Car path adjacent to lateral water hazard

[Draftstone]

Hi!

On the course I regularly play, there is a short par 4 (270 yards) with the whole left side starting at the tees until the green that is water, marked as a lateral water hazard. The fairway also have a slight angle from right to left (left is lower). So since I play left handed, if I hit a slice, it will end up in the water for sure. I usually simply re-tee the ball (since the hole is not that long so lost of distance is not so important when playing for fun) and hit 3 from the tee (it is suposed to be 3 right? ).

But, from my understanding, since it is a lateral water hazard, one of my option would be to drop the ball inside 2 club lengths where it entered the hazard, as long as it is not closer to the hole (since it entered sideway due to a slice + roll, it enters the hazard at least 200 yards out, well inside the 100 yards to the green marker). My problem is that the way it is setup, you have the water, then about 1-2 feet of rough and then the car path. On multiple spots along the hazard line, there is no way I can drop the ball. If I drop it in the rough, I end up both feet on the car path, if I drop it at the maximum 2 club length, the ball ends on the carpath.

So my question is, how exactly should I play this. Since there is no way my drop would be playable, should I take another 2 club length after the car path (as long as it is not closer to the hole) and drop it there? If I do this, it is almost guaranteed that I can have my ball and both feet on the fairway (no rough between car path and fairway) and have a clear short shot at the pin playing 3. It looks a lot easier to make a simple bogey (double bogey at worst) from there (playing 3 around 50 yards out from the fairway than re-teeing for 3 at 270 yards away).

Thanks for your help!

[Rulesman]

There is no reason why you should not drop on the path if it is within the 2cl.

Once it is on the path then you have free relief from an immovable obstruction and you can drop again. This time within 1cl of the nearest point of full relief (not nearer the hole of course).

Be careful however with your first drop, if you drop too close to the hazard your nearest point of relief may well be in the rough and you may have to stand in the hazard.

You don't take 2cl from your ball on the path. No need to declare it unplayable, just use rule 24-2.

[Golfingdad]

Be careful however with your first drop, if you drop too close to the hazard your nearest point of relief may well be in the rough and you may have to stand in the hazard.

Doubt it ...

Hi!

On the course I regularly play, there is a short par 4 (270 yards) with the whole left side starting at the tees until the green that is water, marked as a lateral water hazard. The fairway also have a slight angle from right to left (left is lower). So since I play left handed, if I hit a slice, it will end up in the water for sure. I usually simply re-tee the ball (since the hole is not that long so lost of distance is not so important when playing for fun) and hit 3 from the tee (it is suposed to be 3 right? ).

@Draftstone , Rulesman is right.  (I mean, with a name like that ... ;))

Take your two clublengths from the point it crossed into the lateral hazard, no closer to the hole, and drop, cart path or not.  Then re-drop from the path (free relief only gives you one clublength from nearest point though, don't forget that).

And when you're playing casually for fun, consolidate the two and just drop free and clear of the path (within one clublength) and play on.

It is certainly better for you to be hitting your third from 100 than 270!!

[14ledo81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rulesman

Be careful however with your first drop, if you drop too close to the hazard your nearest point of relief may well be in the rough and you may have to stand in the hazard.

Doubt it  ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draftstone

Hi!

On the course I regularly play, there is a short par 4 (270 yards) with the whole left side starting at the tees until the green that is water, marked as a lateral water hazard. The fairway also have a slight angle from right to left (left is lower). So since I play left handed, if I hit a slice, it will end up in the water for sure. I usually simply re-tee the ball (since the hole is not that long so lost of distance is not so important when playing for fun) and hit 3 from the tee (it is suposed to be 3 right? ).

@Draftstone , Rulesman is right.  (I mean, with a name like that ... ;))

Take your two clublengths from the point it crossed into the lateral hazard, no closer to the hole, and drop, cart path or not.  Then re-drop from the path (free relief only gives you one clublength from nearest point though, don't forget that).

And when you're playing casually for fun, consolidate the two and just drop free and clear of the path (within one clublength) and play on.

It is certainly better for you to be hitting your third from 100 than 270!!

Are you sure?  What if he smokes his woods, but struggles with iron???

[MS256]

Are you sure?  What if he smokes his woods, but struggles with iron???

Key point: He just hit a wood in the hazard.

Since there's no guarantee the next one is going to be any better I'm going with option B and take my chances on the 100 yard shot (no matter how bad I'm hitting irons).

[turtleback]

Hi!

On the course I regularly play, there is a short par 4 (270 yards) with the whole left side starting at the tees until the green that is water, marked as a lateral water hazard. The fairway also have a slight angle from right to left (left is lower). So since I play left handed, if I hit a slice, it will end up in the water for sure. I usually simply re-tee the ball (since the hole is not that long so lost of distance is not so important when playing for fun) and hit 3 from the tee (it is suposed to be 3 right? ).

But, from my understanding, since it is a lateral water hazard, one of my option would be to drop the ball inside 2 club lengths where it entered the hazard, as long as it is not closer to the hole (since it entered sideway due to a slice + roll, it enters the hazard at least 200 yards out, well inside the 100 yards to the green marker). My problem is that the way it is setup, you have the water, then about 1-2 feet of rough and then the car path. On multiple spots along the hazard line, there is no way I can drop the ball. If I drop it in the rough, I end up both feet on the car path, if I drop it at the maximum 2 club length, the ball ends on the carpath.

So my question is, how exactly should I play this. Since there is no way my drop would be playable, should I take another 2 club length after the car path (as long as it is not closer to the hole) and drop it there? If I do this, it is almost guaranteed that I can have my ball and both feet on the fairway (no rough between car path and fairway) and have a clear short shot at the pin playing 3. It looks a lot easier to make a simple bogey (double bogey at worst) from there (playing 3 around 50 yards out from the fairway than re-teeing for 3 at 270 yards away).

Thanks for your help!

You've had great answers but I wanted to clarify one thing just to be sure.  You are talking about dropping based on where it entered the hazard, but the rule says to drop based on where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard.  So if you meant that when you said entered the hazard you;re fine.  But not if you are looking at where the ball physically hit the water.  Where the splash occurs is irrelevant. And determining the point at which the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard can be a little tricky in cases like you mention, as we found out at last year's Players' with Tiger.

[Draftstone]

Thanks a lot for your answers!

Will make it easier to take a decision next time :)