Can I touch sand in the bunker before my stroke if I'm blind?

Yes. Rule 25.2f creates a targeted exception to Rule 12.2b for certified blind golfers (including qualifying levels of visual impairment): you may touch the sand with your club in the area right in front of or right behind the ball before your stroke — to test the sand, set the club, or gauge the lie — without penalty. Your aide or caddie may do the same. The permission is narrow: it covers only those two zones before the stroke; all other bunker restrictions still apply.

What the rule actually allows

Rule 25.2f carves out a specific exception to the normal bunker restrictions (Rule 12.2b). Before you make your stroke, you may touch the sand with your club in two spots: the area right in front of your ball and the area right behind it. You can do this to test the condition of the sand, set your club down, or just get a feel for the lie. It's not a free-for-all — you still can't go raking the whole bunker or touching sand elsewhere.

Who qualifies as "blind" under this rule

The Rules define "blind" to include certain levels of visual impairment, not just total blindness. If you're certified under the applicable disability golf classification (such as the IBGA or your national federation's equivalent), you get this modification. Your aide or caddie can also help you aim and take your stance, and you can have both an aide and a caddie at the same time — something regular players can't do.

What still gets you a penalty

Touching sand outside those two zones — say, on your backswing, during a practice swing away from the ball, or smoothing the bunker after your shot — is still a breach of Rule 12.2b and costs you the general penalty (two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play). The exception only covers deliberate touching right in front of or right behind the ball before the stroke. Once you start your swing, the normal rules apply.

Exceptions that change the answer

• The player is certified as blind (including qualifying levels of visual impairment) under the applicable disability golf classification → Rule 25.2f modifies Rule 12.2b(1) to allow touching sand with a club in the area right in front of or right behind the ball before the stroke, without penalty

Frequently asked questions

Can my aide touch the sand for me?

Yes. Your aide (or caddie) can touch the sand in those same two areas — right in front of or right behind the ball — to help you prepare for the stroke. They have the same permission you do under Rule 25.2f.

Can I take a practice swing that touches the sand?

Only if that practice swing stays in the area right in front of or right behind the ball. A normal practice swing away from the ball still breaches Rule 12.2b and costs you the general penalty.

Does this apply in all bunkers on the course?

Yes. Any bunker — fairway, greenside, waste area if it's defined as a bunker — the exception applies wherever your ball lies in a bunker.

What if I accidentally touch sand outside those zones?

Accidental or not, touching sand outside the permitted areas before your stroke is a breach. You get the general penalty (two strokes or loss of hole). The rule only protects deliberate touching in the two specified spots.

Can I smooth footprints before my stroke?

No. Smoothing the bunker — even near your ball — is improving the conditions affecting the stroke. That's still a penalty under Rule 8.1a. The exception only covers touching sand with your club in the two defined areas.