Rules and Drops

[MSB256]

So, I'm a little confused. I think I have been mistaken on drops and hazards all along. Please don't site me to a rule book because I'd rather get an answer in plain english than read a whole page.

At the Shell Houston Open on the playoff hole, JB Holmes hit his drive in the water, then hit shot number 3 off the tee. Is there ever a time you hit a drive in a hazard and drop from the area it went in the water or OB?

There is a par 3, 197 with a lot of water in between the tee and green at the course I play. The tee has a sign that says in an effort to speed up play, please play shots that go in the hazard from the drop zone, which is closer to the green.

So is there ever a time you drop where your drive went in the water rather than hit another one off the tee?

I mean, not that it really matters to me cuz I always hit it in the fairway, but my friend wants to know...

Also, ball is on the cartpath... you can drop it a club length away from cart path no nearer to the whole? Do you lose a stroke? Does no nearer basically mean drop it further away, or back from where it was?

[DaveLeeNC]

If it is a lateral hazard (red stakes) you can take a drop (one stroke penalty) within 2 clublengths of where the ball "last CROSSED the hazard boundary". In JB's case it was a lateral hazard but playing from the tee was a better option than where the ball last crossed the hazard boundary. If he had hit the ball over the fairway with a big hook into the water, he could have taken a drop/penalty from the fairway/rough (where the ball hooked across the boundary).

At our club you can take relief from a paved cartpath - no relief from an unpaved cartpath.

dave

[Dpricenator]

If it is a lateral hazard (red stakes) you can take a drop (one stroke penalty) within 2 clublengths of where the ball "last CROSSED the hazard boundary". In JB's case it was a lateral hazard but playing from the tee was a better option than where the ball last crossed the hazard boundary. If he had hit the ball over the fairway with a big hook into the water, he could have taken a drop/penalty from the fairway/rough (where the ball hooked across the boundary).

This was my understanding as well. I guess watching TV can be useful afterall.

[tjy355]

So, I'm a little confused. I think I have been mistaken on drops and hazards all along. Please don't site me to a rule book because I'd rather get an answer in plain english than read a whole page.

To properly explain the rules for water hazards someone will have to type a page for you to read anyway. Better for you to read and understand the rules.

There are two kinds of water hazards. A (normal) water hazard is marked by yellow stakes, a lateral water hazard is marked by red stakes. For a ball in a water hazard, two options both with penalty of one stroke: - play another ball from the same location as the previous one. - drop behind the hazard along a line formed by the flagstick and the point where the ball LAST crossed the margin of the hazard. For a ball in a lateral water hazard - same as above with a third option available also with one stroke penalty: - Drop within two club lengths of the point where the ball LAST crossed the margin of the hazard. By LOCAL rule, there may be an assigned DROP area. Depending on the wording of the local rule, you may use the drop area as an additional option or use of the drop area may be required. In the case of JB Holmes, his ball never covered any land so the point at which his ball last crossed the margin of the hazard was three steps in front of the tee. No advantage to drop, he chose to re-tee. Cart path is an immovable obstruction. Relief without penalty if it interferes with your swing or stance. Find the nearest point of relief and drop within one club length of that point (no closer to the hole).

[flanagan]

There is no point not citing to the proper rule. If it's a lateral hazard the rule is 26-1 and what is often forgotten is that your additional options if the ball lies in, touches or is lost in the lateral water hazard, include the option of dropping outside the hazard within two club lengths of a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole. You are not limited to dropping within two club lengths of where it last crossed.

[MSB256]

In the case of JB Holmes, his ball never covered any land so the point at which his ball last crossed the margin of the hazard was three steps in front of the tee. No advantage to drop, he chose to re-tee.

So if JB Holmes' ball had hit the rough on the other side of the red stake, and roll backwards into the water... he could have dropped within two club lengths on the others side of the water where it went in because it did cross land again? But since it never crossed land again after initially leaving the tee box, he couldn't do that... correct?

[Shorty]

So if JB Holmes' ball had hit the rough on the other side of the red stake, and roll backwards into the water... he could have dropped within two club lengths on the others side of the water where it went in because it did cross land again? But since it never crossed land again after initially leaving the tee box, he couldn't do that... correct?

100% correct.

[zeg]

So if JB Holmes' ball had hit the rough on the other side of the red stake, and roll backwards into the water... he could have dropped within two club lengths on the others side of the water where it went in because it did cross land again? But since it never crossed land again after initially leaving the tee box, he couldn't do that... correct?

Whether he could drop on the far side of the hazard in your scenario depends on the geometry of the land. You can drop within two club-lengths of the point it crossed the lateral hazard line, but

not nearer the hole . Usually this is possible, but you can imagine some situations where all the available dry drop points within two club lengths would be closer to the hole.

[MSB256]

got ya, I think I get it... I appreciate it everybody