Ruling Question - Where to drop???

[Red4Life]

Hi,

Last weekend I played a round at The K Club (not the 2006 Ryder Cup course, the adjacent Smurfit course). It has a great finishing hole, a Par 5 500+ yards dogleg left with an island green that is overlooked by the clubhouse. On the island is the green with a bunker in front and a bunker in back, that's it.

Now my question, my friend laid up his 2nd, put his 3rd shot into the front bunker on the island. He caught his 4th "too" cleanly and sent it straight over the green, the ball sailed directly over the back bunker and straight into the water. Neither of us were sure where he had to take a drop ball. We were only playing a casual game between friends so didn't really worry about the ruling but I'm curious, what should we have done???

Thanks in advance for the help,
Red.

[Jay-Bird]

Rule 26
1a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which
the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5)

[RemyM]

It all depends on how the hazard was marked. If it was lateral (red stakes) then he could have dropped within two club lengths of where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard. If it was regular (yellow stakes) then he could keep the point he last crossed between him and the hole and dropped on the other side of the hazard. Regardless of how it was marked he had the option to drop where he last played. If drop zones were marked then he could have also used those.

[martin00015]

Hi,

I believe that green is marked as a lateral water hazard. In which case, your friend could drop and replay from the bunker (rule 26-1a), play from the ground on the far side over the water (if allowed) dropping on a line from the flag through where the ball passed over the edge of the island (rule 26-1b), or possibly there may be a small strip of land actually on the island green to allow a drop under rule 26-1c. That very much depends on the shape of the water hazard margin relative to the position of the flagstick.

[Red4Life]

great stuff, thanks for the responses....