When a ball comes to rest in a lateral water
hazard the player may play the ball where it
lies or, with a one-stroke penalty, proceed
under one of four options:
• Return as near as possible to the spot he
played his previous stroke (the bunker)
and drop a ball or…
• Drop a ball, keeping the point the ball
trickled across the red line between him
and the hole (for Calc, this would mean
going to the “other” side of the lake).
Note: these two options would be available
whether the hazard was marked yellow (water
hazard) or red (lateral water hazard). Because
it was a lateral, Calc had two more options:
• Drop a ball outside the hazard, no closer
to the hole and within two club lengths
of the point where it last crossed the
margin or…
• Drop within two club lengths of a point
equidistant from the hole on the
“opposite” margin of the hazard.
The announcers were probably correct
when they said the ball was unplayable, but
their comments only served to confuse astute
viewers. When a ball comes to rest in a water
hazard, more often than not it will be
“unplayable” — but it is not an
“unplayable ball.” Under the Rules
the one — and only — place you may
not declare your ball unplayable is
when it comes to rest in a water or
lateral water hazard. So forget any
additional penalty because the ball
was unplayable.
After assessing the situation, Calc
smartly opted to drop no nearer to
the hole and within two club lengths
of where the ball last crossed the hazard margin, and those two club
lengths brought him onto the putting green. “Hold on!” you say, “you
can’t drop on a putting green. You
must place the ball!”
True in most cases, but not in this
one. When your ball comes to rest on
a putting green but you opt to take
relief because of interference with
ground under repair, casual water, or
an immovable obstruction, you must
place your ball at the nearest point of
relief. However, when taking relief
for a lateral water hazard you must
drop a ball. Case closed?
Not quite. After two-putting (for
a double bogey) the replay showed a
disgusted Calc lifting his original ball from the
rocks and tossing it into the lake — what
about an additional penalty for that?
Read Rule 26-1c closely and you’ll be
reminded that when taking relief from a lateral water hazard the player is required to
drop “a” ball as opposed to “the” ball he was
Calc’s ball was only stopped
from rolling into the water
by a three-foot border of
jagged rocks. Poor shot,
perhaps, but cue the Rules
seminar.
playing. If Calc had been lifting his ball
because of interference with GUR, casual
water or an immovable obstruction and tossed
the ball in the lake he’d either have to “add
two” to his score for the hole, or borrow
Woody Austin’s goggles and retrieve his ball
to avoid a penalty for “illegally” substituting
a ball. But since he was taking relief from a
water hazard he was free to put a new ball into
play. Class dismissed! ■
