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BIRDOG

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A week and a half ago while playing a round I hit my second shot badly to the right of the green of a par 4 and into a frozen pond, I didn't see the whole trajectory of the ball because I had the reflection of the sun off the ice but the shot came off hot and low, so I walked all around the pond and sure enough my ball had come to rest on the rough a couple yards out of the water/ice, I then hit a 56* into the green and made a 7 foot putt, question is, is hitting it into the pond a penalty or not?
 
No, not if I am understanding you correctly. The ball either skipped across the ice or the water and came to rest in the grass, right? As long as you can play the ball without having to take a drop, than you are fine. See Bill Haas in last years Tour Championship. His ball came to rest in the pond, but because the ball was sitting up on a bank only partially submerged, he could hit his shot without penalty (and he hit a hell of a shot). If the ball was laying in the middle of the iced over pond and you didn't feel like taking a chance of hitting it, than yeah, you would have to take a drop and a penalty.
 
I believe hitting a ball into the pond is only a penalty because you can't physically go into a deep pond and actually find and hit the ball so really no choice but to take the penalty. Unless its on the edge like JeffReedMO was describing with Bill Haas.
 
Yep jeff got it right. As long as it is not at rest from an unplayable lie in the hazard you are free to hit without penalty. Would be just like skipping it across the water.

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And of course if it's inside the hazard line then you cannot ground your club before you strike the ball;)
 
Yeah you are ok to play it, whose to say a ball could not land in the hazard like a pond and somehow hit a rock and come out the water and land on the rough.
 
If you could play the ball and it wasn't OB, no penalty. Just don't ground your club if the ball was still inside the hazard
 
theres no penalty this happened to me the other day when i played....
 
BIRDOG said:
A week and a half ago while playing a round I hit my second shot badly to the right of the green of a par 4 and into a frozen pond, I didn't see the whole trajectory of the ball because I had the reflection of the sun off the ice but the shot came off hot and low, so I walked all around the pond and sure enough my ball had come to rest on the rough a couple yards out of the water/ice, I then hit a 56* into the green and made a 7 foot putt, question is, is hitting it into the pond a penalty or not?
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I say no penalty. It is no different than a ball skipping across the water in the summer. It is where the ball comes to rest that matters.
 
If you can hit it, and it's not out of bounds, there is no penalty. Hit that sucker, even if you have to walk out on the ice to the middle of the pond if you think it will hold your weight!
 
When you think about it this is really no different than a ball landing in a bunker and splashing out. I know there is no penality involved in playing from a bunker, but if the ball splashed out to a nice lie you just consider yourself lucky and play it as it lies. As Smallie says above "If you can hit it, and it's not out of bounds, there is no penalty. Hit that sucker"
 
strap on your ice skates and hit that sucker outta there!
 
No penalty..,...just a lucky break! Take em where you can get em!
 
I'm going to start a motion to keep all lakes/ponds frozen during the summer. Will it be tough? Sure, but it'll make it a lot easier, haha.
 
Steel President said:
I'm going to start a motion to keep all lakes/ponds frozen during the summer. Will it be tough? Sure, but it'll make it a lot easier, haha.
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I second that motion!
 
Thanks guys, that Bill Hass shot is by far the best shot I've seen in the past year that I've been into golf, that should have given me a clue but it didn't come to mind till you guys mentioned it.
That "frozen pond" par is now my second most memorable hole, second to my first par last year.
 
Smallville said:
If you can hit it, and it's not out of bounds, there is no penalty. Hit that sucker, even if you have to walk out on the ice to the middle of the pond if you think it will hold your weight!
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At 6'1'' 270lbs, I would've become permanent part of the pond's ecosystem.
 
Easy way to remember is: Its where it comes to/@ rest. how it gets there doesn't matter. If inside a hazard play as such, if not play it as such (not in hazard)
 
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