This is a question relating to the 17 at Brunston Castle a short par three with water short, left and right of the green, if a player's ball crosses the water hazard hits a steep bank and then rolls backwards into the hazard where is the player entitled to drop from?? I think most would say the tee side of the lake but at a recent ProAm a Pro dropped the green side of the lake much to my puzzlement as for me he was dropping closer to the hole. Who is right?

Fearghal,

It all depends on the type of Hazard. If it is 'Lateral' (Red marked) then it is a drop within two clublengths of the point the ball last crossed the margin, no nearer the hole. Some lakes can have a player dropping on the green side then.

TheLyth

As David has said, it all depends on the colour of the posts, red or yellow!

Yellow you would have to drop it behind the hazard

Red you can drop to the side of the hazard

Russ

Thing is as far as we could see there is no way you could drop green side of the lake without moving the ball closer to the hole than where it had finished. Potentially you could drop to the right of where the ball landed but it would improve your lie , make for an easier chip and it was unlikely that the drop wasn't closer to the hole.If that's the rule that's the rule but most club players in the situation would have gone back over the lake to ensure they were above reproach

Unless a dropping zone is provided you may never drop nearer the hole.