Golf Bunker Rake Rule: Should the Rake Go Inside or Outside the Bunker?

If you’ve ever played golf with someone who insists that a bunker rake must be left outside the bunker, there’s a good chance this debate has come up.

But what does the USGA actually say?

The answer might surprise you: There is no Rule of Golf requiring bunker rakes to be placed either inside or outside the bunker.

However, the USGA does have a recommendation.

The USGA recommends putting the rake outside

According to the USGA, bunker rakes should generally be placed outside the bunker and away from areas where they could interfere with play.

That's a recommendation, though, not a Rule of Golf.

So if your home course keeps its rakes inside the bunkers, that's perfectly permissible. The course's Committee can establish its preferred rake-placement policy.

Why does the USGA prefer rakes outside?

There are a couple of reasons.

One is that a rake sitting inside a bunker can create a potentially difficult situation if a golf ball comes to rest against it.

Under the Rules, a rake is a movable obstruction. If you move the rake and your ball moves, you generally have to replace the ball. But if the ball won't stay in its original position because of the slope of the bunker, things can get considerably more complicated.

There's another consideration: where golfers leave the rake inside the bunker.

Players will often leave it along the edge of the bunker, where it can potentially stop or deflect a ball and leave the next player with a difficult lie.

The USGA has specifically noted that keeping rakes outside the bunker can reduce those potential problems.

But there isn't a universal answer

This is the part that gets lost in the debate.

The USGA acknowledges that there isn't a perfect answer.

A rake outside the bunker can potentially deflect a ball into the bunker. A rake inside the bunker can affect a ball that lands in the sand.

Maintenance also matters. Some courses prefer rakes inside bunkers because it makes mowing around the bunker easier, while other courses prioritize keeping them outside and out of play.

So the best rule for golfers is pretty simple:

Follow the course's preferred rake placement.

If the course doesn't specify where the rakes should go, the USGA's recommendation is to put them outside the bunker, in a location where they are least likely to affect play and are still accessible to other golfers.

So, inside or outside?

USGA recommendation: Outside.

USGA Rule requirement: Neither.

The Committee at the golf course gets to decide.

And now I'm curious: Where do you think bunker rakes should go?