Ball in hazard ....tried to play then need drop?

[Pinshark]

Player a hits his ball off the teeing ground into a hazard " Wooden area marked with red stick".. He decides to look for his ball and he finds it in the hazard. He makes a swing at it . The ball moves a couple of yards, but the ball stays in the hazard in an unplayable lie . He decides to pick up the ball and drops it within 2 club length of the margin of hazard on the fairway. Is this a correct procedure.?
where would be the point of entry to the hazard? or is it irrelevant at this point?

[Ginker]

My understanding was that once you hit a ball in the hazard you have to continue to hit it.. But what happens if you cannot hit it at all?

[Txxxxxxx]

I thought if you hit into a hazard, then decided to play from there, even if you took a stroke and moved the ball, that first stroke would count. Then if you hit it to somewhere you found to be unplayable, you take the drop with penalty and of course the first stroke you took in the hazard counted.

I'm just assuming I guess though....I've never been in that type of situation.

I'm sure the rules experts will speak up.

[AAA]

I have copied the rule below but is complicated reading. Check it out and if you want more get back

Option (iii) give you the option of getting out of the hazard to play.

26-2 Ball Played Within Water Hazard

a. Ball Comes to Rest in Same or Another Water Hazard
If a ball played from within a water hazard comes to rest in the same or another water hazard after the stroke, the player may:
(i) proceed under Rule 26-1a.
If, after dropping in the hazard, the player elects not to play the dropped ball, he may:
(a) with reference to this hazard, proceed under Rule 26-1b, or if applicable Rule 26-1c, adding the additional penalty of one stroke prescribed by that Rule; or
(b) add an additional penalty of one stroke and play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the last stroke from outside a water hazard was made (see Rule 20-5);
or
(ii) proceed under Rule 26-1b, or if applicable Rule 26-1c;
or
(iii) under penalty of one stroke, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the last stroke from outside a water hazard was made (see Rule 20-5).

[jvincent]

Ignoring the fact that a wooded area marked as a hazard is not usually correct.......

This is covered under 26-2. From my read of this you CAN actually play a stroke from outside the hazard after playing a stroke inside the hazard. I'll need to remember that one.

26-2. Ball Played Within Water Hazard


a. Ball Comes to Rest in Same or Another Water Hazard
If a ball played from within a water hazard comes to rest in the same or another water hazard after the stroke, the player may:

(i) proceed under Rule 26-1a. If, after dropping in the hazard, the player elects not to play the dropped ball, he may:

(a) with reference to this hazard, proceed under Rule 26-1b, or if applicable Rule 26-1c, adding the additional penalty of one stroke prescribed by that Rule; or
(b) add an additional penalty of one stroke and play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the last stroke from outside a water hazard was made (see Rule 20-5); or

(ii) proceed under Rule 26-1b, or if applicable Rule 26-1c; or
(iii) under penalty of one stroke, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the last stroke from outside a water hazard was made (see Rule 20-5).

b. Ball Lost or Unplayable Outside Hazard or Out of Bounds
If a ball played from within a water hazard is lost or declared unplayable outside the hazard or is out of bounds, the player may, after taking a penalty of one stroke under Rule 27-1 or 28a:

(i) play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot in the hazard from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
(ii) proceed under Rule 26-1b, or if applicable Rule 26-1c, adding the additional penalty of one stroke prescribed by the Rule and using as the reference point the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the hazard before it came to rest in the hazard; or
(iii) add an additional penalty of one stroke and play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the last stroke from outside the hazard was made (see Rule 20-5).

Note 1: When proceeding under Rule 26-2b, the player is not required to drop a ball under Rule 27-1 or 28a. If he does drop a ball, he is not required to play it. He may alternatively proceed under Rule 26-2b(ii) or (iii).

Note 2: If a ball played from within a water hazard is declared unplayable outside the hazard, nothing in Rule 26-2b precludes the player from proceeding under Rule 28b or c.

[AAA]

From my read of this you CAN actually play a stroke from outside the hazard after playing a stroke inside the hazard.

You read it correctly

[jeffc]

egad. my brain hurts.

[Txxxxxxx]

egad. my brain hurts.

Mine too....

That's a lot of scenarios...

[BC MIST]

My understanding was that once you hit a ball in the hazard you have to continue to hit it.. But what happens if you cannot hit it at all?

Once in the hazard, you can hit it, hit it again, hit it again, hit it again and so on, and STILL have the option of dropping the ball within two club lengths of where it LAST crossed the margin of the hazard, or drop within 2 club lengths of the opposite margin, or drop keeping the point of last crossng the margin between him and the hole and going back along that line. One does NOT have to continue to hit it.

[AAA]

NOTE.
This only applies to a Water Hazard or Lateral Water Hazard.
The term Hazard covers bunkers also. It does no apply there.

[Golftime]

Here is section from the USGA Webpage www.usga.org. It does a nice job of showing the actual rules and decisoins related to the rule on one page with examples like this one. There are also videos of actual footgae from PGA tournaments and there are animations that illustrate the rules options. Pictures usually help me to understand.

26-2/2 Ball Played from Within Hazard Comes to Rest in Same Hazard After Exiting Hazard

Q. In the above illustration, a player has played a ball from Point A (the teeing ground) into the lateral water hazard at Point B. The ball last crossed the margin of the hazard at Point C. The player elects to play the ball from the hazard and he succeeds in getting his ball out of the hazard, but it re-enters the hazard at point E. The ball comes to rest at Point D and it is not playable. What are the player’s options?

A. The player may under penalty of one stroke:
(a) drop a ball at Point B and play again from there, playing 4 (Rule 26-2a(i)); or
(b) drop a ball anywhere on dotted line G-G and play from there, playing 4 (Rule 26-2a(ii); or
(c) drop a ball within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than Point E, playing 4 (Rule 26-2a(ii)); or
(d) drop a ball within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than Point F, playing 4 (Rule 26-2a(ii)); or
(e) play another ball from Point A (the teeing ground), playing 4 (Rule 26-2a(iii)).
Point E is the reference point for proceeding under Rule 26-1b or 26-1c as it is the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard.
If the player drops a ball at Point B and the ball comes to rest at a spot from which he judges he cannot play, he may, adding an additional penalty of one stroke, either drop a ball anywhere on the dotted line G-G, drop a ball within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than Points E or F, or play another ball from Point A (the teeing ground), playing 5.