How To Rake A Bunker Perfectly?

[EmperorPenguin]

Here is an outrageous case of a golfer who gives others the impression that he is raking a bunker, but faked the effort.  Why even go in there in the first place? 

[Robert72]

Way off topic but that image reminded me of this image:

 

Do NOT use bug spray when standing on grass.  It kills the grass.

[nitram]

20 hours ago, Robert72 said:

Way off topic but that image reminded me of this image:

 

Do NOT use bug spray when standing on grass.  It kills the grass.

Can you imagine what it's doing to you if it's doing that to the grass?

[vernon]

1 hour ago, nitram said:

Can you imagine what it's doing to you if it's doing that to the grass?

Ahhh, it's no big deal.  It just gets absorbed directly into your bloodstream just like sunscreen.

 

And then, uh, and then..........

[smashdn]

On 11/16/2022 at 7:01 AM, dmecca2 said:

This is similar to pitch marks on the green. Is it worse to leave it there, or to fix it improperly?

 

Not really similar.  An improperly raked bunker is an inconvenience to a few.  An improperly repaired pitch mark can kill the turf, and be a big inconvenience to many potentially. 

 

On 12/7/2022 at 5:20 PM, EmperorPenguin said:

Here is an outrageous case of a golfer who gives others the impression that he is raking a bunker, but faked the effort.  Why even go in there in the first place? 

 

Does that level of poor raking impact play though?  The foot prints are shallow.

 

Where I have heartburn is when the ball sits down into deeper foot print or the gouge you took getting the ball out.  

 

You can smooth the worst of it with your foot or club, but a rake makes it so much easier and produces a better looking finish.

[rogolf]

1 hour ago, smashdn said:

 

Not really similar.  An improperly raked bunker is an inconvenience to a few.  An improperly repaired pitch mark can kill the turf, and be a big inconvenience to many potentially. 

 

 

Does that level of poor raking impact play though?  The foot prints are shallow.

 

Where I have heartburn is when the ball sits down into deeper foot print or the gouge you took getting the ball out.  

 

You can smooth the worst of it with your foot or club, but a rake makes it so much easier and produces a better looking finish.

Leave the course in better condition that you found it always applies.

[smashdn]

31 minutes ago, rogolf said:

Leave the course in better condition that you found it always applies.

 

Sometimes good enough is good enough.  For something that is supposed to be somewhat hazardous, for a bunker I think that applies.  Especially given that we could take an inordinate amount of time to get them perfect or even just better than we found it, but also need to weigh that desire against pace of play.

 

If I leave the bunker smoothed with the backside of the rake and not raked so as to be consistent with the furrows left with the mechanical rake, I am not going to beat myself up.  I'll just go fix another handful of pitch marks to get back in the golf gods' good graces.

Edited December 9, 2022 by smashdn
Punctuation.

[Mr. Bean]

On 12/8/2022 at 6:01 PM, Robert72 said:

Way off topic but that image reminded me of this image:

 

Do NOT use bug spray when standing on grass.  It kills the grass.

 

We tend to spray it on our skin instead of grass. Works better that way in every respect.

[vernon]

5 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

We tend to spray it on our skin instead of grass. Works better that way in every respect.

To me it looks like overspray from someone spraying their legs.  

 

There's a spot on the first tee at our course that doesn't have the outline of footprints but is yellow grass nonetheless where my sister in law religiously applies her spray on sunscreen.

[Robert72]

On 12/9/2022 at 11:58 AM, Mr. Bean said:

 

We tend to spray it on our skin instead of grass. Works better that way in every respect.

 

But you don't get every spray particle to land on your skin.  Some will drift, or be blown by the wind, and end up on the grass killing it.

 

As demonstrated by the photo.  Go to a cart path and spray it on.

[Mr. Bean]

11 hours ago, Robert72 said:

 

But you don't get every spray particle to land on your skin.  Some will drift, or be blown by the wind, and end up on the grass killing it.

 

As demonstrated by the photo.  Go to a cart path and spray it on.

 

I am rather convinced you missed my point-made-with-my-tongue-in-my-cheek ...

[tocino]

On 11/12/2022 at 7:09 PM, klebs01 said:

You should do a general raking to fill in large holes. Not sure any special technique is need for that. The the finish raking should be done with a pushing motion quickly and lightly so the top layer of sand tumbles across the resting sand and feathers out the rake marks. Not sure if that makes sense, but it’s very easy to take the quickly, without leaving the sand looking disturbed or with deep grooves. 
 

that said, I would prefer to get rid of rakes all together and let the be hazards again.  

This is exactly how i rake bunkers after watching a few tour caddies while volunteering at the Safeway Open a few years ago. 

[st1800e]

On 11/17/2022 at 6:12 AM, denkea said:

I believe Pine Valley doesn't have rakes for their bunkers (waste area???).  They groom twice a week and ask that you smooth over your footprints before you leave the bunker.  

IIRC, Pine valley has no “bunkers”, only natural areas. 

[shaneyank]

Mandatory:

• Rake the bunker in the area you left marks/prints

 

Bonus points:

• Rake in the direction of the hole
• Rake other parts of the bunker even if it wasn't your doing
• Knock the sand off your feet before walking on the green
• Enter/exit the lowest point of the bunker

 

I'd rather see someone do a poor job raking the bunker than not raking it at all. It has nothing to do with golf and everything to do with their personality.

[PoolPond]

The pro caddies do not obsess about raking bunkers. They rake them normally, and quickly, and move on. What they do obsess about is bringing bunker sand onto the putting green by not knocking off your shoes.  IMO, bunkers should be played as is. It's a hazard, it's not supposed to be pristine, don't hit into it. They should be no different than any other hazard and how they are maintained. I'm waiting for that day to come and one of the only good things to happen during the vid at our course was no rakes. Many others will disagree, and I can understand and appreciate that, it's just my opinion on bunkers.

[PoolPond]

18 hours ago, shaneyank said:

Mandatory:

• Rake the bunker in the area you left marks/prints

 

Bonus points:

• Rake in the direction of the hole
• Rake other parts of the bunker even if it wasn't your doing
• Knock the sand off your feet before walking on the green
• Enter/exit the lowest point of the bunker

 

I'd rather see someone do a poor job raking the bunker than not raking it at all. It has nothing to do with golf and everything to do with their personality.

Rake in the direction of the hole

 

Don't know about this one.  I think you're trying to imply to rake towards the center, or really bottom, of the bunker so as to not to pull a bunch of sand on the rims which allows balls to bury in the sand vs rolling to the bottom. Bunkers have many edges that go in all sorts of directions that you would never rake in the direction of the hole and many times would rake away from a hole. Raking towards the bottom is the way to go. 

[rogolf]

1 minute ago, PoolPond said:

Rake in the direction of the hole

 

Don't know about this one.  I think you're trying to imply to rake towards the center, or really bottom, of the bunker so as to not to pull a bunch of sand on the rims which allows balls to bury in the sand vs rolling to the bottom. Bunkers have many edges that go in all sorts of directions that you would never rake in the direction of the hole and many times would rake away from a hole. Raking towards the bottom is the way to go. 

It refers to the marks left by tines of the rake. 

[Mr. Bean]

45 minutes ago, PoolPond said:

Raking towards the bottom is the way to go. 

 

That will eventually pile all the sand at the bottom. Not the way we do it.

[Mr. Bean]

53 minutes ago, PoolPond said:

The pro caddies do not obsess about raking bunkers. They rake them normally, and quickly, and move on. What they do obsess about is bringing bunker sand onto the putting green by not knocking off your shoes.  IMO, bunkers should be played as is. It's a hazard, it's not supposed to be pristine, don't hit into it. They should be no different than any other hazard and how they are maintained.

 

I guess by "any other hazard" you are referring to Penalty Areas. Bunkers are not Penalty Areas, and unlike PA's, you are supposed to play from a bunker. There is no guarantee that you are or should be able to play from a PA. A huge difference.

[erichake]