A poorly positioned rake - especially in and half way up the farthest side of a bunker from the hole - has the potential to trap a ball against it and cause difficult rules situations. The unfortunate owner of the ball through no fault of his/her own may be forced to take an unplayable outside the bunker.
Interpretation 14.2e/1: For example, a player's ball comes to rest on the downslope of a bunker against a rake and, in removing the rake, the ball moves. The player attempts to replace the ball as required, but it does not stay. He or she then follows the procedure of Rule 14.2e with no success and finds that there are no other spots to try in that bunker that are not nearer the hole. In this case, the player must take unplayable ball relief either by using stroke and distance for one penalty stroke (Rule 19.2a) or back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker for two penalty strokes (Rule 19.3b).
Guidance and practice may vary from club to club but it is best to leave the rake either in the bottom of the bunker or outside the bunker; definitely not halfway up the face of the bunker.
