who's right...........

[time_vans]

when i hooked a tee shot into the lake i opted to go again off the tee with 2 shot penalty but my lad reckons i had the option of a drop next to said water hazard which i suppose would make better sense as i have incurred a penalty so might as well start 200yds plus up the fairway is he right did i drop a clanger? thankfully 2nd shot ok . plus i read somewhere that 9 out of 10 golfers never break 100 is that right as i set myself a target for my first year of breaking 100 am i being unrealistic ( had two rounds so far 140 and 118) if 9 out of 10 never break 100 then it is a very elite forum and perhaps i shouldn't be on here till i've improved a lot!!!

 

[Gasp]

Your lad was right you may take a penalty drop 2 club lengths from where the ball enetered the hazard not nearer the hole. However there are two types of water hazard and different options available to you.
I suggest that you look it up in the rules as that will explain it in a much more concise and accurate way than I ever could.

As for breaking 100 you've already come down 22 shots in 1 round. Keep going and you'll get there. I'm sure the statistic of 9/10 is exagerated. Good luck.

 

[USER1999]

9/10 has to be a huge exageration, unless it was measured in Turkey, in which case it is probably right.

Out of interest, it is a one shot penalty, so first shot in the drink, second is the penalty, playing the third from the tee, or, from the point nearest to where the ball crossed the edge of the water hazard, keeping in line with the pin.

 

[RGuk]

9/10 golfers never break 100, sure, but 9/10 people who "play golf" aren't regular golfers!!!

regular golfers break 100 every time out, unless they play off 28 or something and then quite badly compared to their h'cap.

If you've been coming down each time, it'll just get better and better until you find your place, then it's a question of practice/lessons/talent.

I think the first 5 rounds I played (9 hole) were not ever recorded (although I remember a 98!), the first full 18 I did was in 114, then within a few rounds, under 100. I was playing to mid 90s when I got my handicap (24), went for lessons and got down to 8 in a few years.

Dave

 

[RGuk]

murph is right on the drop rule, but it's worth noting that the drop has to be in line with the pin. If the water hazard is a brook across the fairway, dropping short of it keeping the place where it went in between you and the flag is correct. If a lake runs down the side of the hole, you can't just drop one anywhere near where it went in (hacker's rule) you need to go back until you can find an allowable place.
Incidentaly, I got stuck in a bush 30 yards from a green once and couldn't work out what to do. In the end I went back up the adjacent fairway to 100-105 yards. One shot penalty and much better than dropping two club lengths, which would have meant still in the bush.

I'm rubbish on rules, if I don't know what to do, I play it as it lies. Basicaly any drop where you penalise yourself one stroke and then plonk it down "just somewhere" is almost certainly illegal.

Dave

 

[MVP]

im sure that 9/10 golfers dont break 90 ive seen that writtendown befor but not 100, what do i know anyway! lol

 

[time_vans]

whats an 'allowable' place ??

 

[USER1999]

Somewhere where you will find it after you have dropped it is a good start.

 

[Leftie]

As Gasp posted earlier, it is very difficult to explain all the subleties of the rules on an ad hoc basis on the Forum.

Assuming that you are a subscriber or at least a regular purchaser of Golf Monthly, you should have received the latest copy of the Rule Book with the current edition. This explains exactly what you can/cannot do in all conceivable circumstances together with any reliefs, penalties etc. In addition there is a monthly article on certain aspects of the rules and a monthly competition on rules knowledge.

If you haven't got this months edition then I strongly recommend you buy it.

At first glance the rules seem complicated with peculiar phrases such as "through the green", "abnormal ground condition", "moveable obstructions" etc. but if you take it one step at a time they do make sense. There is a section in the book now that is called A Quick Guide to the Rules of Golf that is a very easy to understand outline explanation of the most common circumstances occurring on the course including your query relating to water hazards and lateral water hazards. Also covered are the correct dropping procedures which an awful lot of golfers think they know but is one of the most abused rules, and dropping the ball in the wrong place is just plain cheating.

I know that it probably sounds daft but there is even a rule that clearly explains the procedure to be followed if you or your playing partners don't know what rule should be applied in a particular circumstance!

As far as I am concerned, it is every golfer's duty to have least a general understanding of the Rules of Golf. They are there to generate a level playing field (excuse the pun) for all and can be used to your advantage as well.

 

[Leftie]

Tim

I've just re-read my post and it looks as though I was possibly "having a go" at you. That was not my intention and I am sorry if it appeared so. It's just that I have a thing about experienced golfers who appear to either not know the rules or interpret them in a way that they shouldn't.

I realise that you are new to the game and are commendably keen to play and learning the rules will come in time.

I would however definitely recommend just reading through at least the Quick Guide. This will give you an outline understanding of the main elements and I believe that this will increase your enjoyment of the game.

 

[RGuk]

An "allowable place" (my description) from the rules of golf

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped; or
c. As additional options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i)the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole.

You can download the whole pdf file from the R & A.

 

[viscount17]

timevans, as a new golfer breaking a 100 in the first year is a commendable target. Not everyone mangages it; my mate (who's now off 13) took two years, I'm chuffed that I made it in one but I can't do it every time. That will come.
(My target for the first year (I started last January) was to break a 100, leaving getting a handicap and playing a competitive match to the next. Once I broke the 100 I moved second year targets forward. I didn't set getting a birdie as a target but that came as I improved - or by luck!) One step at a time is enough.
The problem with golf is that you cannot say that because I've been playing 6 weeks, I should be doing X and after 6 months, Y. It doesn't work like that.
It was suggested to me that you don't count strokes as such but score it as a Stableford (you can find out how on the web). The reasoning was that focusing on strokes adds a pressure that you don't need at this stage. Your improvement will be measured by the increase in points.

 

[time_vans]

no need to apologise i didnt feel you were being anything but helpful and i appreciate all the advise recieved even though i find somethings still seem a little confusing i guess it will become clearer as i gain experience ie. water hazard and lateral water hazard.

 

[RGuk]

From wikipedia
--------
Two types of water hazards exist: "lateral" water hazards (marked with red stakes around the perimeter of the hazard) and "regular" water hazards (marked with yellow stakes). Lateral hazards are usually adjacent to the hole being played, while regular hazards generally cross the hole being played, forcing the player to hit over the water hazard.
--------

With a regular water hazard, there will almost certainly be a place to drop the ball short of the hazard keeping the place where the ball went in between you and the pin.
With a lateral one, this could most likely not be the case, hence a possibly different approach as to "what to do".

Download the pdf file (search on google for rules etc.) see if you can work out the difference.

Dave