What Ruling Would You Have Made?

[nick1998bunker]

I'm on my phone so I won't go into detail to repeat the above post, but if you can't see it all on the mobile version, go to the bottom of the page and select the desktop version of the site and you should be able to read it. Failing that, read rule 26-1 on the USGA rules site.

Ah I see, every lateral hazard I have played in hVe had a drop zone so tht is why I was confused. And I had been meaning to say in line with hole but misspoke. I knew that one [quote name="Meltdwhiskey" url="/t/70474/what-ruling-would-you-have-made#post_907225"] Wow, what an advantage! I hate to throw stones in a thread about how I broke the rules, but it seems under this approach that you could nearly always end up playing from the fairway with nothing blocking your path to the green.  Most shots that go into a lateral start out over the fairway.   At this course (and I'm thinking most courses), hitting into a lateral hazard and hence playing withing two clublengths of where it went in means playing from a terrible place.  All of the ponds have pretty sharp slopes on their banks - which means hitting with the ball way below or above your feet.  And the creeks are mostly lined with trees like on this hole.  When you hit within 2 clublengths, you very likely have tree trunks in your way, overhanging limbs forcing  you to hit little knockdowns back into the fairway, hardpan, roots, leaves, straw to hit off of, etc. [/quote] it is where it went in and the hole. So yes you can get it in the fairway but you will be heading a longest back. Lateral hazards are meant to be easier than water hazards. I think there was a ruling on the LPGA where they tried to drop on the other side by finding the exact distance but on the other side of hole

[luu5]

Lateral hazards are meant to be easier than water hazards. I think there was a ruling on the LPGA where they tried to drop on the other side by finding the exact distance but on the other side of hole

Nick, sometimes it is hard to follow your text.

Lateral hazards are not meant to be any easier. By nature they have additional relief options, and opposite side is one of them. On Solheim Cup, Europeans dropped on other side of the lateral hazard and it was ok. Except players and ROs screwed up the final drop spot. But the principle was right.

And as an additional note, I do not understand why lateral hazards would usually have DZ¨s. As you should not have to cross them anyway.

[Meltdwhiskey]

Ah I see, every lateral hazard I have played in hVe had a drop zone so tht is why I was confused. And I had been meaning to say in line with hole but misspoke. I knew that one

it is where it went in and the hole. So yes you can get it in the fairway but you will be heading a longest back. Lateral hazards are meant to be easier than water hazards. I think there was a ruling on the LPGA where they tried to drop on the other side by finding the exact distance but on the other side of hole

I think you might be confused.  First, and it was sort of the original reason for my post, I don't think many, if any, lateral hazards have drop zones.  I'd be surprised if your golf course had a DZ for every lateral on the course.

Also, what you are describing - although hard to tell for sure - sounds more like a water hazard (or yellow hazard, or hazard that you actually have to hit over in order to continue toward the hole in most cases).  When playing water hazards, the choice to make a line from the pin to where the ball crossed into the hazard is often a good choice.  But with lateral hazards, this is rarely a good idea and will often throw you onto another hole entirely.

The word lateral implies 'to the side' or similar wording.  If a ball went into a hazard that was running down the side of the fairway - and then you made a line from the pin through where it crossed into the hazard - that line would go off into the hazard and away from your fairway.  It is normally too impractical to even do it. That is why this is so often played within two clublengths of where it went in.  Going through the hazard to the other side of it is rarely going to be better for you.

[nick1998bunker]

Nick, sometimes it is hard to follow your text.  Lateral hazards are not meant to be any easier. By nature they have additional relief options, and opposite side is one of them. On Solheim Cup, Europeans dropped on other side of the lateral hazard and it was ok. Except players and ROs screwed up the final drop spot. But the principle was right. And as an additional note, I do not understand why lateral hazards would usually have DZ¨s. As you should not have to cross them anyway.

[quote name="Meltdwhiskey" url="/t/70474/what-ruling-would-you-have-made#post_907389"] I think you might be confused.  First, and it was sort of the original reason for my post, I don't think many, if any, lateral hazards have drop zones.  I'd be surprised if your golf course had a DZ for every lateral on the course. Also, what you are describing - although hard to tell for sure - sounds more like a water hazard (or yellow hazard, or hazard that you actually have to hit over in order to continue toward the hole in most cases).  When playing water hazards, the choice to make a line from the pin to where the ball crossed into the hazard is often a good choice.  But with lateral hazards, this is rarely a good idea and will often throw you onto another hole entirely.  The word lateral implies 'to the side' or similar wording.  If a ball went into a hazard that was running down the side of the fairway - and then you made a line from the pin through where it crossed into the hazard - that line would go off into the hazard and away from your fairway.  It is normally too impractical to even do it. That is why this is so often played within two clublengths of where it went in.  Going through the hazard to the other side of it is rarely going to be better for you. [/quote] I've played a few courses with lateral hazards on the sides but the only one I can think of and it is an island green with a drop zone. I really don't go in them much

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by luu5

Nick, sometimes it is hard to follow your text.

Lateral hazards are not meant to be any easier. By nature they have additional relief options, and opposite side is one of them. On Solheim Cup, Europeans dropped on other side of the lateral hazard and it was ok. Except players and ROs screwed up the final drop spot. But the principle was right.

And as an additional note, I do not understand why lateral hazards would usually have DZ¨s. As you should not have to cross them anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meltdwhiskey

I think you might be confused.  First, and it was sort of the original reason for my post, I don't think many, if any, lateral hazards have drop zones.  I'd be surprised if your golf course had a DZ for every lateral on the course.

Also, what you are describing - although hard to tell for sure - sounds more like a water hazard (or yellow hazard, or hazard that you actually have to hit over in order to continue toward the hole in most cases).  When playing water hazards, the choice to make a line from the pin to where the ball crossed into the hazard is often a good choice.  But with lateral hazards, this is rarely a good idea and will often throw you onto another hole entirely.

The word lateral implies 'to the side' or similar wording.  If a ball went into a hazard that was running down the side of the fairway - and then you made a line from the pin through where it crossed into the hazard - that line would go off into the hazard and away from your fairway.  It is normally too impractical to even do it. That is why this is so often played within two clublengths of where it went in.  Going through the hazard to the other side of it is rarely going to be better for you.

I've played a few courses with lateral hazards on the sides but the only one I can think of and it is an island green with a drop zone.

I really don't go in them much

Island greens are not lateral hazards.  In some cases, part of the margin may be marked as a lateral water hazard, but the entire margin around the green shouldn't be marked as such.  The margins which lie between the tee and the water and the water and the hole on the normal line of play certainly shouldn't be marked in red.  That should be marked with yellow as a regular water hazard, and that would be what the drop zone is for.

[Rulesman]

Isn't the island green at Sawgrass marked yellow all round with a dropping zone to the left of the tee 60 yards out?

[Fourputt]

Isn't the island green at Sawgrass marked yellow all round with a dropping zone to the left of the tee 60 yards out?

Yes.  Even though there are potentially times when some balls could be played under the lateral rule if the sides were so marked, I think that the entire island is marked in yellow.

[Rulesman]

It is usually very difficult to find  a place which satisfies the 2cl not nearer the hole requirement when water curves round the back of a green. Depending on the hole position, one day you might and the next you can't. If the hole is in the centre of a circle formed by the margin, it is impossible.

The other side might be an option providing the water isn't the sea or OOB.

[nick1998bunker]

Lateral hazard is yellow stakes right?

[jamo]

Lateral hazard is yellow stakes right?

Red. Yellow is a regular water hazard.

[nick1998bunker]

What???? Then every single course I play is a literal hazard except the island green and the OB.... I've been doing it wrong my hole life!!

[Asheville]

What???? Then every single course I play is a literal hazard except the island green and the OB....

I've been doing it wrong my hole life!!

Stay in school.

[Rulesman]

What???? Then every single course I play is a literal hazard except the island green and the OB....

I've been doing it wrong my hole life!!

In the course of your whole life, have you ever opened a rule book?

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nick1998bunker

What???? Then every single course I play is a literal hazard except the island green and the OB....

I've been doing it wrong my hole life!!

In the course of your whole life, have you ever opened a rule book?

There's the question.  How can you play the game to a 5.8 handicap without knowing that very fundamental difference?

[nick1998bunker]

I've always thought that and absolutely no one has ever told me otherwise... But I guess I always follow the rules because I take two clublengths

[Rulesman]

I've always thought that and absolutely no one has ever told me otherwise... But I guess I always follow the rules because I take two clublengths

If you have been taking 2 cl from yellow marked water hazards then you have been breaking the rules.

[nick1998bunker]

If you have been taking 2 cl from yellow marked water hazards then you have been breaking the rules.

No the only time I can remeber going into yellow there was a drop zone. But what do you get from yellow?

[luu5]

No the only time I can remeber going into yellow there was a drop zone. But what do you get from yellow?

Please read post #5.