How to Rake a Golf Bunker and Leave a Better Lie
Hitting a bunker shot is only half the job. Before leaving the sand, you should repair the area so the next golfer receives a fair lie.
That sounds simple, but poor raking creates several problems. Golfers leave deep footprints, pull too much sand toward the edge, create ridges behind the shot area, or walk up a steep bunker face and damage it.
The right way to rake a golf bunker is to enter and exit from the low side, repair the shot area and every footprint, smooth the sand without creating piles, and return the rake according to the course’s policy.
Your goal is not to make the bunker perfect. Your goal is to leave the sand as close as reasonably possible to the condition you found before entering.
Plan Your Exit Before Entering the Bunker
Many bunker-care mistakes happen before the shot.
A golfer walks directly down the steepest face because it creates the shortest route to the ball. After playing, that golfer must climb back up the same slope, leaving deep footprints and disturbing the bunker edge.
Instead, look for a flatter entry point.
The USGA’s bunker-raking guidance recommends entering and exiting from the low side whenever possible. This reduces damage to steep faces and gives you a simpler area to repair.
Before stepping into the bunker:
- Identify the safest low-side entry.
- Bring the rake with you.
- Choose the club you are most likely to use.
- Notice how many footprints your route will create.
- Plan to exit along that same low route.
Don’t walk past the ball several times while deciding which club to play. Assess the lip, lie and landing area before entering when possible.
If you need help choosing the shot, use my guide to assessing your bunker lie before making a swing decision.
Bring the Rake Into the Bunker
Leaving the rake outside may seem harmless, but it usually creates an extra trip through the sand.
Bring it with you and place it somewhere that won’t interfere with your stance, swing or ball. Under the Rules of Golf, you may place a rake or other equipment in a bunker.
However, don’t use the rake to test the sand or improve the conditions affecting the shot.
The distinction is straightforward:
- Carrying and placing the rake is allowed.
- Deliberately testing how firm or deep the sand is can create a rules problem.
- Raking an area to improve your lie, stance, swing path or line before playing is not allowed.
- Caring for another part of the bunker may be allowed when it does not improve the conditions affecting your next stroke.
You can review the details in the USGA’s bunker rules and my guide to bunker and penalty-area rules.
For the typical recreational shot, the easiest routine is to carry the rake, set it away from the ball and repair everything after you play.
Repair More Than the Spot Where the Club Entered
After the shot, golfers often rake the small splash mark and forget everything behind them.
Look at the entire area you disturbed. That normally includes:
- The place where the club entered the sand
- The area displaced by the shot
- Both footprints around your stance
- Footprints leading to the ball
- Footprints leading toward the exit
- Marks left by the rake or your equipment
Start with the deepest disturbances. Fill and level the shot area, then work outward toward the footprints.
You do not need to rake untouched sections of the bunker. Unnecessary raking takes time and can create more inconsistencies. Concentrate on the sand you disturbed.
Use Broad, Controlled Raking Motions
The goal is to create an even surface—not a series of deep rake grooves, piles and thin patches.
Use broad, controlled passes. Depending on the rake design and sand condition, you may push and pull the rake gently to redistribute the sand.
Avoid pressing down aggressively. Heavy downward pressure can make the repaired area much firmer than the surrounding bunker.
Watch for these common mistakes:
Leaving a mound over the shot area
Pulling loose sand into one pile may cover the original mark, but the next golfer can still receive an unusually soft or deep lie.
Spread the sand across the repaired area.
Pulling sand toward the bunker edge
Repeatedly dragging sand outward can create deeper sand near the perimeter and thinner coverage in the middle.
The USGA advises golfers not to pull a large amount of sand against the bunker edge. Keep your movements balanced rather than moving every pass in the same direction.
Creating a raised ridge
If your final rake pass stops abruptly, it may leave a small ridge. Feather the edges with a lighter pass so the repaired section blends into the surrounding surface.
Raking only in one direction
A few overlapping passes usually produce a more even result than dragging the rake down one narrow line.
You’re looking for consistent coverage, not decorative lines.
Rake Your Way Out From the Low Side
Once the main shot area is repaired, begin moving toward your planned exit.
Step backward carefully and repair each footprint as you go. Keep the rake in contact with the area behind you rather than walking out and discovering that several prints remain.
At the edge, make a final light pass over your last footprints. Try not to drag sand out onto the surrounding grass.
Avoid climbing a steep bunker face unless there is no safer option. Steep faces are more difficult to repair, and repeated foot traffic can damage the bunker’s shape.
The low-side route may add a few extra steps, but it usually leaves the course in much better condition.
Knock the Sand From Your Shoes
Your responsibility does not end at the bunker edge.
Sand stuck in golf shoes can be tracked onto the putting green, especially when the bunker sits beside it. Before walking onto the green, tap or brush excess sand from your shoes without delaying play.
This protects the putting surface and keeps loose sand from interfering with another player’s line.
Do it away from someone who is preparing to putt. Good course care still includes being aware of the group.
Where Should You Leave the Rake?
There is no single placement rule used by every golf course.
Some courses want rakes left completely inside bunkers. Others want them outside. A course may also specify a particular side or orientation.
Follow posted instructions or ask the golf shop when you are unsure.
The USGA’s guidance on bunker-rake placement explains why placement can vary. Maintenance practices, bunker design and the possibility of a ball being stopped or deflected all affect the course’s decision.
Regardless of the local policy, avoid leaving the rake:
- On a steep bunker face
- Where someone must climb a dangerous slope to retrieve it
- Hidden in tall grass
- Across a walking route
- With most of the handle sticking into play
- In a position that unnecessarily blocks or redirects golf balls
Place it neatly and make it accessible.
What If the Sand Is Wet or Compacted?
Wet bunker sand may not smooth as easily as dry sand. Aggressive raking can leave clumps and trenches.
Use lighter passes and focus on removing the deepest footprints and shot damage. You may not be able to make the repaired area look identical to the rest of the bunker.
That is okay.
Course care is about making a reasonable effort, not performing maintenance work that requires specialized equipment. Don’t spend several minutes repeatedly digging at compacted sand.
If the bunker has serious washouts, standing water or damaged edges, repair what you reasonably can and notify the course staff.
What If There Is No Rake?
Occasionally a rake is missing, broken or located on the opposite side of a large bunker.
If one is reasonably accessible, retrieve it without delaying the group. If no usable rake is available, smooth the disturbed sand as well as you can with your foot.
Use the side of your shoe to level the deepest marks, then lightly brush the surface. It won’t be as consistent as a proper rake, but it is better than abandoning a deep footprint.
Don’t use your club to rake a large area. That can damage the club, create poor results and tempt you to touch the sand in a way that affects an upcoming stroke.
A Hypothetical High-School Golf Example
Imagine a high-school golfer hits into a greenside bunker during a tournament.
The player enters from the high side, makes three practice swings that do not touch the sand, plays the shot and climbs directly up the face toward the green. The original shot area gets a quick rake, but the footprints on the face remain.
This is a hypothetical coaching example.
The swing may have been perfectly legal, but the course-care routine needs improvement.
I would have the player:
- Study the lie from outside the bunker.
- Select the club.
- Enter from the low side with the rake.
- Play the shot.
- Repair the shot area and stance.
- Rake the exit footprints while backing out.
- Knock sand from the shoes before stepping onto the green.
That routine is simple enough to use in both practice rounds and competition.
Practice a Five-Point Bunker Exit Check
When you have permission to use a practice bunker, include course care in the session.
After each shot, give yourself one point for completing each action:
- Entered from a sensible location
- Brought the rake into the bunker
- Repaired the shot area
- Repaired every footprint
- Exited from the low side and returned the rake correctly
Your target is five out of five.
This drill won’t change how the ball comes out of the sand, but it builds a complete on-course routine. If the shot itself needs work, read my guide to playing from greenside bunkers.
If bunkers regularly lead to double bogeys or worse, use the free Shot Leak Audit and Break 90 Blueprint to determine whether the main problem is technique, shot selection or recovery decisions.
Good golfers take responsibility for the condition they leave behind. Enter carefully, play the shot, repair all the damage and give the next player a fair chance.
For organized bunker, short-game and scoring practice, explore the Foy Golf Academy practice plans.
