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Unclear on rules-stroke and distance, unplayable and water hazard.

74 thing

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
64
0
I am unclear on three rules: 1. Stroke and distance, 2. Unplayable lie, 3. Water hazard.

If I am hitting off the tee box or wherever and I hit it out of bounds by the red stakes then is this a stroke and distance penalty and I have to re-hit from as close to my original postion as possible? Can I drop by the red stakes where the ball went in or is this not allowed?

If I declare an unplayable lie then I can either: 1. re-hit from as close to my original position, or 2. move the ball within 2 club lengths from the lie no closer the hole and hit, or 3. move the ball back anywhere from where your ball landed and the area you hit it as long as it is no closer to the hole. Is this correct?

If I hit into a water hazard, can I drop where the ball crossed into the water hazard without having to go back to where I originally hit the shot? Is there any other hazards where I can do this and not incurr the distance penalty?

Thanks for the help-I think I am overthinking the rules, or just need to gain more control over errant shots!
 

slickpitt

Well-Known Member
Aug 15, 2006
2,706
3
I am unclear on three rules: 1. Stroke and distance, 2. Unplayable lie, 3. Water hazard.

If I am hitting off the tee box or wherever and I hit it out of bounds by the red stakes then is this a stroke and distance penalty and I have to re-hit from as close to my original postion as possible? Can I drop by the red stakes where the ball went in or is this not allowed?

OK first off... a red stake is a hazard, not out of bounds(OB). OB is generally marked with a white stake. If your tee shot goes OB, then you must re-tee playing your third shot.(1 out, re-tee 2, hit 3)

If it's a red hazard stake(lateral hazard), then you take 2 club lengths no closer to the hole from last point of entry. You can also go across the hazard of equal distance and drop there. Finally you can drop behind the hazard keeping a line between point of entry and the hole. All of these drops incur a 1 stroke penalty.

If it's a yellow hazard stake it works a lot like the red stakes... except you don't have the option of the 2 club length drop or the going across the hazard of equal distance... you have to go to the point of entry, then as far back as you like.


If I declare an unplayable lie then I can either: 1. re-hit from as close to my original position, or 2. move the ball within 2 club lengths from the lie no closer the hole and hit, or 3. move the ball back anywhere from where your ball landed and the area you hit it as long as it is no closer to the hole. Is this correct?

Pretty sure your only option is 2 club lengths, or keeping the lie between you and the hole going back as far as you like, and a 1 stroke penalty on an unplayable.






If I hit into a water hazard, can I drop where the ball crossed into the water hazard without having to go back to where I originally hit the shot? Is there any other hazards where I can do this and not incurr the distance penalty?

Thanks for the help-I think I am overthinking the rules, or just need to gain more control over errant shots!
 

ManchesterGolfer

AKA.... Obi-Wan Ho-Nobi
Jan 4, 2006
3,467
0
Unplayable you also have the option of replaying from the original place, as well as the 2 clubs length and back as far as you want keeping the point at which the unplayable lie occured between you and the pin.
 
OP
7

74 thing

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
64
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
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Thanks for the info. I need to keep an eye out for the red, yellow and white markers.

How does it work when you drop the ball across the hazard as indicated in the red stake response above? What do I use as a determining factor if I drop the ball before the water or after the water?
 

slickpitt

Well-Known Member
Aug 15, 2006
2,706
3
Thanks for the info. I need to keep an eye out for the red, yellow and white markers.

How does it work when you drop the ball across the hazard as indicated in the red stake response above? What do I use as a determining factor if I drop the ball before the water or after the water?

Preference. Which gives you the better chance to make a recovery. 2 club lengths on the green side might put you on a really steep embankment in deep rough with little to no chance of getting up and down. Might be a better option to go back 30 yards and hit a nice flat pitch shot.

Generally speaking... when you're just playing around, don't nitpick the rules to death on appropriate drops and such. Take your drop, take your penalty, and play on. Don't worry too much with trying to get the ball dropped within an inch of where you're supposed to the to letter of the law. Even in competition I'll just quickly run through my thought process on where I'm dropping with my competitor to make sure we're agreeable and getting the rules "good enough" right.
 

Lefty_SnowBird

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2009
45
0
You always have the option to hit again from your original spot. Then you lose one stroke + distance. The only exception with the "point of entry" I believe is if a 2 club lenght from point of entry puts you closer to the pin. Best example is Padraig Harrington at the 16th hole of that tournament a couple weeks ago.

He chipped from a tough lie behind the green and flew the ball over the green and into the lake. He couldn't drop there between the lake and the pin, so he went all the way across the hazard. His only other option would have been to rehit from behind the green. He did that when he shot an 8 the following week. Flew the green again into the water hazard, but this time, elected to rehit from the same spot.

White stakes (OB) don't leave you any option...it's automatic rehit with 1 stroke penalty.
 

slickpitt

Well-Known Member
Aug 15, 2006
2,706
3
Best example is Padraig Harrington at the 16th hole of that tournament a couple weeks ago.

He chipped from a tough lie behind the green and flew the ball over the green and into the lake. He couldn't drop there between the lake and the pin, so he went all the way across the hazard. His only other option would have been to rehit from behind the green. He did that when he shot an 8 the following week. Flew the green again into the water hazard, but this time, elected to rehit from the same spot.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong... but his only option was to go across the pond and drop since it was a yellow staked hazard. Had it been a red stake, I believe he could have dropped there where it entered(two club lengths no closer) or dropped where he hit the original shot.
 

Esox

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Aug 6, 2008
860
7
If the OP is close to a Barnes & Noble, we recently purchased a nice book in the clearance rack for $1.00. It is an illustrated rule book. We bought it for my twelve year old daughter who plays in tournaments and my wife. It even helped me brush up on a few things.

Kevin
 

Augster

Rules Nerd
Supporting Member
Mar 9, 2005
1,473
23
Red stakes, lateral hazard, you have more options than yellow stakes, water hazard.

Red stakes you can replay from the original spot, OR take two club lengths from point of entry no closer to the hole, OR line up point of entry with the flag and take the ball back on that line as far as you'd like, OR FINALLY, drop on the other side of the red hazard equidistant to your point of entry within 2 club lengths of that point.

With yellow stakes, water hazard, you have to either play from the original spot, or drop behind the hazard. With yellow stakes, you always have to have the hazard between you and the pin on your drop.

Harrington's Hazard was Yellow Staked thus requiring he drop behind the hazard. In the PGA, his hazard was red-staked, so he took two club-lengths from point of entry.
 

Fourputt

Littleton, Colorado
Sep 5, 2006
973
0
I am unclear on three rules: 1. Stroke and distance, 2. Unplayable lie, 3. Water hazard.

If I am hitting off the tee box or wherever and I hit it out of bounds by the red stakes then is this a stroke and distance penalty and I have to re-hit from as close to my original postion as possible? Can I drop by the red stakes where the ball went in or is this not allowed?

I've never known red stakes to define out of bounds. So do you mean that there is a lateral water hazard, and then beyond that it is out of bounds? If so, and if your ball is out of bounds, then you have no choice but stroke and distance... rehit from the original spot. In order to play it as a water hazard it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the hazard. If there is any doubt, then the ball is deemed to be out of bounds.

If I declare an unplayable lie then I can either: 1. re-hit from as close to my original position, or 2. move the ball within 2 club lengths from the lie no closer the hole and hit, or 3. move the ball back anywhere from where your ball landed and the area you hit it as long as it is no closer to the hole. Is this correct?

Your option 1 and 2 are correct, but you are mistaken on option 3. For option 3, the line you can drop on is not back toward where you hit the ball from. The line is drawn from the hole through where the ball lies, and back on that line you can go as far as you want as long as you remain in bounds.


If I hit into a water hazard, can I drop where the ball crossed into the water hazard without having to go back to where I originally hit the shot? Is there any other hazards where I can do this and not incurr the distance penalty?

Thanks for the help-I think I am overthinking the rules, or just need to gain more control over errant shots!

This depends on the type of water hazard. If it's a regular water hazard (yellow stakes or lines), then you only have 2 choices. Stroke and distance (hit from the original spot) or on a line from the hole through the point where the ball last crossed onto the hazard, and you can go back on that line as far as you want, same as above. If it is a lateral water hazard (red stakes or lines), then you have a third option of dropping within 2 clublengths of where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard. You may also drop within 2 clublengths of a point directly across the hazard equidistant from the hole.

Knowing all of your options in any relief or dropping situation is a major part of playing this game. You can get yourself into all sorts of complicated penalty difficulties by doing it incorrectly. I recommend reading and learning Rule 20, and Rules 24 thru 28. That will cover most of your questions.

The Rules of Golf can be found at USGA: Rules and Decisions
 

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