Looking for Ball in Hazard

I was playing in our club championship.  One of my playing partners put his ball in a hazard.  We went looking for the ball and I used the end of my club to move some heavy grass to get a view of what I thought was a ball.  Another players said that even if its another player, and you are helping him find the ball, you are not allowed to take another club into the hazard and use it to search-------he said it was a two shot penalty----Do you agree?

not sure of the exact rule, but to clarify, was this an individual tournament and you were looking for a competitors ball?  If that was the case and your ball was not in the hazard, it is hard to believe it was a penalty and would belong here http://thesandtrap.com/t/9549/what-do-you-consider-the-most-stupid-rule-in-golf/306#post_751457

There should not have been a penalty. The rules state specifically that you CAN use a club to probe in a water hazard and this decision I am listing referres to a hazard (which includes water and/or sand)

Decision 12-1/4
Player Touches Ground in Hazard When Searching for Ball Believed to Be Covered by Loose Impediments in Hazard
Q. A player's ball is believed to be in a bunker covered by leaves. The player probes for the ball with a club which touches the ground in the bunker. What is the ruling?
A. There is no penalty. Rule 12-1 specifically authorizes touching ground in the hazard while probing. Such permission overrides any prohibitions in Rule 13-4.