Proper drop water hazard

[clem6969]

Ball crosses creek twice, goes over land and then enters creek again left of green ( Wolf Creek 8) . No yellow or red stakes or lines on hazard indicating type of hazard, so believe it defaults to lateral. Can player drop on red dot as it is further from hole than it entered the hazard. Pics attached.
Researched as much as can and found video where Phil Mik dropped on an island green as there was room to make the drop further from the hole. As you can see in photos there is a drop zone, but believe player has the option as land was crossed prior to last point of entry.
In the end, player took a one stroke penalty, dropped on dot, within two club lengths of entry further from hole and proceeded with third shot.

 

[backwoodsman]

If a ball is in a penalty area, then if you are going to take penalty relief, the reference point for the drop is the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the PA. The fact that the ball bounced right over the hazard (before finally bouncing back in) doesn't come into it.

But, in the case you describe, there's a drop zone. You'd need to check the local rules as to whether the use of the drop zone is optional or compulsory.

 

[Colin L]

Ball crosses creek twice, goes over land and then enters creek again left of green ( Wolf Creek 8) . No yellow or red stakes or lines on hazard indicating type of hazard, so believe it defaults to lateral. Can player drop on red dot as it is further from hole than it entered the hazard. Pics attached.
Researched as much as can and found video where Phil Mik dropped on an island green as there was room to make the drop further from the hole. As you can see in photos there is a drop zone, but believe player has the option as land was crossed prior to last point of entry.
In the end, player took a one stroke penalty, dropped on dot, within two club lengths of entry further from hole and proceeded with third shot.View attachment 55920

You are correct that the creek although unmarked is a red penalty area (hazard in pre-2019 speak). Assuming the broken red line is the flight of the ball it crosses the creek once, (a close shave for the guy in the blue shirt ) and then enters the creek. That his ball has crossed over the creek already isn't relevant; all that matters is where it last crossed the edge of the penalty area which is about two o'clock from the red blob. He has the relief options of back on the line from where it crossed the edge, stroke and distance or within two club lengths of where it last crossed, not nearer the hole. He chose the last and provided his dropped a ball landed within the two club length relief area and stayed in it, his drop was good.

 

[jim8flog]

Just to add.

In the event that there are no post or lines defining the boundary of the penalty area, the boundary is deemed to be the natural boundaries i.e where the land slopes down to form the depression that holds the water.