Drainage Ditch

[Martin B]

How do you treat water in a drainage ditch that is not posted as a water hazard?

There are a number of such ditches that are bone dry about 80% or 90% of the time, but will have water during rainy spells.

One of my friends says it's not a hazard (because it's not posted), but you don't get relief as casual water because you should expect water to be there.

[gbower]

We have a number of them on our course and if there is water in them it is treated as casual water. There are others that have water in a majority of the time and are marked as hazards.

[jvincent]

Gerry, I thought drainage ditches were always treated as hazards even if there was no water in them?

[gbower]

I know in the definition of water hazards that's what it says but to me if there is not very often water in them I'm not marking them or calling them a hazard and I don't think very many courses will. We have one that when very dry out doesn't have water but even the slightest rain there is and we've marked it as a hazard since it will often have water in it. Others very rarely have water and the depression across the fairway doesn't warrant it being called a hazard. This year has been the exception for them having water in them and usually other than heavy rains or spring runoff you won't find them wet. That's my take on it.

[AAA]

If it satifies the definition it is a water hazard.