[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by TheVillageChicken

Looks like the USGA agrees with the OP, but thanks anyway to the experts on the forum.

It's very important when reading the rules of golf or any publications of the USGA to understand certain words. The words shall, must, should, and may all have different meanings.

In the article that you linked the words used for the most part are may and should. There are not real rules on this matter. There is no USGA standard except for what they would like to have on their championship courses.

"Sand on the sloped face normally is kept shallow to help avoid plugging or fried-egg lies."

Notice the words used here are "is normally". That doesn't mean that there is a specific depth or rule.

If I'm not mistaken in a few of the bunkers at Oakmont in the 2007 US Open were raked with the ridge producing rakes.

Even in USGA Championships there is no real standard, only recommendations and guidelines. That's what this article is. You'll notice that the words, must or shall, never appear.

If a course decides to make bunkers more penal, it is every bit their right to do so.

And I don't recall seeing pros on television getting mad over plugged lies. If you ask them, most will say that they simply shouldn't have the the ball there. In fact, I don't recall ever hearing one of them complain about a bad lie in a fairways. They all know and accept that these things are simply a part of the game.