If I'm playing out of a bunker, and my ball doesn't get out, can I rake the bunker in between shots?
Not if doing so improves your lie, or your stance. If the ball rolls back into your footprints, that's just tough luck. If you have to stand awkwardly due to your previous footprints, that is also tough luck.
I wish all of these covid golfers would learn to use a freaking rake?!?!
We've all seen the footage of Patrick Reed improving his lie in a bunker, which is obviously a violation. But what if you touch the sand during your backswing? I thought this would be okay. I was wrong.
I was actually in a waste area, not a bunker, so the rule didn't apply to my instance. But Rule #12.2b says that you may not touch the sand with your club during a practice swing, or on your backswing.
Wow!
My ball ran through the green and came to rest in tractor tire tracks just beyond the green. I was pretty sure that I would be entitled to relief, but I had a decent lie, so I played it from where it came to rest.
Turns out that you are not entitled to relief from tire tracks. This would be covered by Rule #16.1, and the definition of ground under repair. It was not marked as GUR, The definition of GUR includes a hole made to lay pipe, a hole from removing a tree stump, but not tire ruts. Nor does it include aeration holes. Of course the committee could declare it GUR, but they did not.
I conceivably could have taken relief due to casual water, but it was really just mud. There was no standing water.
A bogey is a bogey is a bogey...
