Rule clarification please

**Not a hacker** · 02-24-2011

Yetsreday I came across a situation I hadn't encountered in 25 years of playing competition. A guy in my group played his ball as it lied in a water hazard (red markers), and hit it out of bounds. What is the ruling for this? The only thing I could think of in the rules was that if you hit a shot out of bounds from a bunker (a hazard), you re drop in the bunker with a penalty, but I wasn't sure if you were allowed to drop in a red staked hazard. Can anyone shed some light on this?

**oldplayer** · 02-24-2011

Not to sure but you wouldn't drop another ball in the water/hazard. You would probably have to play the next shot after taking relief from the hazard with the appropriate penalties.

**edgey** · 02-24-2011

NAH

R&A Decisions on the rules of golf 08-10

Decision 26-2/1

If a player chooses to play out of a water hazard and hits the ball out of bounds he must re-drop the ball at the point in the hazard he played from under penalty of 1 stroke. He can then either elect to play form that point or under penalty of 1 more stroke take relief from the hazard as prescribed by the rules for water hazards.

I am sure the USGA rules are the same

Edgey

**Not a hacker** · 02-24-2011

Originally Posted by edgey

NAH

R&A Decisions on the rules of golf 08-10

Decision 26-2/1

If a player chooses to play out of a water hazard and hits the ball out of bounds he must re-drop the ball at the point in the hazard he played from under penalty of 1 stroke. He can then either elect to play form that point or under penalty of 1 more stroke take relief from the hazard as prescribed by the rules for water hazards.

I am sure the USGA rules are the same

Edgey

Thanks Edgey. We play under R&A rules in Oz so that rule stands. We actually guessed that he could drop in the hazard. What OP said crossed my mind too, but we decided that as you can drop in a bunker maybe you can drop in all hazards. My rules book has been in the bag during a rain storm and was ruined, so I couldn't read the rules. I'm glad we didn't agree to break the rules as that would be a DQ for eveyone.