GolfHos

Is a designated drop area the place to drop/hit from, regardless of where/how you entered a hazard?

What do you mean?  Required to use the Dropping Zone in lieu of the options under 26-1?  Or something like a ball that flies into the water compared to one that lands on the opposite bank and rolls back in?

On the latter, you can use the Dropping Zone or replay from the point where the last stroke was played.

'Designated'.

Drop it there if it helps, peaches.

drop circles are put there so you'll dunk another one.
 [sm_devil]

That helps.  Thanks.  That's the way I have played it, but I am unsure, if I was doing it right.  Pain in the ass/piece of *feces* 190 yard par 3 all carry, and even worse, on anything right.

I just wasn't sure, if it was that easy.

Clive,

More like the latter, but what about chunking it straight in off the tee?

Must I re tee? (I know I have the option) or do I gain all the free yardage (under penalty of a stroke) if I can go all the way up to the drop area?

When I have some time later, I'll bitmap the hole, if that helps/matters.

3 different scenarios.

Is that The Ponds, stroh, or some other course?

Yeppers!  # 2 on the blue side.  My problem hole.

I love the Rules of Golf and even get stuff right every now and again.

Drop zones befuddle me.   I don't fully understand the options.  I don't like holes wherein the design makes them necessary.

Ah!  Kev and I will have to try to play there sometime this year.  What's behind the green?

Third tee?

 ;) [sm_devil]

lol Just wondering if there was more than that.

LOL   ;D

Actually, no. A road!  Third tee, is 90 degrees left.

Viskee........any input?  Hit from the drop area?

I'd say "yes" although it depends, I suppose, on the wording of the local rule.  The specimen rule is useless as regards 26-1 issues.  That's why I don't really get this subject.  It seems so vague.  I've even seen some courses use wording that requires you to use the dropping zone rather than any of the other options under 26-1.

The rules explicitly mention that the dropping zone may be closer to the hole.  That seems to be the crux of your concern.  If so, I'd say no more worries.

If Clive can spare a minute from xeroxing his briefs on the legalities of stashing pop tarts in ziploc baggies perhaps he can chime in further.  I have to admit this one is a bit fuzzy for me.

I suppose that takes out the option of taking too much club then....

Pop tarts or organic rip-offs of the name brand? :D

My understanding of the Dropping Zone local rule is that it is not supposed to take away the options under Rule 26 that can be strictly adhered to, given the geography of the hole.  The zone should replace an option that would otherwise be unavailable due to hole layout.

So you should always be able to re-tee, zone or no zone.

As for the Straight Dunk and then using a drop zone closer to the hole than the teeing ground ... it's OK.  Think TPC Sawgrass or the 11th at Augusta.

Cool.  Thanks, guys.  Still haven't been able to actually get out and play yet. :sad3:

Brutal cold here.  I just wanted to be sure, when I came up on that p.o.s.

Clive, the TPC comparison made sense.  I've never hit that green once from the back tees. >:(  And I've hit all three of those shots illustrated, in the same round. ???

What I'm less clear on is what constraints there are concerning placement of the dropping zone.  For example, can the point at which your ball last crossed the margin be farther from the hole than the dropping zone?  Or must the zone always be set back far enough that it's always farther from the hole than the far side of the water hazard?  I suspect the latter to be true, so courses can still get it wrong and the player thus unwittingly proceed incorrectly.

Judging from the picture that you provided, it looks like you have a little too much bend in your neck. Straighten out your spine and don't stand so hunched over. That posture looks very Australopithecine to me.

(http://www.psychoreindeer.com/tshirts/austra.gif)

LOL!  It's actually my MS Paint skills that are severely underdeveloped.  ???  It's supposed to be me Slamming the club head into the ground repeatedly, ala Judge Smails.