In this video, Neil Tappin and Jeremy Ellwood talk you through your options when you are faced with an unplayable lie in a bunker.
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00:00 Right, so we have what we are going to call an unplayable lie in the bunker. Truth be
00:08 told Jez, if I was in this situation on the golf course I would probably have a go at
00:12 this.
00:13 There is always that element of I can do this isn't there. You are generally going to have
00:18 a go at it.
00:19 I would probably hit it up here and then it would roll back down again.
00:21 Probably, but you would have a go.
00:22 But there is going to be situations on the golf course, there might be some heather in
00:26 the bunker where you have just plugged underneath a lip of the heather or something where you
00:30 really can't get to it.
00:31 You can't get a stance if the face is almost vertical.
00:34 So what are your options?
00:35 Well your options as with any unplayable lie, you can decide when it is unplayable, it is
00:39 entirely up to you. You are the sole judge of when the ball is unplayable and you wish
00:43 to proceed under the unplayable ball rules. You have the three options that you normally
00:47 have. So you go back to where you last played it from, which on this hole is way up there
00:52 somewhere. You can drop it within two club lengths of where it lies, not nearer the hole.
00:57 Somewhere in the flat down here on this scenario.
00:59 And today it might not plug, but typically in a bunker there is a real chance of it then
01:03 plugging.
01:04 I think even today, even with the bunker being a bit wet, I think it would plug.
01:06 It might well do. And you can go back as far as you like on the line, but stay within the
01:11 bunker. These are all under penalty of one shot. So those are your traditional options.
01:16 But from the new rules onwards you have a fourth option in bunkers now, which allows
01:21 you to drop back on the line outside the bunker, but there is an extra shot penalty.
01:25 So two shots. Quite a steep penalty that, Jez, but I think I will probably have to take
01:30 that.
01:31 If you are someone who bunkers really are a problem or you just really couldn't get
01:35 a stance up there and you don't want to risk it plugging. I have not seen anyone do it
01:38 myself yet, but maybe people have.
01:40 Let's do it.
01:41 You do now have this option. You can come outside the bunker, back on line as far as
01:45 you like.
01:46 Keep in line with the flag.
01:47 Yes. You can see the plug mark there.
01:48 I can see the plug mark there. So around about here Jez?
01:50 Yes, around about there, knee high and then a nice tight bare lie to chip over from. In
01:56 reality here you might have gone back so much further over there and played a fuller shot.
02:01 But the truth is it is wet underfoot, it is muddy everywhere, there are some trees behind
02:06 the camera. So it is a nasty scenario to be in. I probably wouldn't take this. Are you
02:10 going to ask me to play this?
02:11 Let's see what you have got. Come on.
02:12 OK.
02:13 Good luck everyone.
02:14 If you get it at the top then it will roll down.
02:21 Good luck everyone.
02:22 Oh, well I have duffed it.
02:23 You might just get far enough to go down the slope.
02:24 Go.
02:25 No, now you have left yourself in three pack country.
02:27 I definitely would have played it if it was in the face of the bunker. Hopefully that
02:30 gives you some idea about your options if you find yourself in a really tricky spot
02:34 in the sand.
02:37 (chimes)
02:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]