In a previous column, I addressed the relief options for players when they hit their ball into a water hazard. Experienced rules officials, such as Don Hirata, from the Aloha Section PGA; Gary Wild, from the HSGA; or Mary Bea Porter-King, with the HSJGA and USGA, have told me that one of the biggest errors players constantly make, and mind you, these are experienced tournament players, is in mistaking the relief options between a water hazard and a lateral water hazard.

A water hazard is defined or marked by yellow stakes or lines. A lateral water hazard is a water hazard that is so situated that it is not practical to drop a ball behind the water hazard in accordance with Rule 26-1-b. A lateral hazard is defined by red stakes or lines.

The common error that rules officials often see generally occurs on a hole similar to the great par-5 15th hole at Augusta National, which has a water hazard guarding the front of the green. A player hits a great shot from the fairway onto the green, only to see it sadly spin back off of the green into the water hazard. The correct options available for the player, under penalty of one stroke, are to either play his next shot from where he hit his original shot or drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is to be dropped, with no limit as to how far behind the water hazard the ball is dropped.

What mistakenly happens in everyday play or in tournaments that don't have the luxury like the Masters in having multiple rules officials at every hole, is that a player will think, "Since my ball actually landed over the hazard and onto the green, it seems fair that I can drop my ball within two club-lengths of where my ball last crossed the margin of the hazard". The player then drops his ball on the green side of the water hazard. It may seem fair but it's incorrect. If the error is noticed immediately after the player drops his ball and plays onto the green, the player would incur a penalty of one stroke and, since it was a serious breach, must under an additional penalty of two additional strokes to correct the error. If the error was not corrected, the penalty is then even worse, and it's hard to get worse than a three-stroke penalty; it's disqualification.

The Advertiser, with help from Ko Olina director of golf Greg Nichols, is offering this question-and-answer feature on the rules of golf. If you have a question regarding the rules of golf e-mail cmurayama@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Nichols recommends readers go to www.PlayGolfAmerica.com for information on golf programs in their area. For additional rules information, ask your local Aloha Section PGA professional or go online to www.USGA.org.