How to Rake Bunkers in Golf

Leaving a bunker in better shape than you found it is one of golf’s most important, yet often overlooked, pieces of etiquette. It's a simple skill, but doing it correctly makes a huge impact on the course and the players behind you. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from the proper entry and exit technique to the final, smooth rakings that leave a perfect surface for the next unfortunate soul.

Why Raking a Bunker Correctly is a Big Deal

You’ve just hit a great drive, but it trickles off the fairway and dives into a greenside bunker. As you walk up, you see your ball has settled into a deep footprint left by another golfer. Your heart sinks. What should have been a standard bunker shot is now a much more difficult recovery. This is precisely why proper bunker care matters.

It's not just about being tidy, it’s about preserving the integrity of the golf course’s design and maintaining a fair playing field for everyone. Architects design bunkers with a specific depth and consistency of sand to test a player’s skill. When someone leaves behind footprints, divots, or unevenly raked sand, it introduces an element of pure luck that shouldn't be part of the game. A well-raked bunker ensures that a player is challenged by the bunker itself, not by another player’s carelessness.

Furthermore, proper raking habits contribute to the overall conditioning of the golf course. Consistently moving sand around helps prevent it from compacting in some areas and piling up in others. It's a fundamental part of being a conscientious golfer who respects the game, the course, and their fellow players. It’s a small act that speaks volumes about the kind of player you are.

The First Step: How to Enter and Exit the Bunker

Believe it or not, the raking process starts before you even swing the club. How you enter and exit the sand trap has a significant effect on both turf health and how easy it will be to clean up your mess afterward. The golden rule is simple: always enter and exit from the lowest point of the bunker.

Look around the edge of the bunker for the spot where the grass lip is closest to the sand level. This is your entry and exit point. Avoid walking up and down steep bunker faces. Here’s why this is so important:

• It Protects the Bunker Edge: The high, steep faces of a bunker are often meticulously shaped and turfed. Scrambling up or down them can dislodge the turf, cause erosion, and pull sand out onto the surrounding grass. This damage is difficult for the grounds crew to repair.
• It's Safer: Walking down a steep, sandy incline can easily lead to a slip or fall, especially when the grass is wet. Entering from the low point is much more stable and secure.
• It Makes Raking Easier: By entering and exiting through the same low area, you contain all your footprints to one consolidated, easy-to-reach spot. This prevents you from having to drag the rake all the way across the bunker to clean up tracks on the far side.

Your Pre-Shot Routine

Before you step into the bunker, locate the nearest rake. The best practice is to place the rake on the grass just outside the bunker at your chosen low-entry point. This way, it will be in the perfect position for you to grab as soon as you exit the bunker after your shot. Getting this small detail right makes the entire process more efficient and shows you’re a player who thinks ahead.

The Step-by-Step Guide to a Pefect Rake Job

You've successfully splashed your ball out onto the green. Now it’s time to clean up. Don't rush this process. A hurried, sloppy rake job can be worse than not raking at all. Follow these steps for a tour-pro-level finish.

Step 1: Start at Your Ball's Divot

The first place to address is where your ball was resting and where your club head entered the sand. Use the rake to gently push sand back into the depression created by your shot. The goal is to fill the void and make it level with the surrounding sand.

Step 2: Walk Backwards and Erase Your Footprints

From your shot location, begin walking backward toward your entry/exit point. As you walk out, you will be pulling the rake behind you to smooth over your footprints. Walking backward is incredibly important because it prevents you from leaving a new set of footprints in the area you just raked.

Step 3: Master the Push and Pull Technique

Here’s what separates an average rake job from a great one. Don’t just drag the rake towards you. That often creates deep furrows and ridges in the sand. Instead, use a combination of pushing and pulling motions.

• Push First: Start by gently pushing the rake away from you. This moves a small amount of sand forward, filling in any low spots.
• Pull Gently: Then, lightly pull the rake back towards you. The key is to let the teeth of the rake just skim the surface, almost floating over the sand. You’re not trying to plow the sand, you’re just smoothing it.

Alternate this push-and-pull motion as you move. This action redistributes the sand evenly and creates that pristine, flat surface that makes superintendents smile.

Step 4: Rake the Entire Disturbed Area

Make sure you cover the entire area you disturbed, from where your ball was an to where you eventually exit the sand. Sometimes, your stance might be wide, or you might have had to shuffle your feet to get stable. Be thorough and rake over every single indentation until the surface is uniform.

Step 5: The Final Touch

Your last rake stroke should be as you are stepping out of the bunker. Smooth over the final spot where you were standing at your low-entry point. Remember, leave the sand even - avoid creating a large pile of sand right at the edge of the bunker by pulling it all toward you on your last stroke. A gentle push on the final stroke can help level this area out nicely.

Step 6: Proper Rake Placement

Once you’re finished, where do you put the rake? This can be controversial, as courses have different policies. Observe what other rakes on the course look like. However, a common and good guiding principle is to place the rake outside the bunker, parallel to the line of play. This placement ensures the rake is unlikely to interfere with a shot that either rolls into or out of the bunker. Tossing the rake into the middle of the bunker is a major breach of etiquette.

Common Raking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Becoming a great bunker raker means knowing what not to do. Here are a few common mistakes to watch out for.

• The "Furrow" Fail: This is caused by only pulling the rake with too much pressure. The heavy teeth dig in and create grooves that a ball can easily settle into. The fix: Use the light push-and-pull technique discussed above. Let the rake do the work.
• The "Sand Mountain": This happens when a player stands in one spot and repeatedly pulls all the sand towards their feet, creating a pile at the bunker’s edge. The fix: Push sand away from you just as much as you pull it toward you to keep the surface level.
• Flinging the Rake: Never toss or throw a rake when you are done. It can damage sprinkler heads, the surrounding turf, and of course, the rake itself. The fix: Place the rake down gently where it's supposed to go.
• The "Open Face" Drag: Some players drag the flatter, back side of the rake to smooth the sand. While this might look good initially, it often compacts the sand underneath. The fix: Use the teeth of the rake as they were designed. They are made to aerate and fluff the sand while smoothing it.
• Ignoring Your Divot: Simply scuffing your feet over your divot doesn't count. Take the time to properly rake it and create a consistent surface. Your sand wedge crater is the deepest mark you make, so give it the most attention.

Final Thoughts

Properly raking a bunker is a sign of a respectful golfer. It's about taking pride in leaving the course in excellent a-playing condition for everyone who follows. By entering and exiting from a bunker's lowest point, using a smooth push-and-pull technique, and erasing all evidence of your presence, you uphold one of the game's best traditions.

Just like knowing proper etiquette, having expert advice for tricky shots - including those in bunkers - can change your whole experience on the course. We designed Caddie AI to give you that instant support. When you’re facing a tough lie in the sand, you can snap a photo, and our AI will analyze the situation and give you clear instructions on how to play the shot confidently, which takes the guesswork out of the euation so you can get bak to focusing on making a great swing.