The Case Against Rakes
If you played any golf in 2020, you probably noticed some changes to the experience. Throughout the pandemic, most courses tried to limit contact points to lower the risk of spreading the virus. Effectiveness of all that aside, it showed the unnecessary nature of some on-course practices. In this case, I'm referring to the rake.
Ease of Escape
When I was growing up, learning to play the game of golf, I specifically remember a coach telling me that pros often intentionally hit their ball into the sand because, for them, it's easier to hit than the alternative. The point of his story was to convince me to practice my bunker play more because, if I did, I too would find it easier than the rough, collar, or fairway and it would improve my game.
Over the years, as I've progressed as a player, I notice the ignorance in that story. Here's a not-so-shocking newsflash, pro golfers rarely, if ever, intentionally hit their ball in the sand. The only reason I say "rarely" is because there's probably been a pro somewhere who faced a strange situation where they did, but it's probably more accurate to say they never do. Sure, they may go for a par 5 in two and be ok with missing in the sand, but that's not intentional. If they could intentionally hit a ball in the sand, then they could just as easily intentionally hit it on the green or fairway.
If you ignore the stupidity of that first anecdote, it's not all that far fetched to believe because of the pristine condition of most bunkers on Tour. Even average golf courses that would never show up on television have bunkers that would've made our sport's founding father's jaws drop.
Hitting it into a bunker is often not that big of a deal. You can be fairly confident that the lie will be favorable and the odds of getting it out are high, partially because of the way in which a modern sand trap is manicured.
Purpose of a Bunker
In the USGA definition of a bunker it states that they are, "a specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed." They are one of the five defined areas of the course; the others being the general area, teeing area, penalty area, and putting green.
So, what is the purpose of this area?
Prior to 2019, the rules of golf used the term "hazard" to describe penalty areas as well as bunkers. They were separated because the two don't have similar implications. Hitting it into the water comes with a penalty stroke, whereas the same is not true of a bunker. Regardless, both features are designed to be a hazard to the player; dangerous to the player's score.
Therefore, the way in which we maintain this area ought to be different from others. We fix ball marks and divots because, those are areas of the course where players are almost guaranteed a beneficial lie. The same cannot be said of the rough. When's the last time you filled a divot in the rough? Hopefully never. Not only because the variety of grass is different, so filling a divot in the rough with the sand and seed provided by courses would grow the wrong plant, but because the rough is not an area of the course where we expect a perfect lie.
Players "rarely," if ever try to hit it in the rough, so when they do, it's because they've missed and should be punished for it. The same is true for the bunker.
Remove Rakes
What's my point? It's time to permanently remove rakes from the bunkers of our golf courses. Now, before you get triggered, hear me out a bit more.
I'm not saying golfers should hit a bunker shot and leave the sand as-is with big, deep footprints. Not at all. Instead, player's should absolutely brush their feet across the sand to somewhat level the ground for the next golfer. That's not difficult to do and I'd be all for that.
I am saying that we need allow the surface of the bunker to be less predictable, which would provide a bit more challenge for those who have missed a shot. When a shot is missed, a player should expect to suffer some sort of consequence.
It's not just about removing rakes, though. It's about normalizing the unkempt bunker. Removing rakes is part of it, but also allowing maintenance crews to spend time on other parts of the golf course. Think about the time, energy, and money it takes to keep a sand trap looking its best. Removing the expectation of perfection from bunkers can take pressure and resources off an area of the course that, in my opinion, doesn't need it.
Not only that, but the presence of rakes on the golf course brings a foreign, man-made object into the field of play that can affect a shot. It might not be an every-round occurrence, but it happens; a ball is hit near the trap and it hits a rake lying nearby. Most of the time it doesn't have a big impact on where the ball goes, but rakes provide an opportunity for an unnatural bounce that the golf course wouldn't do on its own.
Rule Changes
To go along with this change, the rules would need to be altered a bit too. Currently, players can't ground their club in the sand. If they do, it results in a penalty. If the game were to move more towards a more disheveled look in our bunkers, I think this rule would need to be removed as well.
That doesn't mean a player can improve their lie or touch the sand in a way that would cause the ball to move, though. Those rules are already in-place on the rest of the course. As rule 9 in the USGA rules of golf states, the "ball must be played as it lies." That means not improving or changing the lie as it's found. If you find your ball in a footprint that wasn't fixed by a previous player, tough luck. That's the rub of the green.
This isn't anything new. We already have different rules for waste bunkers, where players are allowed to ground their club, treating the area as they would anywhere else on the course. Heck, even the most recent rule changes made it legal to ground your club in a penalty area. The same should be true of a bunker.
This past PGA Championship, the PGA of America deemed that all areas with sand would be called "sandy areas" and not bunkers. The implication of this is more than just vocabulary for players, broadcasters, and fans. Calling the bunkers "sandy areas" actually changed the rules of how they would be played. Don't misunderstand, though, the "sandy areas" were bunkers in every other sense. They were designed as bunkers, looked like bunkers, and played like bunkers. It was just decided that, for the PGA Championship, these bunkers would not have the same rules as normal bunkers. Players could ground their clubs and take practice swings all they wanted.
What this does, I believe, is return the game back to its roots and the purpose of the game. In the USGA's Rule Book, before they ever list a rule, it lists the three purposes of the rules. First and foremost, it's to play the course as you find it and play your ball as it lies.