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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00:00Right, so we have what we're going to call an unplayable lie in the bunker. Truth be
00:08told, Jez, if I was in this situation on the golf course, I'd probably have a go at this.
00:12There's always that element of, I can do this, isn't I? You're generally going to have a go at it.
00:18I'd probably hit it up here and then it'd roll back down again.
00:20Probably, but you'd have a go.
00:22But there's going to be situations on the golf course, there might be some heather
00:26kind of in the bunker where you've just plugged underneath the lip of the heather or something,
00:29where you really can't get up to it.
00:30You can't get a stance if the face was almost vertical.
00:33So what are your options?
00:34Well, your options, as with any unplayable lie, you can decide when it's unplayable.
00:38It's entirely up to you. You're the sole judge of when the ball is unplayable and you wish to proceed
00:44under the unplayable ball rules. You have the three options that you normally have.
00:48So you go back to where you last played it from, which on this hole is way up there somewhere.
00:52You can drop it within two club lengths of where it lies, not nearer the hole.
00:57Somewhere in the flat down here on this scenario.
00:59And today it might not plug, but typically in a bunker there's a real chance of it then plugging.
01:03I think even today, even with the bunker being a bit wet, I think it would plug.
01:06It might well do. And you can go back as far as you like on the line,
01:10but stay within the bunker. These are all under penalty of one shot.
01:13So those are your traditional options.
01:15Yes.
01:16But from the new rules onwards, you have a fourth option in bunkers now,
01:20which allows you to drop back on the line outside the bunker,
01:24but there is an extra shot penalty.
01:25Right. So two shots.
01:26So two shots.
01:27Yeah.
01:27Quite a steep penalty that, Jez, but I think I'll probably have to take that.
01:30Well, I guess if you're someone who bunkers really are a problem,
01:33or you just really couldn't get a stance up there and you don't want to risk it plugging.
01:37I've not seen anyone do it myself yet, but maybe people have.
01:40Let's do it.
01:40If you do now have this option, you can come outside the bunker, back on line as far as you like.
01:45Keep in line with the flag.
01:46Yep. You can see the plug mark there.
01:48I can see the plug mark there.
01:49So around about here, Jez?
01:50Around about there, knee high, and then a nice tight bear lie to chip over from.
01:56In reality here, you might have gone back so much further over there and played a fuller shot,
02:01but let's see.
02:01But truth is, it's wet underfoot. It's muddy everywhere.
02:04There's some trees behind the camera, so it's, you know, it's a nasty scenario to be in.
02:09I probably wouldn't take this. Are you going to ask me to play this?
02:11Let's see what you've got.
02:12Yeah, come on.
02:13Okay.
02:13You're going to get up the top, then it'll roll down.
02:16Good luck, everyone.
02:21Oh, well, I've duffed it.
02:22Get far enough to go down the slope.
02:25No, now you've left yourself in three-pack country.
02:28I definitely would have played it if it was in the face of the bunker.
02:30Hopefully that gives you some idea about your options if you find yourself in a really tricky spot in the sand.