Can you ground your club in a lateral hazard

Previously, the player only got relief if the ball had become embedded in a closely-mown area. Balls embedded in a bunker or in penalty areas still have to be played as they lie. Previously, the player could use any of his clubs to measure out a club-length.

Now, a club-length is defined as the longest club in your bag, except for the putter. Previously, the ball had to be dropped from shoulder height.

Now, you have to drop from knee height. If the ball lands on the wrong green, playing it from there is not allowed, as this would most likely damage the green. However, if the ball only lands near the wrong green the player was previously permitted to stand on the wrong green to play his ball. Now, you also have to take a free drop if you would have to take your stance on the wrong green.

The spot for dropping is therefore now usually a bit further away from the green. Previously, a penalty stroke was incurred if the player hit himself or his own equipment.

Now, this is without penalty provided it happened accidentally. You are therefore not allowed to use your equipment or your foot as a ball stopper.

Previously, a penalty stroke was incurred if the club got stuck when a stroke was played and, as a result, the ball was hit more than once. A double hit therefore just counts as one stroke. Previously, touching the sand in the bunker before the stroke was not permitted, except for very few exceptions.

Now, touching the sand incidentally is basically allowed, i. However, you are still not allowed to test the condition of the sand before the stroke is played, improve the line of play, ground the club in front of or behind the ball or touch the sand during practice swings. You therefore now do not have to be extra careful in bunkers, especially if you are not very close to the ball. Previously, touching leaves, twigs, stones, branches and other loose impediments in bunkers and water hazards was not allowed.

Now, you can remove them anywhere without penalty, including in bunkers and penalty areas new name for water hazards. Please bear in mind that the ball is still not allowed to move when removing loose impediments. Previously, the player had three dropping options — each incurring one penalty stroke — if he declared his ball in a bunker unplayable.

Now, a fourth option is available. You can also drop the ball directly behind the bunker. However, this option costs two penalty strokes instead of just one. You can use this to avoid playing a bunker shot at all but in most cases it will not be worth it. Previously, water hazards could only be marked as such if they actually contained water. The shoulder-height drop is a thing of the past. Now when you have to take a drop, be it for free relief or after hitting into a hazard, the procedure is to drop from knee height.

Grounding the club in a hazard. Gone, too, is the penalty for grounding your club or removing loose impediments in a hazard. Whether you're facing a shot from the dry bank of a lake or trying to hit it back into play from the edge of the water, you can ground your club just like you would in the middle of the fairway. Removing loose impediments in a bunker The rules are a little different in the sand, where loose impediments and stones in bunkers are now fair game.

Players can remove loose impediments like leaves from around their ball, although touching the sand with the club during a practice swing or back swing of an actual stroke in the bunker will still be prohibited.

Players also have the option of not playing from a bunker and incurring a two-stroke penalty. Pulling the pin. Whether you're facing a putt of 3 feet or 30 feet, you now have the option to leave the flagstick in unattended without penalty.

But under the new golf rules debuting in , those days are no more. A golfer will be able to ground their club in any hazard. There's one caveat to the new golf rules allowing a golfer to ground their club in a hazard. It's not called a hazard anymore. It's not called a water hazard. It's now called a penalty area. Now, forests, jungles, lava rocks, desert and more can be declared a penalty area.