Rules question.

[AuburnWarrior]

OK, my Dad was playing today and the incident occured on the 17th hole.

It was a bounce game.

My Father drives and finds the first cut of the rough. One of his party drives and goes further into the rough stuff. There's a hazard in the area that the ball has travelled to.

My Dad starts looking for his ball and sees a ball lying in the hazard. Now, this hazard is a lateral water hazard which during the summer doesn't contain any water.

Now, my Dad isn't the steadiest on his feet (he uses a sit down golf cart to assist him) so, to check the ownership of the ball in question, my Dad starts to climb down the bank into the hazard. He looses his balance. To steady himself he uses his club which touches the bottom of the hazard.

One of the group immediately states that he's incurred a two shot penalty. Is that correct??

My thinking is that if there was water in the hazard and I try to retrieve the ball so that I can drop it, by placing my club in the hazard, have I incurred a two shot penalty?

Confused of Kent

 

[Leftie]

Grounding a club in a hazard for support is perfectly OK.

No penalty.

Not even if he is your old man.

 

[Golfmmad]

If it was a friendly game I'm surprised that your mates didn't offer to help your Dad, let alone call a penalty!

Definitely no penalty.

Golfmmad.

 

[USER1999]

Leftie is right, well, left, but you know what I mean.

 

[CliveW]

The actual ruling is Rule 13-4.
Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions.
"Except as provided in the Rules, before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard (whether a bunker or water hazard) or that, having been lifted from a hazard, may be dropped or placed in the hazard, the player must not:
a. Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard;
b. Toch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club; or
c. Touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard.

EXCEPTIONS:
1. Provided nothing is done that constitutes testing the condition of the hazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if the player (a) touches the ground or loose impediments in any hazard or water in a water hazard as a result of or to prevent falling, in removing an obstruction, in measuring or in marking the position of, retrieving, lifting, placing or replacing a ball under any rule or (b) places his clubs in a hazard."

So from that I would assume that you cannot touch the ground with your club at address before making the shot, or a practice swing, but as long as you aren't testing the condition or improving the lie, then you can.