penalty stroke

Question
QUESTION: I saw an answer of yours earlier that stated, if a tee shot goes in (deep) water, the golfer can re-tee, and is hitting 3.

But (I'm interpreting here) the golfer could use a potential drop zone, or whatever per rules allows and you said this would be a 1 stroke penalty.  

Nobody defines a 1 stroke penalty.  Does that mean if I drop in the drop zone (or wherever allowed per rules) that my next shot is hitting 2?  If so, that does not seem like a penalty.  I mean, in this particular scenario, the golfer plows a shot 330 yards, hits water at 325 yards, can drop at 320 yards, and that next shot is his/her 2nd?  

My friend and I both had water shots off the tee box and did lateral drops.  

If we were to re-tee, we would be hitting 3, but if we can drop (as we did), we're only hitting 2 after the drop?   It would seem unless the water extends beyond the tee box, it'd seem silly for anyone to ever re-tee their shot (barring some extreme circumstance).

Sorry for the over-explanative newbie question, but we're both going to try and establish handicap's this year and we want to get it right.  We just finished our first full round of the year yesterday.  

Thanks

ANSWER: Hello Mike,

Thanks for asking this questioin, and sorry for late answer.

If the ball you hit went into the lake directly, you need to re-tee, and it will be third shot.

If the ball landed on the fair way and rolled into the water, you can find the spot and drop the ball.  The next hit will be third shot.


Hope this helps your situation.

Dan

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for that Dan.

I need to ask.  We were not in a tournament and it was late, the sun had just set.  There were only 3 possibilities for my ball:

1) it went directly in the water
2) it bounced in
3) it came up short of the water

I could not find it and do not know if it bounced in because of the trees between the water and tee box.

So in that case is the right move to hit a provisional?

There was a group behind us waiting on the tee box and given the hour and little visibility, there's no way they would have wanted to see me walk back 200+ yards and re-hit, and I wasn't about to do that.  

So knowing I didn't hit a provisional, and not knowing if the ball bounced or not, and knowing it's late, dusk, and a group behind us, are there ever exceptions to the rule?  I mean, my only choice is to basically hit 3 from behind the water, and I don't feel I'm cheating by doing that, but I don't know.  When you're playing stroke play and on a course where people are trying to finish before dark (or marshall's are keeping up on pace of play), how feasible is it for people to be anal retentive about the rules?   Are people supposed to just constantly hit provisionals, or is it that people with 28 handicaps simply shouldn't bother keeping score until they improve their game?

lol

Thanks

Answer
Hello Mike:

Thanks for asking and I am really impressed and appreciate your passion about golf and rule.

You mentioned this -  my only choice is to basically hit 3 from behind the water, and I don't feel I'm cheating by doing that, but I don't know.

Given the situation, I strongly agree with you that your choice is very reasonable and fair and of gentlemenship. I wonder if you consult and talked with your partners, and I think they would agree.

As you said earlier, this would be a perfect situation that you can declare for Provisional shot, so hopefully you can use this next time.  

I have been through many things with golf in the past, and I'd like to share this with you.
Please visit http://myLearnGolf.wordpress.com

Dan