sand outside of the bunker

[Papa Steve 55]

In todays round a guy in my groups drive came to rest against a pile of sand a few feet outside the bunker. It was pretty clear the sand was spilled as part of the maintenance this morning. We had some rain, my guess they were filling in where the runoff cut ruts on the edge of the bunker and somebody knocked over a bucket of sand. Anyway, his ball was in front of sand which was about 8 inch's high and about as round as the opening of a 5 galleon bucket. There was grass under the ball. There was no way for him to take any shot in the direction of the green. As it was a competition, we decided he had to play it as it lies. We discussed 'stacked for removal' as a possible way to get relief, but it seemed a stretch. I am happy to say not one of us had a cell phone to call the clubhouse.

As the sand was outside the bunker, could he have just leveled it?

Was there a way for him to get relief?

Edited June 2, 2017 by Papa Steve 55
clarity

[No Mulligans]

Man cave.  Man, burrowing animal. 

[Asheville]

Assuming stroke play, he could have played a second ball iaw R3-3. Then let the Committee decide which ball would count.

Had it been match play, the player most do what he thinks is correct. If his opponent objects, he must do so before the match begins the next hole. This is R2-5.

[iacas]

Play it as it lies, blame the grounds crew guy for not cleaning it up. Sand is not a loose impediment there.

[Buckeyebowman]

There was grass under the ball. Was there grass under the pile of sand? If so, it clearly couldn't be considered a hazard! Sand splashed out of a bunker onto a green is considered a loose impediment, but a pile left by a careless workman can screw up your round?

[David in FL]

1 minute ago, Buckeyebowman said:

There was grass under the ball. Was there grass under the pile of sand? If so, it clearly couldn't be considered a hazard! Sand splashed out of a bunker onto a green is considered a loose impediment, but a pile left by a careless workman can screw up your round?

Is that a question?  If so, the answer is yes. 

 

From The Rules.  Definitions:

LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS 

“Loose impediments” are natural objects, including:

• stones, leaves, twigs, branches and the like, 

• dung, and 

• worms, insects and the like, and the casts and heaps made by them, 

provided they are not: 

• fixed or growing, 

• solidly embedded, or 

• adhering to the ball. 

Sand and loose soil are loose impediments on the putting green, but not elsewhere.

Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player.

Dew and frost are not loose impediments.

[Buckeyebowman]

OK, here's the situation. We bought promotional "gift cards" last year enabling us to play one of the nicer country clubs in the area that was in the package. The day we played, the maintenance crew was in the process of refiling bunkers with sand. They had a tractor with a bucket following a dump truck full of sand around the course. The tractor would take a big scoop of sand out of the truck and dump it in a bunker. Workmen would come along later that day, or the next and rake it out.

On one hole I pulled my approach into the left hand, greenside bunker. I knew it was in there, but couldn't find it. Then I looked in the big mound of sand, easily three cubic yards, in the middle of the bunker and saw a hole. I reached down in there and found my ball, a foot, maybe more, beneath the surface.

I asked my buddies what I should do. They said pull it out, drop it behind the pile, and play from there. Probably not kosher according to the rules, but eminently sensible. The bunker was not properly prepared for play. Neither was the course with the pile of sand left where grass should be.

[Fourputt]

The way I see it, in a competition the committee would likely have marked or declared such areas as ground under repair.  Since it was just casual play, you make the call yourself.  I see nothing really wrong with what you did.  Any such area of the course which is being worked on in such a way that it may adversely affect play is abnormal and should be treated as such.