Standing Water in Sand Bunkers...What to do?

[El Guapo]

If a sand bunker is filled with water and your ball enters, what relief if any do you get? Can this be considered "casual water?" Do you declare "unplayable" and take the drop with resultant penalty stroke incurred? Do you treat it now as a water hazard?

[Hathstauwk]

I am pretty sure that if it is an outright puddle, you take relief WITHIN the bunker but still have to drop in the bunker. I am not sure if there is any relief it it is outside of the puddle but totally sloppy and looking more like runny oatmeal than anything resembling even just wet sand. I was in this situation on the weekend here in hosuton and it was frustrating. I normally have no issue out of wet sand but this was ridiculous. It took me 2 to get out and even then, barely. I honestly had no idea how to play it, which I suppose was my first problem. Wet bunkers I can deal with but this honestly seemed like the water table line was below the first layer of sand granuals.

[spinningwedge]

It's a pain, needs to be dropped in the bunker Rule 25-1 b (relief from abnormal ground conditions)

 

b. Relief

Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an abnormal ground condition as follows:

(i) Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it without penalty within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the condition and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green. (ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either:(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker, or if complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the condition; or (b) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.