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My club is hosting a tournament this week (Golden Isles Senior Invitational) and so we are open for practice rounds to participants and I noticed our rakes are not in their usual places for the bunkers. After my afternoon round today I started talking to some other members in the locker room and they were complaining about rakes being in “improper spots”. Which got me thinking and after a healthy debate that made me late. What is the proper location for bunker rakes? I won’t say where they were or where they usually are for our club. But I’m curious to hear everyone’s opinions on the matter of this often debated topic.

    I’ve never thought about where the rake should be other than not in the actual bunker itself.

      For a tournament, outside the bunker. You can’t touch the sand with your club, I assume it’s the same with a rake? Like when I’m in a bunker, in a qualifier, I don’t bring the rake into the bunker. If not playing in a qualifier, I’ll bring the rake in and set it next to me.

      So if it was completely up to me I like rakes half in and half out of the bunker. And they should always be placed running along side the golf hole. It’s the least amount of risk of a ball hitting a rake IMO.

      I belong 2 clubs. One wants rakes in bunkers. One wants rakes out of bunkers. One is walking only and has hosted a US Mid AM. The other has hosted @TFixer5 and @Jaybananapantsarthur.

      I will also say the one that wants rakes in… the reason is they cut the rough more often then they run machines in the bunkers. So they say keep them in the bunkers. I just wish people would use them.

      Our club is half in and half out of the bunker at all times. I've gotten so used to it that I now have an irrational annoyance every time I see a rake at a different course which isn't set up the same way.

      Have to be half in and half out for me! Last thing I want is someone beating me in a match because the take on the edge of a bunker keeps their ball out! 🤣

      I prefer them out of bunkers but don't have a problem with them in a bunker either.

      I HATE HATE HATE when a club puts the rake on the cart. 100% guaranteed I forget to bring it with me to a bunker and 90% guaranteed I leave it in a bunker somewhere on the course.

      It's even worse when the rake is on the cart but they don't even have that slot for it in the back near the clubs, so it's just kind of jammed somewhere.

      A few weeks back I played a course where they put the rake through the handle at the top of the cart's roof so it was always in the way when I went to get back in the cart.

      agadawg1717 you need to be playing with better players then. Give me a greenside bunker over the rough any day 😝

        dphatt Enormous facts 🔥

        OffTheDole Classic Florida golf 😂😂😂. Most times I have no idea where to rake! Like do I rake the cart path that’s sandy rock stuff? Do I rake the washed out FW that now has sand? 😂😂😂

            Rakes in bunkers make no sense to me. I have drawn tons of terrible lies from rakes being in bunkers and honestly cannot remember the last time a rake "saved me". The most recent tournament I played in a rake caught my ball on the top half of a side slope where it would have otherwise rolled down in the middle of the bunker and given me a chance at getting up and down. As it played out with the rake holding it up, I had no chance of even getting it on the green. I get not having them between a greenside bunker and the green, but I can not see a reason why they would not be on the outside of the bunker on the side of the bunker away from the green/target.

            What is the case for rakes being left in bunkers?

              KentonQ the only thing I can think of is for the maintenance crew when they are cutting the grass around the bunkers

                  In tournament golf, arnt you allowed to toss the rake in the bunker prior to hitting the ball? If not…i should call back some tournament directors and wd

                  Benzo that’d be a DQ bro! And not the good kind (Dairy Queen). From the USGA video, you can’t “test the consistency with your hand, rake, or club”. But later they said you could touch it without testing consistency 🙄. Typical golf rule, cluttered and contradictory to itself.

                  Also, referring back to US AM at Bandon, that one guys caddy touched the sand? Either with rake or hand and lost the hole because of it. Cost Him the match. DJ USO incident, although no rake involved. Bunkers are brutal in the rules dept.

                    bigjohntripod pretty sure it would be loss of hole in match play and 2 strokes in stroke play.

                    Oh man, that US Am situation at Bandon. Guy picked up a local caddy for the tournament. 18th hole. Caddy Clearly and intentionally testing the sand with his hand, then lied about doing it. The player was very classy about the whole thing if I remember correctly. Forgot the player’s name.

                      KentonQ Fucking gnarly man. Brutal way to go out.

                      About the rules, if you turn the card in, you’d sign an incorrect scorecard leading to a DQ no? It’s all hypothetical from what Benzo said tho 😂 if I ever need rules assistance, I ask both players, and flag a marshal if within waving distance 😂. I know the rules-ish, I just want a second voice.

                          KentonQ guy is STILL a caddy out there too (believe it or not).