lateral water hazard.

Question
Having driven from the tee box my ball crosses a lateral water hazard , is it possible for me to tee off again with a penalty shot or do I have to drop two club lenths from the last point of entry for a penalty shot .Regards Paud.

Answer
Dear Paud, thanks for the question.  Allexperts notified me that you never rec'd my answer, so I'll gladly throw it out there again for ya.  I'm assuming when you say your ball crossed a lateral water hazard, you mean that it is in the hazard correct?  With that in mine, YES, one of the choices is to re-hit from as near a spot as you just hit from...in this case, the tee box. Rule 26-1 gives you 3 choices which I've listed for you below.  Again, good luck, thanks again for the question and remember...


Love the game,
skipper

USGA Rule 26-1
(a) Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or(b) Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped; or (c) As ADDITIONAL options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a LATERAL WATER HAZARD, drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole.