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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.

I never complain and I go strictly by USGA rules.
USGA = U-Suck-Go-Again.

Pros complain all the time about their lies.

The USGA rule book does seem to read like contract law language.

:a20:

So um.... sand traps are HAZARDOUS? Crazy.

Really? I watch a lot of golf on television and seldom hear any of them complain about a lie. They may mention that they got a bad lie here or there, but as far as what I've observed they all accept bad lies as part of the game. In fact, I rarely hear any of the tour pros complain about anything.

I can't tell you how many USGA and PGA seminars I have been to trying to understand the Rules of Golf. They can indeed be very tricky. Every word means exactly what it says.

For those interested in learning the rules, I would suggest that you begin by getting a rule book and learning the 40 odd definitions in the front of the book. That will at least give you a starting point o begin to discuss the rules.

If you don't understand a term like "through the green" you are going to have difficulty in discussing the Rules of Golf".

Yes, they are hazardous. I suffered a MAJOR tear rotator cup injury last September hitting out of a sand trap that had the consistency of concrete slurry; got it repaired on Halloween Day and am now back to playing golf pain free. We can only dream about having sand in our traps in Kansas City like there is in The Villages.....

Glad you are better. Now sell that house and get back down here.

If it was only that easy..............