IJGT Rules Blog

Water Hazards

At every IJGT Tournament, players encounter situations where they are unsure of how to proceed under the Rules of Golf. In this blog series, we will be highlighting a scenario from one of our prior tournaments. Real, on-course examples allow us to better understand the complicated set of guidelines we call rules. Contrary to popular belief, the Rules of Golf are there for the player’s benefit.

Last weekend during our tournament at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., the players encountered many water hazards at the home of the PGA TOUR. In order to take the proper relief you first need to know which type of water hazard your ball entered which are discussed under Rule 26. The two types of water hazards are:

• Water Hazard (Yellow Stakes and Lines)
• Lateral Water Hazard (Red Stakes and Lines)

If you would like to take relief under a one-stroke penalty in a lateral water hazard, there are four options.

1) Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played.

2) Drop a ball behind the lateral water hazard  keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the lateral water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the lateral water hazard the ball may be dropped.

3) Drop a ball outside the lateral water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the lateral water hazard.

4) Drop a ball outside the lateral water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than a point on the opposite margin of the lateral water hazard equidistant from the hole.

All four options are not always applicable to every lateral water hazard. Option 4 is very rare, but we did see it last weekend on hole No. 4 at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. The lateral water hazard ran down the right side of the hole. Player A hit his/her drive and it last crossed the margin of the lateral water hazard on the right side. By choosing Option 4, Player A avoided dropping on a severe downhill lie because the left side of the lateral water hazard was relatively flat. The only tricky part with Option 4 is making sure that the point you are taking relief from is equidistant from the hole with the point where your ball last crossed the margin of the lateral water hazard. 

Quiz of the Week:

For a water hazard (Yellow) you are only allowed two of the options listed above. Which two are NOT allowed? Email your responses to Kyle Wolfe (kylew@ijgt.com). Every correct answer will be entered into a drawing to receive a dozen Bridgestone golf balls!

ANSWER:

3) Drop a ball outside the lateral water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the lateral water hazard.

4) Drop a ball outside the lateral water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than a point on the opposite margin of the lateral water hazard equidistant from the hole.

Check out the previous Quiz of the Week with the correct answer here.

Have questions about the Rules of Golf? Email IJGT Tournament Director, Kyle Wolfe (kylew@ijgt.com).