Friday, December 12, 2014

Ask Linda #964-Move ball in hazard

Linda … if a player inadvertently causes a ball to move while in a lateral hazard before attempting his/her shot is it an additional penalty? Let’s say a ball is sitting precariously on some foliage inside the red stakes of a lateral water hazard. The player, in taking a stance to try to determine if the ball is playable, inadvertently moves enough foliage that the ball moves and is now definitely unplayable. Is it just the one stroke penalty for being in the hazard, or is there now an additional penalty for causing the ball to move? 

Thanks,
Lou from Texas

Dear Lou,

The player incurs a one-stroke penalty for moving his ball in play. If he wants to try to hit it from the hazard, he will have to replace the ball. If he  fails to replace it, and plays the ball from its new location in the hazard, the penalty is two strokes.

If the player decides to take relief outside the hazard, he incurs two penalty strokes – one for moving his ball in play, one for taking relief from the hazard.

Linda
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