What is a bunker under the Rules of Golf?

A bunker is a specially prepared penalty area filled with sand. Unlike water penalty areas, bunkers have no stakes: their boundaries are defined by the terrain itself (the edge of the sand and the surrounding grass).

A ball is in the bunker if it rests on the sand or touches the edge. If it sits on the inner grassy edge, it is in the bunker. If it sits on the outer edge or in the adjacent grass, it is outside the bunker.

What you CAN do in a bunker

Since the 2019 rule update, you have more freedom than most golfers realize:

Remove loose impediments — stones, leaves, twigs, and other natural loose objects. This is the most important 2019 change.
Ground your club on the sand outside your swing area (while walking, while setting up).
Place your hands on the sand to prevent falling.
Rake or touch the sand outside your swing area, as long as you don't improve the conditions for your stroke.
Test the sand condition with your club after a stroke, as long as it's not to prepare for the next shot.

What you CANNOT do in a bunker

Touch the sand with your club in the swing area before striking. This includes the backswing: if your club touches the sand on the way up, it's a penalty.
Ground your club on the sand when preparing your stroke direction.
Move the ball within the bunker without declaring it unplayable.
Remove sand to improve the lie or ball position before your stroke.

Penalty for violation

2 strokes in stroke play / loss of hole in match play for touching the sand in the swing area before the stroke.

Options if your ball is unplayable in the bunker

If your ball position inside the bunker is impossible, you have three options (all with a 1-stroke penalty), but with an important restriction: all three require you to drop inside the bunker.

Stroke and distance: return to the previous point (outside the bunker if that's where you played from) and play from there.
Back-on-the-line inside the bunker: drop on a line going back from the hole through your ball position, staying inside the bunker.
Lateral inside the bunker: drop within two club lengths in any direction from where the ball lies, without leaving the bunker.

Full exit option: if you want to leave the bunker completely, you may drop outside the bunker on a back-on-the-line basis with a 2-stroke penalty.

How to escape the bunker without hitting: the exit option

If your ball is in an impossible position inside a bunker (vertical face, wet compacted sand, wedged against the lip), declare it unplayable and use the 2-stroke option to get out. In amateur competition, paying 2 strokes to escape an impossible bunker situation is often better than risking a 7 or 8 from inside.

Tactical tips in the bunker

If the sand is very wet or compacted, adjust: the ball will come out with more velocity than from dry sand. Shorten your swing accordingly.
If the bunker has a high lip and you need a very steep exit trajectory, don't be a hero: consider exiting sideways or backwards within the bunker and continuing toward the hole from a better angle.
Always remove any stones you see in your swing zone before playing: since 2019 it's completely legal and could save you a wrist injury.

Frequently asked questions

Can I practice the stroke by grazing the sand before playing? No. Any contact with the sand in the swing area before the actual stroke is a penalty.

Can I remove the flagstick if it's near the bunker? Yes, that has nothing to do with the bunker rules.

If my ball exits the bunker and rolls back in, do I have to rake it? No while the ball is in play. You rake the bunker after completing the hole, not before.

Bunker Rules in Golf: What You Can and Cannot Do