Have you ever had a problem figuring out if your ball was inside or outside a water hazard? What do you do if there’s no stakes or lines; use the waters edge? Or how about “since that stake has been removed it’s my lucky day” and the ball is outside the hazard.

Yes, no and no again!

Rule 33-2 tells us that the Committee must properly define the margins of water hazards and lateral water hazards on the course. Sometimes the job is delegated to the maintenance or golf staff. Whoever takes care of the job, if it isn’t done well it can cause some problems.

Some courses use stakes and some courses paint lines on the ground to define the water hazards; some use both. Remember, whatever method is used, the margins of both types of water hazards go up and down. Think of an imaginary super thin sheet of glass going straight up and straight down to infinity. A ball is in the hazard when it lies in or any part of it touches the hazard - or that super thin sheet of glass. And if a ball were in a tree or bush overhanging the water hazard, it’s in the hazard even if it’s not on the ground!

If only stakes are used to define the margin of the water hazard, the stakes are inside the hazard. The margin of the hazard is defined by the nearest outside points of the stakes at ground level. In other words, put an eyeball on the two stakes and see if your ball would touch any part of that imaginary piece of glass made by the outside edge (rough or fairway side) of the two stakes.

If a line of paint on the ground is used to define the water hazard, the line itself is in the water hazard. Think of that pane of glass again being on the golf course side of that line going straight up and down. If part of the ball touches the hazard (or the piece of glass), it’s in the hazard.

One catch, when both stakes and lines are on the course, the lines outrank the stakes and take precedence in defining the margin of the water hazards. The stakes are there to identify the hazard so that, for instance, you can tell there is a water hazard runs up there left side of the green when you can’t actually see the line on the ground from the teeing ground. It helps to determine if you should play a provisional ball or not.

So what happens when neither stakes nor lines are out there – use the waters edge? Nope. Decision 33-2a/4 clarifies that “Lines and stakes defining the margins of a water hazard should be placed as nearly as possible along the natural limits of the hazard, i.e., where the ground breaks down to form the depression containing the water.” No stakes or lines; use your best judgment as to where they should be and don’t forget to let the pro when you’re done so they can correct the problem.

And finally, how about when a stake has been removed or improperly installed? Decision 26/2 explains “a player is not entitled to take advantage of such an error.” That means “no get out of jail free” because some joker pulled out a stake or the Committee erred in properly defining the margin of the hazard. Treat it as where the stake or line should have been and proceed from there.

Remember, knowing and following the Rules of Golf can assist you in avoiding unnecessary penalties and help you to enjoy this great game of golf even more.