Linda,
If my ball enters a lateral water hazard and I'm opting to
take closest point of relief, with a penalty, and that relief has me standing
on the cart path, what are my options?
The relief area is narrow, so there isn't any other place
that doesn't have me standing on the path.
Can I cross the cart path and take my two clubs lengths ...
no closer to the hole?
Lulu from Florida
Dear Lulu,
“Nearest point of relief” is not a relief option for a ball
in a hazard. Since you describe the water hazard as “lateral,” I’m going to
assume that you meant to say you want to choose option “c” under Rule 26-1 and
drop a ball within two club-lengths (no closer to the hole) of the point where
the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard.
You will have to take relief from one problem at a time.
First take the two-club-length drop from the hazard. After the drop, if the
cart path now interferes with your stance for your next shot, you are entitled
to take relief from the cart path.
Find the nearest point of relief from the cart path that is
no closer to the hole, and drop within one club-length of that spot. The
nearest point of relief may very well be on the far side of the cart path,
since you are prohibited from dropping a ball in a hazard when your ball lies
“through the green” (basically, not in a hazard).
If the area next to the hazard is so narrow that the cart
path will almost certainly interfere with your next shot, you will eventually
find the correct relief point on the other side of the cart path. However, this
must be a two-step process.
Linda
Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
