, Riverboat said:

Here you go. https://www.golflink.com/list_2136_ground-under-repair-rules-golf.html. if, however, the entire bunker is GUR, I agree with the post above.

I generally direct players to the Rule itself, but that's a nice straightforward summery of the rule.  Its worth repeating that, in order to get free relief outside the bunker, the local rule must be specifically adopted by the Committee.  For casual play, I'd certainly do it that way.

[DaveP043 5,610]

13 minutes ago, Riverboat said:

Agreed. If you basically have a lie that you can't play, and the entire bunker is GUR, and the rule requires that you take complete relief, you really can't drop to a more playable area in the bunker.

An option that is only available in the bunker, if there's no point of complete relief from the Abnormal Course Condition, not nearer the hole, the Rule allows the player to use the point of maximum available relief as his Reference Point.  This might apply more commonly to Temporary Water, where you go to the shallowest point rather than take a penalty stroke.  

[berkeleybob 261]

Thanks, guys.