Comments on: Misunderstood Rules

By: Patrick Paul

Patrick Paul — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:08:55 +0000

If two balls are near each other in a sand trap , and one of them interfears with your shot, what are the choices in this case? Thank you for you time.

By: jeff

jeff — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:16:02 +0000

Several courses I play use a small bush as yardage marker-usually a 150 yd marker. I believe you are allowed a free drop if your ball comes to rest in the bush or if your stance or stroke is impeded by the bush- the same as if were a wooden stake. Is this correct? I believe courses do not want you to hack away at their nice little manicured marker bushes.

By: Phillipa Fernandez

Phillipa Fernandez — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:09:15 +0000

If you consider a ball lost as it has gone deep into trees and rough, do you have to look for it or can you declare it lost at that point and therefore unplayable and take a provisional shot and ignore the "lost" ball and whilst taking a one stroke penalty continue playing the hole. This is a much disputed point at my club.

By: Mike C

Mike C — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 19:01:20 +0000

If I wanted to line the center of the fairway with red stakes, and call it a lateral hazard, I could do so under the Rules of Golf. A lateral hazard does not imply "water". The purpose of lateral hazards are simply too speed play and offer 2 additional options to the golfer.

By: Erik J. Barzeski

Erik J. Barzeski — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 18:37:26 +0000

John, decision 26/4 provides for man-made reservoirs being called water hazards (and/or lateral). Woods, as you know, aren't a reservoir. My home course used to have all the areas of trees marked as OB, but they've since removed the stakes because a lost ball is the same thing as OB (except that you can, if you find your ball, opt to play it). One of the holes had red stakes instead of white, marking a lateral water hazard, but this was next to a cliff and 30 feet below, we had a stream, so it was conceivable that it was a "water" hazard. I think your committee is in the wrong. There is no such thing as a "lateral hazard" but only a lateral "water" hazard. The committee should either mark the ground as OB, leave it unstaked (lost ball as I mentioned above), or declare it an ESA (environmentally sensitive area) if it is, which would allow for a drop near where the ball entered, much like a lateral water hazard.

By: John Sorrenti

John Sorrenti — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 18:05:28 +0000

Is there such a thing as just a "lateral hazard"? Our golf committee has designated the woods on two of the holes on our course as "lateral hazards" and marked them with red stakes. I contend that the rule only talks about "lateral WATER hazards" and that you just cant take an area and say its a lateral hazard. What do you think??