Water Hazard Question

[guyfrompei]

I have a question about where to drop the ball after hitting it into the water.

Ok, let's say it's a par 3 and you're hitting to an island green. You hit the ball from the tee and it lands 1 yard off the edge of the island, in the water. It did not touch any land. The ball is close enough to the edge of the island green to reach into the water and retrieve it. After the player reaches into the hazard and gets the ball, can he drop it right there or must he go back (near the tee box) and drop the ball there as that was the last area of land the ball travelled over? Or is it alright to drop the ball up near the green where the ball was pulled out of the water?

Thanks,

[spidey]

26-1. Relief for Ball in Water Hazard

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped

If the ball never crossed the margin of the hazard at the green, then the last point that it crossed the margin of the hazard was back near the tee.

Remember, you must keep the point at which the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard between where your ball will be dropped and the flag.

[guyfrompei]

Thanks, that's what I thought. I was playing with some guy on the weekend and he was sure that you could drop it wherever you pulled it out of the hazard.

[Gary Hill]

Remember, you must keep the point at which the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard between where your ball will be dropped and the flag.

... and the HOLE.

[g8r]

On TPC #17, several players hit the green and the backspin brought the ball back into the water...or a ball was hit into the water at the back (over the green)...why can't the player drop on the island (green) instead of having to hit from the drop area and hit over the water again?

Is it because you can't keep the point it last crossed between where you drop and the hole?

[powerlefty]

On TPC #17, several players hit the green and the backspin brought the ball back into the water...or a ball was hit into the water at the back (over the green)...why can't the player drop on the island (green) instead of having to hit from the drop area and hit over the water again?

Is it because you can't keep the point it last crossed between where you drop and the hole?

I think it is because it is a Water Hazerd and not a Lateral Hazard. On the previous hole, the par 5 16th, it is a Lateral Hazard. When they hit their approach in the water you'll see them drop it in the fringe and actually have a birdie put (assuming it was their 2nd shot that went into the water).

[Golfbum]

My home course has an island green which is marked with yellow stakes on the tee side of the water. On the greenside of the water it is now marked with red stakes. Anyone who clears the first part of the hazard, lands on dry land then has the ball bounce in is able to drop on the greenside of the island, no closer to the hole. Reason they did this? Well the damn green is shaped like an upside down bowl! You can land on the edge of the green, get a bad boucne and be in the water hazard. If you clear the first part of the water, but do not hit land before your shot enters the water on the sides or back of the green then you have to drop on the tee side of the hazard.
Once or twice a year two guys come in and drag that pond and pull close to 4000 balls out of it. Funny how many of them have a red range ball stripe on them! Thank God it is only a 106-126 y ard hole, but it is the 2nd hole so lots of people are not mentally set for it early in their round. With the wind blowing I have hit anything from a 56 degree wedge to a 6 iron to that green. Yeah it can be a mean hole!
I once saw Paddy Harrington go for a Par 5 green in two during a Europeon event. He went into the water right beside the green, which was marked with red stakes. His two club length drop, no closer to the hole put him on the edge of the green for a birdie putt. Simple two putt par.

[Gary Hill]

My home course has an island green which is marked with yellow stakes on the tee side of the water. On the greenside of the water it is now marked with red stakes. Anyone who clears the first part of the hazard, lands on dry land then has the ball bounce in is able to drop on the greenside of the island, no closer to the hole.

The course (Committee) does not have the authority to mark the margins of that hazard in this illegal manner.

[Golfbum]

A CPGA Pro marked that hazard in that manner. It has been like that for 4 years. I aksed him to explain it to me. His answer was as follows.
If you clear the first part of the hazard and you ball lands on the green and bounces off it goes into a "Lateral Hazard". hence the lateral stakes.
Might be illegal but that is the way it is marked, Yellow Stakes on the tee box side of the hazard, red stakes on the green side of the hazard. I did not mark it, I just follow the CPGA Pro's instructions.

[Gary Hill]

A CPGA Pro marked that hazard in that manner.

He is obviously unfamiliar with the Rules of Golf.

A given part of a body of water cannot be a water hazard AND a lateral water hazard.

[Colby]

Gary,

We have those all over Greyhawk. I thought it depended on which way the ball entered. For example, #2 on Talon has red stakes from the greenside of things, you could hit it into the water from the 8th tee, and yellow from the fairway approaching the green.

[Gary Hill]

Gary,

We have those all over Greyhawk. I thought it depended on which way the ball entered. For example, #2 on Talon has red stakes from the greenside of things, you could hit it into the water from the 8th tee, and yellow from the fairway approaching the green.

That is a different situation.

A given part of a body of water may be defined as a water hazard in play of one hole and a lateral water hazard in play of another hole.

[Colby]

Gotcha.

So the correct playing of the hole would be to drop it on the fairway side if it bounces in from the greenside edge. That's going to be a fun rule to bring up at Men's night tonight

Thanks for the clarification Gary.