There is a lot of discussion about the 4th hole at the moment. at our liason meeting we had a very close vote and decided that is should be lateral or red. The difference is that on a hazard (yellow) you can only drop back on a line from point of entry directly in line with the flag. With a lateral hazard (red) there is an additional option that allows to drop 2 club lengths from Point of entry or equi-distant on the other side of the hazard.
There are 2 arguments here:
1. It should be yellow, because you are going over the hazard and that is the line of play. it is also said that the reason it should be yellow is because people drop in the wrong place.
2. It should be red as the direction of the hazard in relation to the hole is lateral. Also it is impossible to drop correctly if it is only yellow as people cannot see the flag. Therefore if you make it lateral, and ensure people follow the rules of golf, then there is always a drop available 2 club lengths from point of entry.
Below is an passage from the rules. I would be interested in peoples opinions on this so please post below if it should be red or yellow.
The official definition of "lateral water hazard" is "a water hazard or that part of a water hazard so situated that it is not possible, or is deemed by the Committee to be impracticable, to drop a ball behind the water hazard in accordance with Rule 26-1b.
Saturday, 18 September 2010
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Hi Clive.
ReplyDeleteFor me - yellow. It is always possible to drop behind this hazard. Plus, as it runs directly across the fairway at this point, I think it a stretch to describe it as lateral.
I would be more interested in explanation of other hazard markers:
1. For the 13th, I can understand why the pond is a red lateral but I cannot understand why it is not a yellow from the 16th tees.
2. Why is the ravine in front of 7th tees a red hazard? Surely it is yellow? The same hazard running across the 3rd is yellow.
Rgds.
Cliff M
I agrre the hazard on the fourth shoudl always be yellow, why if a hit a poor shot into it should a be able to get a drop where it would give me a good line up the fairway side of the hazard.
ReplyDeleteWe as amateurs are never precise enough with our drops anyway (due to not having spotter to show exactly where the ball last crossed the line of the hazard) so the general direction of the flag will be towards the green and the oaktree 80yrds short of the green.
Again, i agree with Cliff with the 7th, i carry the hazard just and bounce back in, i can drop the other side of the ravine -- that cannot be right! and this should be a yellow hazard.
The 16th is a difficult one because it properly should be partly red and partly yellow depending on where you cross the hazard, if it was all yellow, having carried the hazard and got a bad bounce and going in near the green you would then have to go over to towards the 12th grren / 13th tee to take a drop, this would slow play quite a bit so should remain red, but directly infront of the tee box should be yellow.
Should certainly be red as there's no way you can get a line of sight to the pin from there. In fact it's far easier to see the point of entry from the tees and therefore drop 2 club lengths to the side, therefore lateral. Anway, if it's been voted as red - why the discussion.
ReplyDeleteWhilst we're on the subject. Why the drop zone on the 5th, where are the rules around this? Can I drop from anywhere on the 5th? Surely, if you're too long then play another ball or chip away from the trees to leave a shot to the green. If there's a DZ on the 5th then there should certainly be one on the 13th.
Sorry but there is no consistency anymore, which is a shame as Slinfold is a lovely club.
For me the 4th must be a red hazard. The hazard is lateral in the direction of the hole and you cannot see the pin to confirm where the line would be to drop. If people drop in the wrong place they should be told how to drop in the right place, not change the course markings to get everyone to drop in the wrong place.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe within the R and A rules that a hazard becomes lateral because you cannot see the flag to get your line of sight to the flag - you wtach the pro's you have to work it out, R and A rule make it a lateral hazard for when it is not possible to drop it behind the hazard, which with this pond on the fourth where ever the ball last crossed the hazard it is possible to drop the ball behind the hazard. Hence why this should be a yellow hazard.
ReplyDeleteBut of course the committee does have the discretion to make it a laterarl water hazard which tehy clearly have done in this circumstance.
But all of this doesn't matter anyway if you don't go in it!!!!!!!!!