Overflowing Water Hazard

[Imurg]

Here's one we had yesterday. There's a pond to the right of our 8th - par 3. CVG's teeshot fell short but rolled around the edge of the pond and trickled back into the water. When we got there it was not obvious where any stakes were -they may have been underwater - as the pond had overflowed. It was probably 1-2 feet higher than normal. As a result the ball had come to rest outside the line of any stakes/line marking the hazard.
So was the ball in the hazard or was it in casual water?

As we were playing a friendly I gave him a freebie - wished I hadn't coz the git then chipped it in for a birdie - but we really had no idea as to the correct ruling.
I've been looking at the rule book and I can't find anything concrete either way.

Decision please.

 

[Ethan]

The margins of the hazard are set, and don't move if the pond is either empty or over flowing. Any overflow is casual water.

 

[CVG]

the git then chipped it in for a birdie -

and I didn't fall over getting the ball out of the hole either!

 

[PhilTheFragger]

the git then chipped it in for a birdie -

and I didn't fall over getting the ball out of the hole either!

Makes a bloody change Tee Hee

 

[doc17]

Here's one we had yesterday. There's a pond to the right of our 8th - par 3.

Decision please.

I would suggest that it was casual water as the last time i played that hole the pond was on the left of the hole and therefore the water on the right is not a designated hazard!!

 

[Imurg]

Left, right, who cares its still a pond

 

[doc17]

Left, right, who cares its still a pond

only within the markings of the hazard, which i would say outside it is then designated as casual water.

 

[doc17]

This was from www.wise-old-man.com

Question: Rain causes a water hazard to overflow. How can a player tell if his ball is in the water hazard or in the overflow?

Answer: This would depend upon the circumstance. For example, if the ball clearly went in the water hazard, e.g. in the middle of a pond, then it would be in the water hazard. But if the ball hit short of the water hazard and the overflow, then there would have to be "reasonable evidence" that it did indeed end up in the water hazard. There is a decision in the Rules Of Golf on this question, decision 25-1c/1. Basically, the "reasonable evidence" question would be, "Can the ball be anyplace else?". If the answer is yes, then the ball has to be treated as in the water hazard rather than the casual water, i.e. the overflow.