Monthly Rules of Golf Newsletter
Lateral Hazards
February 2024
Lateral hazards are areas of the golf course, not in the “general area” such as creeks,
scrub and lakes marked by red stakes and or red paint. They occur on nearly every
hole at Lake Windcrest and I have found each of them at one time or another.
Sometimes I find multiple in the same round!
Players first establish that the ball is in a lateral hazard if their ball comes to rest within
the penalty area defined by red paint. The red paint itself is considered hazard, so if
any part of the ball contacts the red paint, then the ball is deemed to be within the
lateral hazard. In the absence of paint, the player may observes their ball within the
penalty area by viewing the line of sight between two red stakes.
The red stake lateral hazard offers three drop options. The spot where the ball crosses
the hazard line is called a reference point. The first option, is to play again within 1
club length of the spot from which you hit the ball into the hazard. The second option,
is to drop two club lengths from the reference point. The third option, is to go back as
far as desired to drop within 2 club lengths of the line created between the pin and
the reference point. Keep in mind you can also play out of the hazard without penalty
if you believe it’s your best option.
Let’s consider a few examples from holes at Lake Windcrest.
Lake Windcrest Par 5 Hole #11
The club recently designated the tall grass
along the left side of hole #11 as lateral
hazard. Players often find their ball and play it
out of the cabbage in one or more shots. On
the occasion that they do not find the ball, it
is important to honor the reference point
when determining their drop options.
Rarely do players hit big curving shots that
cross the hazard line relatively close to the
area the players believe the ball to be, (such
as the blue shot trace). In that rare case, after
the player abandons the search they can take
two club lengths and drop with a one stroke
penalty.
More commonly, players hit a big pull that
crosses the hazard line much farther back
(black shot trace), across from the white tee.
This would be the appropriate place to take a
lateral drop; however, that drop would create
a big hanging lie problem for the next shot.
In either case the player has the option of
dropping two club lengths, no closer to the
hole, on the line that is created from the pin
through the reference point (dashed lines). In
both cases this would involve dropping within
the tall grass in the hazard.
In effect, the pulled shot on #11 plays stroke
and distance. If a player is unsuccessful at
finding their ball it creates a pace or play issue
for them to travel back and retee. The club
should consider adding a drop zone option on
the far side of the creek in the interest of
pace of play.
X
X
Lake Windcrest Par 4 Hole #12
Consider you hit your tee shot right into the lateral
hazard on hole #12. The ball comes to rest in a bad
lie. Maybe it was wet in the ditch. You believe it’s not
in your best interest to attempt to play penalty fee
and instead elect to take a one stroke penalty drop.
You could retee hitting your third shot (blue drop
circle), but dropping 2 club lengths from the point of
entry would allow you to potentially reach the green
on your third shot.
You drop two club lengths from the hazard and your
ball comes to rest on the cart path.
Since the hazard line is right of the cart path, the
path is not in the hazard and is instead part of the
general area. You are entitled to free relief from a
cart path located within the general area and you are
required to find nearest point of relief within the
general area. Therefore, the correct nearest point of
free relief from the cart path is left of the cart path.
The net effect is your ball is in play laying 2 left of the
cart path. In general, it is important to follow the
order of operations. Take the lateral drop, then take
cart path relief. In some variations of this case, where
the ball comes to rest on the cart path could affect
the nearest point of relief.
X
Lake Windcrest Par 5 Hole #1
You hit a big drive on #1 and your ball comes to rest on
the bridge which is part of the cart path, but in this
case the bridge is located within the lateral hazard. You
have the three penalty drop options. The first option is
to retee and hit your 3rd shot from the tee box. The
second option is to go back on line with the pin,
although I do not recommend dropping in the pond.
The third option is to take 2 club length penalty drop
from the reference point.
Lastly you could be brave and play the ball off the
bridge without penalty.
X
Lake Windcrest Par 4 Hole #5
You hit your drive right of the fairway
and the ball rolls into a sloppy wet lie
in the lateral hazard.
You attempt to play out of the hazard
and the ball only moves a few feet
and plunks into the creek (blue line).
Your options are now to one stroke
penalty drop within a club length or
since the ball did not come out of the
hazard, refer to your last reference
point and take two club lengths one
stroke penalty drop.
Perhaps instead when you hit your
shot from the hazard the ball had left
the hazard for a time and bounced
within the general area down by the
green before coming to rest again
within the lateral hazard (yellow line).
In this case, a new reference point is
established allowing you to drop two
club lengths from the hazard down
by the green.
Sometimes trying to make a hero’s
shot can lead to a messy high score.
Usually it is best to take your
medicine, in this case, a two club
length one shot penalty drop instead
of ruining your new shoes!
X
X
The area right of hole #6 looks like it should be
lateral hazard. It confuses me that sometimes
there are stakes and paint marking the area as
lateral hazard and other times we cannot find
the stakes.
For an area to be lateral hazard it technically
needs to be marked. When stakes or paint are
not seen, balls hit into that area that are not
found should be treated as a lost ball which is
stroke and distance penalty.
Lake Windcrest Par 4 Hole #6
Lake Windcrest Par 4 Hole #9
X
Players who hit errant tee shots
left on #9 should consider if the
ball actually went out of bounds
rather than into the lateral
penalty area (black shot trace).
Out of bounds requires a retee;
although, a local USGA rule
made in 2019 allows for players
to drop in the fairway with a
two stroke penalty in the spirit
of pace of play. A similar
situation exists on #7 and #10
where depending on how far
offline the ball was hit, the ball
could be reasonably thought to
be in the hazard or out of
bounds.
More commonly, players
attempt to cut the corner and
the ball rolls down the hill into
the penalty area. Players should
remember that they do not
have to drop laterally, they can
also drop within 2 club lengths
in line with the pin to avoid the
intense hanging lie.
Lake Windcrest Par 4 Hole #10
X
The #10 hole is particularly difficult. A lateral
hazard and out of bounds line the left side of
the hole. Similar to hole #9, shots hit well
left that cannot reasonably be thought to be
in the lateral hazard should be played as a
out of bounds which requires a retee or 2
stroke penalty drop in the fairway see USGA
2019 rule.
More commonly, drives trundle down the hill
into the lateral hazard which firmly
establishes a reference point for a 2 club
length, one penalty stroke drop from the
reference point. Again, similar to hole #9,
players dropping in this manner are faced
with a steep hanging lie, but unlike #9, the
option to go back on line with the pin
doesn’t exist since out of bounds runs
closely parallel with the hazard for the
length of the hole.
If this wasn’t enough of a challenge, the hole
is also long, and has a severely undulating
green with pins frequently placed in
locations requiring climbing gear.
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2024 USGA Handicap Revisions
Local Rules & USGA Handicap Revisions for 2024
