Standing water in bunkers/horrible conditions

[LigerWoods]

I sometimes play a real cheap muni were if it rains there will be standing water in most of the bunkers and if not, the sand is sometimes as hard as a rock. If my ball lands in the water were do I drop my ball (especially if the entire bunker is filled with water and I can't drop it somewhere else in the bunker without it rolling into the water)?

[reedf]

This is one of those crappy situations we all run into once in awhile. You can drop INSIDE the bunker (no closer to the hole) in a dry spot without penalty. If the entire bunker is full and there is no available relief, you have to either play it as it lies or drop OUTSIDE the bunker under a penalty of one stroke. Now, if there IS a dry spot in the bunker where you DROP and it rolls back into the water, I'm pretty sure it's the 2 drops and then place rule.

[zeg]

Originally Posted by reedf

If the entire bunker is full and there is no available relief, you have to either play it as it lies or drop OUTSIDE the bunker under a penalty of one stroke.

You can also drop in the location providing the maximum available relief (no closer to the hole, yadda yadda).

[Dormie1360]

Also.......

The relief option for casual water in a bunker is slightly different in that complete relief is not necessary for a drop to be legal.  Unlike other casual water or GUR situations if complete relief is not possible in the bunker you may drop your ball in the area of the bunker that affords the most relief, (no closer).

This helps the unfortunate situation the OP talks about.  The rule tries to help you avoid having to take the 1 stroke penalty by dropping outside the bunker.

[Rulesman]

Rule 25-1b(ii)

In a Bunker : If the ball is in a bunker , the player must lift the ball and drop it either:

(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker or, if complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole , on a part of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the condition; or

(b) Under penalty of one stroke , outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.

[gwlee7]

The thing that gets me is how penal the rule ends up being when compared to a "dry" bunker.  I rarely get lucky when I drop my ball if I have taken relief from standing water in the bunker.  Invariably, I get a plugged lie that is very difficult to play compared to a standard bunker shot.  I wish the rule said "place" instead of "drop".

[Rulesman]

Bunkers are hazard ous places by definition. Keep clear.

[zeg]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

The thing that gets me is how penal the rule ends up being when compared to a "dry" bunker.  I rarely get lucky when I drop my ball if I have taken relief from standing water in the bunker.  Invariably, I get a plugged lie that is very difficult to play compared to a standard bunker shot.  I wish the rule said "place" instead of "drop".

Originally Posted by Rulesman

Bunkers are hazardous places by definition. Keep clear.

This is the sometimes frustrating truth. No one ever said golf is fair, so if you find yourself in a wet or submerged bunker, that's just part of the luck that's so intrinsic to this game.

Though, if the bunker really is in an unplayably bad condition, the management should probably mark it as GUR, just as they would hopefully do for any other isolated unplayable region of the course. (If it's not isolated, the course shouldn't be open!)