Ask the Goose: Where to put the bunker rake?

Dear Goose,

We are leaving it up to you to settle a bet for us. What is the proper etiquette on where to leave a rake – in the bunker or next to it?

~Puzzled in Pittsburgh

Poor Puzzled,

Oh, the perpetual perplexing predicament. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard this question. I also can’t tell you how many times I have changed my answer. Since you’re the betting sorts, I guess it won’t matter to you that I’m tossing a coin to choose how I’m going to answer it now.

Oh dear, the quarter came to rest on its edge. You know what this means. Pity, Pittsburgh. No one wins your bet because the answer is to put the business end of the rake in the sand along the edge of the bunker leaving the handle just outside the lip.

Yours,
The Goose

[Editor’s note: according to the USGA, “There is no set rule as to where the bunker rake should be placed. It is recommended that rakes be placed outside bunkers and in positions where they will be least likely to affect play. Other considerations, such as golf course maintenance and the size and design of the bunkers, will impact the final decision made at each course.”]

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