Whilst our green keeping staff are making every effort to maintain and regularise some difficult bunker forms in advance of a bunker refurbishment programme due soon, it has become apparent that members (or their guests) are not raking the bunkers as we are all obliged to do. After a recent survey following our Tuesday and Wednesday competitions it was found that 70% of our green side bunkers were left with footprints and divots marks that obviously hadn’t been raked. ( photos attached). This is a totally unacceptable situation and portrays a total lack of duty of care to fellow members.
Numerous members have complained about their ball landing in footprints and in unplayable lies in bunkers and the majority of these incidents are down to fellow members neglecting to rake these bunkers after playing from them. We must understand the penalty this imposes on fellow members playing the bunker subsequent to our failure to leave the bunker as we found it. Reports of members taking 2,3,4 strokes to play out of a footprint , divot or rake mark is a regular occurrence and is down to the lack of respect to fellow members from our actions of not raking the sand properly when leaving a bunker. So please take care and rake bunkers properly keeping in mind fellow members have to play from them after we have left them in this state.
Raking the bunker is a fairly simple process. It is your responsibility to completely rake the entire area in which you entered and exited the bunker as well as the entire area in which you hit the ball and took your stance.
We would also ask that Members and playing partners hold each other accountable for properly raking the bunkers. If you see a playing partner not properly raking a bunker, please take the time to say something to them and even educate them if needed.
As per our Code of Course Care and Conduct
Raking Bunkers: Bunkers must be raked after every entry. Sand should be raked towards the upper lip of the bunker, not towards the rear exit point. Rakes should be replaced in the centre of the bunker facing the direction of play.
All members are responsible for ensuring that the above code is adhered to. The Course Ranger has the authority to request golfers to comply with the code and may report any breaches to the GUI/ILGU committee(s).
This code is covered by the Rules of Golf (Rule 1.2a) and penalties for breaches thereof may be imposed at the discretion of the relevant committee(s).
