Sand Hazard
Sandhindernis is the older German term for the bunker — a sand-filled hazard on the course.
The sand hazard is the same as the Sand Bunker, just under the traditional German name. In the rulebook the zone is simply called a bunker, and unlike the penalty area with water it counts among the "general" hazards with their own rules of conduct. The definition is decisive: Only the sand area itself counts as the bunker. Grassy edges, earth walls and natural sand areas outside the prepared zone are not the bunker — there you may touch the ground and ground the club.
The special rules characterize the sand hazard. Before the stroke you may neither touch nor test the sand with the club, on the backswing or on the practice swing. An example: Your ball lies in the greenside bunker, you step into it and ground the club behind the ball — that is a breach and costs penalty strokes in stroke play. Allowed, by contrast, are digging in the feet and resting the club on the ground. Since the 2019 rule reform you may also remove loose natural material such as leaves and small stones.
Typical mistakes arise at the boundaries. If you ground the club in the grass edge behind the ball although the ball lies in the sand, you still breach the bunker rule — the position of the ball is decisive, not the position of your feet. Conversely: A natural strip of sand without rake marks is often not a bunker but the general area. The exact demarcation is governed by the Local Rules of the respective facility. If in doubt, a look at the frequently asked questions helps before you set the club into the sand.
FAQ
How do I recognize on the course whether a sand area is a sand hazard?
What matters is whether the area is prepared: A true bunker is a man-made depression filled with sand that is maintained and raked. Natural sand strips, paths or overgrown areas without rake marks usually count as the general area, not as a bunker. In doubt, the facility's local rules set the exact demarcation.
May I remove leaves and small stones in a sand hazard?
Yes, since the 2019 rule reform you may remove loose natural material such as leaves, twigs and small stones from the bunker. Care is only needed not to move the ball — otherwise there is a penalty stroke. What remains forbidden: testing the sand with the club or grounding it behind the ball.
Does the no-touch rule also apply when only my feet are in the sand?
Only the position of your ball matters, not where you stand. If the ball lies in the bunker, the bunker rules apply, even if you stand with both feet on the grass edge. Conversely, you may touch the ground if the ball lies outside the bunker and you are only standing in the sand. With a difficult stance it helps to briefly check before the stroke exactly where the bunker boundary runs.