Lateral water hazard

[azazel]

Hi folks,

Been meaning to ask for some advice regarding the first hole at our place (Machrihanish - I'm sure a few of you know it).

Basically you tee off hitting across the beach - lateral water hazard - towards the first fairway. Generally balls which don't make it across or have been hooked will stop on the beach before they get to the sea so most people are able to play it off the beach back towards the green on fairway.

However, over the last couple of years quite a lot of sand has been shifted by the tide and a number of large rocks are exposed, meaning you could quite easily be up against one and have no shot.

Am I right in thinking that, based on the diagram of the hole here, your only option would really be to go back and play three off the tee as none of the lateral water hazard options would work? I can't see a way of dropping on the opposite side of the hazard from the point where the ball last crossed the margin, due to the need to be equidistant to the hole from that point. (obviously a severe hook which may have started on the line of the fairway and made it across, only to re-enter the hazard, would be straightforward).

Dropping between the tee and hazard (where the ball crosses the margin) probably could be an option under the rules but as it's basically all rocks I wouldn't fancy trying it!

Or have I missed something obvious?!

 

[duncan mackie]

I can't view the image but it sounds like you have the right idea.
The steps are always the same for any water hazard...

1. Establish the point on the margin of the hazard that the ball last crossed. This is your first reference point and is critical most of the time. Your second reference point is the last point you played from to get in the hazard!
2. Establish your options.
3. Choose and proceed.

 

[Hosel Fade]

Hi folks,

Been meaning to ask for some advice regarding the first hole at our place (Machrihanish - I'm sure a few of you know it).

Basically you tee off hitting across the beach - lateral water hazard - towards the first fairway. Generally balls which don't make it across or have been hooked will stop on the beach before they get to the sea so most people are able to play it off the beach back towards the green on fairway.

However, over the last couple of years quite a lot of sand has been shifted by the tide and a number of large rocks are exposed, meaning you could quite easily be up against one and have no shot.

Am I right in thinking that, based on the diagram of the hole here, your only option would really be to go back and play three off the tee as none of the lateral water hazard options would work? I can't see a way of dropping on the opposite side of the hazard from the point where the ball last crossed the margin, due to the need to be equidistant to the hole from that point. (obviously a severe hook which may have started on the line of the fairway and made it across, only to re-enter the hazard, would be straightforward).

Dropping between the tee and hazard (where the ball crosses the margin) probably could be an option under the rules but as it's basically all rocks I wouldn't fancy trying it!

Or have I missed something obvious?!

I thought the whole fear factor and hardest opening hole aspect of that tee shot was that it was all OoB? I'm guessing its changed recently

In any case as you correctly think there is no equidistant point here and then you have the other options of back in line or two clublengths which sound like they are not very helpful so you might as well put it back on a tee and try again with driver.

Unless you can make a case of going 400 yards past the green up the beach and claiming that as an equidistant point on the opposite margin (I'm taking the piss here but am wondering if that would be a legal drop)

 

[patricks148]

Hi folks,

Been meaning to ask for some advice regarding the first hole at our place (Machrihanish - I'm sure a few of you know it).

Basically you tee off hitting across the beach - lateral water hazard - towards the first fairway. Generally balls which don't make it across or have been hooked will stop on the beach before they get to the sea so most people are able to play it off the beach back towards the green on fairway.

However, over the last couple of years quite a lot of sand has been shifted by the tide and a number of large rocks are exposed, meaning you could quite easily be up against one and have no shot.

Am I right in thinking that, based on the diagram of the hole here, your only option would really be to go back and play three off the tee as none of the lateral water hazard options would work? I can't see a way of dropping on the opposite side of the hazard from the point where the ball last crossed the margin, due to the need to be equidistant to the hole from that point. (obviously a severe hook which may have started on the line of the fairway and made it across, only to re-enter the hazard, would be straightforward).

Dropping between the tee and hazard (where the ball crosses the margin) probably could be an option under the rules but as it's basically all rocks I wouldn't fancy trying it!

Or have I missed something obvious?!

what would you do if the tide were in?

 

[azazel]

Thanks for the replies so far folks.

To answer a couple of questions, to the best of my knowledge the beach has never been OOB.

If the tide was high enough up the beach to be a major problem I certainly wouldn't be golfing as it takes some wind/weather conditions to get it all the way up. Hypothetically though, I suppose three off the tee would be the only option so that's a good way of clearing it up :thup:

 

[patricks148]

Or you could just take the Beach out of the equation and take the Kemlo Line.

which was straight back up the 18th