It’s time to clear up the confusion surrounding water hazards and lateral water hazards.
Watch these two short golf rules vides explaining the options available to you. The first video explains the options you have when your ball comes to rest in a water hazard (yellow stakes and/or lines).
The second video below explains the additional two options that are available under Rule 26-1c when youur golf ball comes to rest within the margins of a lateral water hazard (red stakes and/or lines).
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
We were on a par 3 hole with elevated green, and our playing buddy hit his shot into the slope just behind the green and rolled down to the water hazard, he wanted to drop his ball between the spot where he landed his shot and the water hazard, where he claimed shall be the point of entry, our contention was he should have dropped his ball, between the hole and the water hazard, what is the rule in this case?
Ginnie,
Yes, stakes defining water hazards (including lateral water hazards) may be removed providing that can be moved without unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing damage. If it is intended that hazard stakes should not be removed (unusual) there will be a Local Rule that says they are immovable obstructions.
Regards,
Barry
Please advise if while in a red staked hazard – can the stake be removed if it’s obstructing your swing? Thank you for your response.
Tony,
Yes, there is no difference in the Rules between a (lateral) water hazard that has water in it and one that is dry. So, if it is known or virtually certain that a ball is lost inside the margin of a water hazard then the relief options under Rule 26-1 still apply. However, note the requirement for it to be known or virtually certain that the ball is lost within the margin of the hazard. In my experience, dry water hazards often have rocks or large stones in them. When a ball hits a rock or a stone it can fly off in any direction, which makes it almost impossible to be certain that the ball has come to rest inside it, unless there is closely mown grass with no rough, trees, bushes, etc. on either side of the hazard. Where there is no certainty the ball must be treated as lost and the player must return to where they last played from, under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1).
Barry
Hi Barry,
Hope you are well. Can you please explain what happens when a water hazard (lateral or otherwise) has no water in it and a player’s ball lands in it and the player cannot find his/her ball. Is it a lost ball or does rule 26-1 apply.
In NZ most of our games are played as four-ball-better-ball match-play, one pair v. the other, usually for a dollar or more. The other day one of the players hit a wild shot which struck the cart of his partner. The opposing pair claimed the hole, by dq. i believe only the player himself should be dq., not the side. Would you be kind enough to give me a ruling. I enjoy Barry’s comments and discussions on the R.O.G., and thank you very much for them.
Cheers,
Roger
Barry’s Reply:
Since 1st January 2008, when a player’s ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by himself, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke (Rule 19-2).
Therefore this was the appropriate penalty in your question where the player’s ball hit his partner’s cart, not loss of hole or disqualifiaction of that player for the hole.
However, for any breach of Rule that would incur a penalty of two strokes in stroke play, Rule 30-3f is relevant; “If a player’s breach of a Rule assists his partner’s play or adversely affects an opponent’s play, the partner incurs the applicable penalty in addition to any penalty incurred by the player.
In all other cases where a player incurs a penalty for breach of a Rule, the penalty does not apply to his partner. Where the penalty is stated to be loss of hole, the effect is to disqualify the player for that hole.”
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