Hello.

Three situations:

1. I've hit into a yellow staked hazard (water hazard) and I've determined that my best option is to walk backwards toward where I hit the errant shot, keeping the place that it last crossed that hazard between my retreat and the pin.

Now I found a good spot. Just hold it shoulder high and let it drop?

2. I've hit into a yellow staked hazard (water hazard) that has a steep drop down to it. The actual yellow stakes are kinda close to the water itself, far down the hill. Assuming I cannot do the point of entry between the pin and where I errantly hit, and have to take two club lengths from where it last crossed the hazard, here is what I think I have to do:

Walk no closer to the hole until I find the "nearest place on the ground" I can swing without my ball being in the hazard.

Then put a club (my longest club, not the one I intend to hit the next shot with) down on the ground from that "nearest place on the ground" in any direction no closer to the hole. Then use that new spot and put that club down again and measure in any direction no closer to the hole. Then stand within those two club lengths and hold the ball at shoulder height and drop it. If it stops within those two club lengths that's where I play it. If it exceeds those two club lengths, drop it again. After 3 consecutive drops, if it doesn't stay within those two club lengths, I get to place it.

Right?

3. I've hit onto a cart path. I want to take relief, and I know I've got to take full relief.
So, I find the first place the ball can be positioned so my feet are not on the cart path, right?
Then, from that place I measure one club length no closer to the hole. Then I drop the ball within that one clublength with the same rules about redropping as #2.

I had a match where I think I lost because my opponent's method of dropping put him in a place that allowed him an unencumbered swing. Had he dropped properly he would have been stymied by a tree.

So, all you rules folks out there, please?

Everything sounds correct except I think you place the ball after dropping it twice if it rolls outside the 2 club lengths or closer to the hole.

#2 is wrong. It sounds like you are trying to describe relief from a lateral hazard, yet you are in a "normal" hazard. Remember there are two kinds of water hazards. "Normal" hazards which are marked by yellow stakes, and Lateral hazards which are marked by red stakes. You can only drop within two club lengths of the margin of a hazard if it is a lateral (red staked) hazard.

When dropping, you drop once, redrop if required, and then place the ball if needed. Also, a ball may come rest up to two club lengths away from where it first touched the ground, even if that spot is outside of the dropping area. However, there are situations where a ball is required to be redropped even it does not come to rest too far away.

For more details, see Rule 20 (dropping), Rule 26 (hazards), and Rule 24 (obstructions) at http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/books/rules.html

Thank you, of course you're correct about the hazard: yellow and red having different penalty options.

I didn't know that you could drop correctly and still be outside the two club lengths of the original measurement from the ball's starting point. I read the rule you so kindly linked me to and I understand it now.

One question though, when you take your original drop (within the two club lengths) you stand erect, hold your arm out shoulder height and drop the ball AT THE EDGE OF THE TWO CLUB LENGTHS ORIGINALLY MEASURED? Or can you stand and drop it near the one club length because at one club length you'd be better off? Or do you have to take "full relief" and always drop it at the end of the measured two club lengths?

You can drop anywhere inside the 2 club lenght of relief.

Wow. Thank you. I couldn't find the answer to that question in the Rules. So, it's really "up to 2 club lengths" and you can literally just drop the ball an inch from the first point of relief.

To continue my example, you've hit it into the lateral hazard. (this is real life at my course)
The hazard is a lake whose borders are about 4 feet above the fairways. So if you were to take two club lengths and only two club lengths from the first place the ball position was "relief", you'd be screwed with an awful lie. But if you can drop it a foot or so from the lake you'll have a flat lie.

Tks!

Buddy 6713,
Situation 1 - Don't forget the 'replay the shot from the original position' as an option.
Situation 2 - Someone has already told you about the yellow vs red stakes. With regards to your dropping procedure (As I understand the procedure from playing in tournaments that are marshalled by rules officials). Don't touch your ball yet! (provided you can retrieve it) Place a tee at the margin of the hazard where the ball last crossed if that is the option you have chosen. Take 2 club lengths no nearer the hole and place another tee at that spot. Pick up your club! Now pick up your ball. Stand upright with an arm extended at shoulder height. It doesn't matter if your arm is to the side or in front of you. The ball has to hit the ground anywhere between the 2 tees and not roll closer to the hole, or roll further than 2 club lengths from where it hit the course and not roll back into the condition that you are taking relief from and can't roll into a hazard. It doesn't matter where you stand. If a re-drop is required, then re-drop. If the drop is done correctly and it is not good again, then the ball must be placed exactly at the spot that the re-drop hit the ground.
Situation 3 - You need to be clear on what constitutes "nearest point of relief". Here's what you do. Don't touch your ball! You need to determine which side of the cartpath is the nearest point of relief. It depends on where on the cart path the ball is and what hand you are. You can't just pick the best side nor is it always the side that you stand closest to the cartpath. Place your clubface on the ground with a normal stance and your feet clear of the cartpath no nearer the hole. Place a tee at the clubface. Now go to the otherside of the cartpath no nearer the hole and take a stance where your clubface is not touching the cartpath and place a tee at that clubface. Measure those 2 distances from the ball to each tee. The shortest distance is your nearest point of relief. Place one clublength away from the hole at that determined tee. Place a tee in the ground at that new point. Now pick up your club and the tee from the otherside of the cartpath and now pick up your ball. Proceed with the dropping procedure as previously described. You can't drop to a place where your ball or stance is on the cartpath. Keep in mind that you can always hit the ball off the cartpath as an option. There is no penalty stroke for free relief.
It really bugs me when the guy picks up his ball and carries it around and tries to determine his drop area. You wouldn't pick up a ball from the putting green without marking it with a coin or a tee, would you? So don't pick it up from the cartpath without marking it first. Once it is in your hand and you haven't marked its position it is a penalty
Also, don't leave your club on the ground when you are dropping. I'm not 100% sure of the rule but does dropping your ball and having it hit your club constitute the ball hitting your equipment or is just a bad drop? I think it just has to be redropped. Get your club off the ground!
Perform the drop correctly and you will not get busted for touching your ball, or for playing from the wrong spot and all their associated penalty strokes. Ser Rule 20-7a.(ii)Your match that you speak of may have constituted a 'serious breach' of the applicable rule (Note1) Since he did not correct his error and the serious breach, he should have been DQ'd.