Linda, I had trouble in two water hazards. In one, my ball carried the water but plugged in the bank on the other side; it was not past the red line on the ground, so my ball was still in the hazard. In the other, I was in the hazard but on dry land and could play my ball, except there was a concrete base with a small electrical box on top that interfered with my swing. Please tell me the proper procedure in both cases.
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
I’m afraid I have nothing but bad news for you. Neither of the rules that provide free relief for an embedded ball (Rule 25-2) or from an immovable obstruction (Rule 24-2) is applicable when your ball is in a water hazard. You must either play the ball as it lies, or assess yourself a one-stroke penalty and proceed under any of the relief options for a ball in a water hazard (Rule 26-1). For a review of those options, please see “Rules #4-Relief Options, Part III: Water Hazards,” which I posted in April.
Linda
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