Rules Of Golf: Ball Resting Against A Rake

In this video and article we look at what you must do if you find your ball resting against a rake and it then rolls away when you remove the rake...

While certain movable obstructions (anything manmade or artificial that can be moved with reasonable effort) are relatively rarely encountered on the golf course, there is one - the rake - that is ever-present at any golf club with bunkers (so most courses then, although we do have a number of bunkerless courses in the UK).

Debate will continue to rage as to where best to leave the rake after you have used it, and although consensus is unlikely to ever be reached among golfers, suffice to say that leaving it in a position and at an angle where it is least likely to interfere with play is surely the wisest and fairest option.

Even so, wherever the rake is, it still has the potential to interfere with play, so occasionally you will need to know what to do when you find your ball resting against a rake, as is the case in the video here.

This video and article describe how you need to proceed if your ball is resting against a movable obstruction such as a rake and the ball then moves when the obstruction is removed. Rule 15.2a is where you'll find all the details for this scenario, and also for if your ball is actually lying in or on a movable obstruction such as a towel, when the relief process differs slightly.

Even if you don't know the precise Rule, you will probably assume (rightly!) that the Rules of Golf wouldn't expect you to play the ball as it lies or suffer a penalty drop in such a scenario. So, yes, you are entitled to remove the rake, but if the ball moves in the process, do you play it from...

1) The place that it rolls to when you remove the rake?
2) Where it was lying originally before the rake was removed?
3) Either of these two locations at your choosing?

The answer is: 2) Where it was lying originally before the rake was removed. 

Sometimes this is likely to be good news if the rake has prevented your ball rolling into the back edge of a bunker, and sometimes bad news if it leaves you perched awkwardly on a slope. But you don’t get a choice in the matter so need to remember that sometimes it will play out to your advantage, and sometimes not!

Before removing the rake, it’s wise to mark the position of the ball so you know where to replace it if it does move. You are not obliged to do this under the Rules, but it will usually make things simpler. You must then attempt to replace the ball on the spot where it was lying against the rake.

The obvious next question is what to do if you can’t get the ball to remain at rest in its original location – a fairly likely outcome if you're on a slope and the ball moved when you removed the rake.

You need to know that you are not allowed to press it into the ground - even gently -  as that would be a breach of the Rules despite it perhaps seeming a simple way to get you on your way again quickly. Rather, you should make two attempts to place it on the spot where it was, and if it still rolls away, then place it at the closest spot possible – not nearer the hole - where it will remain at rest.

If the ball was originally in the general area of the course, this spot must also be in the general area. Similarly, if the original spot was in a bunker or penalty area, the nearest spot must also be in that same bunker or same penalty area respectively. The ball is then in play. Rule 14.2e is where you'll find all the details.

As we say, sometimes this will be a good result, sometimes less so, so it’s best simply to take the rough with the smooth and remember the lucky breaks as well as the bad ones!