What Are The Options For An Unplayable Lie In The Bunker?
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]