Most golf courses have a number of different water hazards such as ponds, lakes and streams that are strategically located along certain golf holes to make them more challenging to play. If you are playing golf, chances are you eventually will hit your ball into one of these water hazards. But if you know the rules regarding your ball landing in a hazard, that can help you save some penalty strokes.
The United States Golf Association (USGA) covers the rules on water hazards pretty thoroughly in its annual Rules manual. Most of the rules are covered under Rule 26-1. These rules instruct a golfer on what to do once he has determined his golf ball landed in a water hazard.
These rules state that a golfer can play the ball out of a water hazard if he has a shot, but this can only be done if less than half of the ball is covered with water. Even so, trying to hit your ball when it is partially sunk in the water is still extremely difficult to do. The better option, sometimes, is to just take a drop and incur a one-stroke penalty.
First of all, you need to find the location the golf ball crossed into the hazard. Once you find the location, you should then make your decision. You can find the closest point of relief from the spot and no closer to the hole, measure two club lengths and then drop your ball. Once you have decided upon a drop location, hold the ball at arm's length away from your body and at shoulder height, then drop the ball. You can only hit the next shot once the ball lands on the course and settles into its proper place.
Some golfers choose to drop their ball at a farther distance than the minimum, where they feel more comfortable hitting the ball. They can decide to drop the ball at any distance behind where the ball crossed into the water. As long as they can locate the spot where the ball crossed the water, and they keep the spot between them and the hole, they can drop the ball as far away from the hole as they want. This is usually done when the ball entered a water hazard at a spot they do not feel comfortable hitting from, or when there is an obstruction that will prevent them from making a shot at the green.
When dropping the ball from either one of these locations, a golfer is allowed to clean his ball or replace that ball with a new golf ball.
There are different rules that can be applied when you are unsure if your golf ball landed in a water hazard and you cannot find it. You should then treat it as if it's a lost ball. The rules for lost balls are different.
If another golfer fails to follow the rules and hits his next shot, then he will incur a one-stroke penalty. If you have questions with regards to the rules on water hazards, then ask your golf buddies; they should be glad to help you out. Make sure your golf buddies witness your measurement and drop to make sure you followed the rules.
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