Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Ask Linda #1471-Ball crosses hazard and rolls back in

Linda,
In friendly competition today, my friend hit her ball over the water hazard with a yellow line. It hit a tree over there and rolled along a line on the green side of the line and eventually rolled back into the water hazard.
Must she hit again from the teeing side of the hazard, or can she drop on the green side of the hazard?
Thank you for all your help,
Lulu from Dallas, Texas

Dear Lulu,

I answered this question back in June of 2008. It is an important concept, and it won’t hurt to revisit the answer. The ruling is still the same:

“If you hit a ball over a water hazard that is marked entirely with yellow stakes and the ball lands past the hazard boundary on the other side and then rolls back into the hazard, you must drop that ball BEHIND the hazard. Perhaps the best way to remember this is to ask yourself: Where is the ball? In this case, it is in the water hazard. The relief options for a ball in a water hazard require that you hit the ball across the hazard. Your point of reference for taking relief is where the ball LAST crossed the margin of the hazard; that reference point is on the green side of the hazard. Note where your ball rolled back into the hazard; draw an imaginary line from the hole, through that point, across the hazard and back as far as you wish; drop anywhere on that line, behind the hazard.”

Of course, you may also play the ball under stroke and distance, or play it as it lies in the hazard.

Linda
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