Ball in Water Hazard – How to Proceed
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Rules Regarding a Ball in Water Hazard
In the USGA Rule Book under Rule 26, Water Hazards, you will find out how to proceed
when your ball is lost or comes to rest in a water hazard. All water hazards on the
MountainView and Preserve Golf Courses are lateral water hazards.
Hazard Do’s and Don’ts can be found in Rule 13 Ball Played as It Lies. 13-4 Ball in
Hazard; Prohibited actions says you cannot:
a. Test the condition of the hazard; or
b. Touch the ground in the hazard or the water in a water hazard; or
c. Touch or move a loose impediment (p10) lying in or touching a hazard.
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Provided there is nothing done to test the condition of a hazard or improve the lie of the
ball, you
may:
a. Touch the ground or water to prevent falling, in removing an obstruction, in
measuring or in retrieving, lifting, placing or replacing a ball or placing a club in a
hazard.
b. During address or in making a your back stroke touch with a club any obstruction
grass, bush, tree or other growing thing.
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c. Remove movable obstructions. Local Rule - The Preserve Hole 17
The ground on the left side of the fairway on hole 17, marked by red stakes or lines has
been defined as a lateral water hazard. All ground and water beyond the defined margin
of the hazard is in the hazard.
Ball in Hazard
If there is a question whether a ball is lost inside or outside of a water hazard, there
must be reasonable evidence that the ball lodged in the hazard or it will be treated as a
lost ball.
If you find your ball in a water hazard you may play it as it lies or proceed under one of
the following relief options under penalty of one stroke. If your ball is lost in a water
hazard you may proceed under one of the following relief options under penalty of one
stroke:
a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last
played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball
last crossed the margin of water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on
which the ball is dropped, with no limit as to how far behind the water hazard the
ball may be dropped; or
c. As additional options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral
water hazard, drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and
not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the
margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water
hazard equidistant from the hole.
If you play your ball from within a water hazard and it comes to rest in the same or
another water hazard, you have the following options:
1. Proceed under option a. above with a one stroke penalty. If after the drop
you elect not to play the ball you may, with reference to this hazard,
proceed under b. or c. above adding an additional one stroke penalty; or
2. Proceed under b. or, if applicable, c. above with a one stroke penalty; or
3. Play a ball from the spot from which the last stroke played from outside a
water hazard was played with a one stroke penalty.
If you play your ball from within the hazard and it is lost or unplayable outside the
hazard or is out of bounds you may after taking a one stroke penalty under Rule 27-1 or
28a: 1. Play a ball from the spot in the hazard from which the original ball was
played; or
2. Proceed under b. or if applicable c. above (add one stroke penalty); or,
3. Play a ball from the spot from which the last stroke outside the hazard was
played (add one stroke penalty).
If a ball is dropped under 1. above you are not required to play it. You may proceed
under 2. or 3. above.
If a ball is declared unplayable outside the hazard you may proceed under Rule 28, Ball
Unplayable.
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PROVISIONAL BALL ON HOLES WITH LATERAL HAZARD: If there is doubt whether
a ball is in or is lost in the lateral water hazard, a player may play another ball provisionally under any of the applicable options in Rule 26-1. If the original ball is found outside
the water hazard, the player must continue play with it. If the original ball is found in the
water hazard, the player may either play the original ball as it lies or continue with the
ball played provisionally under Rule 26-1. If the original ball is not found or identified
within the five-minute search period, the player must continue with the ball played provisionally.
Mountain View: Holes # 3, 7, 8, 11, 15, and 18
The Preserve: Holes # 5, 6, 8, 10, and 15
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If your ball is lying against the cart path you are in the hazard and there is no relief from
an immovable obstruction (e.g. cart path) in a lateral water hazard ( Rule 24-2b). Also if your ball is lying on the cart path and touching the red line, you are in the hazard.
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1. If you decide to take the two club length relief option (Rule 26-1c), under penalty of
one stroke, you may drop the ball within two club lengths not nearer the hole from
where it crossed into the hazard.
Since the cart path may be wider than two club lengths, this would require a drop on the
cart path.
2. If after dropping your ball it rolls more than 2 club lengths. nearer the hole from
where it crossed the hazard, or rolls back into the hazard you are required to re-drop it (
Rule 20-2c ).If this occurs after the re-drop, you must place the ball where it hit the cart
path.
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3. Since your ball is now on an immovable obstruction, you get 1 club from the nearest
point of relief not nearer the hole ( Rule 24-2b). If your ball rolls back onto the cart path,
rolls more than two club lengths, or nearer the hole you must re-drop.
4. Your ball is now in play.
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NOTE: Taking relief from the hazard and the cart path in one step is in violation of The
Rules of Golf. If you do so, you are subject to the one stroke penalty for taking relief
from the lateral water hazard and a two stroke penalty for playing from the wrong place
(Rule 20-7). In match play this would be loss of hole.