I played Sunday and the course had suffered some damage after the torrential rain Saturday.

A few issues came up

1) A ball was lying in casual water in a bunker – and more than 50% of the ball was covered in sandy mud. When the ball was lifted to be dropped (still inside the bunker), we assumed the ball could not be cleaned. Correct?

2) A ball ended up in a bunker – where the water had cascaded into it the day before, there were three inch deep furrows that had removed the sand and taken it down to the rocks/plastic lining below. The ball was unplayable due only to the damaged bunker – the player took a drop without penalty. The bunker was suffering casual water, and it may have effected the players back foot stance so a free drop was given. However, what should have been done?

3) Another bunker was almost a swimming pool – water up to the lip in all areas of the bunker. There was no place within the hazard that a drop could be taken with the player able to play a shot from within the bunker. The player ended up dropping the ball in the bunker standing outside the bunker to play the shot. Was the the correct thing to do?

It will probably never rain again now so these will be redundant questions, but advice is appreciated!

1. you can clean the ball as per Rule 21
A ball on the putting green may be cleaned when lifted under Rule
16-1b. Elsewhere, a ball may be cleaned when lifted, except when it has been lifted:
a. To determine if it is unfit for play (Rule 5-3);
b. For identification (Rule 12-2), in which case it may be cleaned only
to the extent necessary for identification; or
c. Because it is assisting or interfering with play (Rule 22).

2. as per Rule 25-1b (ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either:
(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except
that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the
ball must be dropped in the bunker or, if complete relief is
impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay,
but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course in the bunker
that affords maximum available relief from the condition; or
(b) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker keeping the
point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the
spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far
behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.

If the bunker is that badly damaged, the committee may declare specific bunkers out of play and make them Ground Under Repair, from which you will be able to take free relief as per Rule 25-1a.

3. Yes, as per Rule 25-1b(ii).
If the maximum available relief is where you will be taking your stance outside the bunker, this is where you will drop the ball. Maximum available relief may still be where your stance is still within the casual water, or as was done, with your stance is outside the bunker.

We had one bunker that they might as well have just put the yellow stakes around it and called it a water hazard, it was that full of water.

Re 1 – The ball may be cleaned when it’s lifted in this this case.

Re 2 – If the player had interference from casual water a free drop couldbe taken in the bunker.
If interference was only from the furrows there would be no free relief.

Re 3 – If a bunker is completely filled with water, the player can find the driest spot in the bunker and drop a ball there, no penalty. The stance can be taken outside of the hazard.

From 1.1 2008 a Local Rule can be made for completely waterfilled bunkers, giving the players free relief outside of the bunker.

The revised Local Rule per 1-1-2008 is as follows:

33-8/27 Local Rule Providing Relief Without Penalty from Bunker Filled with Casual Water

Q. May a Committee make a Local Rule allowing a player to drop out of any bunker filled with casual water, without penalty, contrary to Rule 25-1b(ii)?

A. No. The Committee may not make a Local Rule providing generally that flooded bunkers are ground under repair through the green as such a Local Rule waives a penalty imposed by the Rules of Golf, contrary to Rule 33-8b.

However, in conditions of extreme wetness, where certain specific bunkers are completely flooded prior to the competition commencing and there is no reasonable likelihood of the bunkers drying up during the competition, the Committee may, in such exceptional circumstances, introduce a Local Rule providing that specific bunkers, which are known to be flooded prior to the competition commencing, are deemed to be ground under repair and classified as through the green. Therefore relief may be taken outside these bunkers without penalty in accordance with Rule 25-1b(i). In a competition played over more than one round, such a Local Rule may be introduced or rescinded between rounds. (Revised)

This is the revised Decision.
Fortunately the Local Rule can be shorter ;-)

Merry Christmas, Johanna – and AAA, and DEC and Trysil and all you guys down there on the other side of the globe!

Some hours to go here but Merry Christmas to you all round the other side of the big ball.
And of course my fellow Northerners