Rules of Golf review: I want to grab a ball in a penalty area to see if it's mine. But how do you mark a ball under water?

Dunking a ball into water inside a penalty area happens to the best of golfers. And if any portion of the ball is still above the surface, some are tempted to avoid the penalty stroke and hit it out. Just witness what PGA Tour pro Adam Long attempted at the 2023 Honda Classic.

Where things might get confusing when attempting a shot like this is when you're not sure if the ball in the water is yours. So what do you do?

If you can't identify your ball as it lies, Rule 7.3 allows you to lift it from its location and inspect it no matter where you are on the course. That said, you have to mark the ball before doing so. Marking entails either placing something down right behind or right to the side of the ball like a coin, tee, etc., or holding your club down behind or next to the spot where the ball is at rest. If you don't mark the spot before lifting, and/or incorrectly mark or play your next shot with the ball-marker still in place, it's a one-stroke penalty.

How does this rule apply to a ball in a penalty area that's completely under water and is not identifiable without lifting it? Well, the Rules of Golf provides a caveat that says if it's known or virtually certain you hit into the penalty area, you can play on without identifying your ball. If you're not playing the ball as it lies, you can take out another and proceed under the options for dropping (adding a penalty stroke).

If it's NOT known or virtually certain that you hit into a penalty area and see a ball under water that might be yours, you might wonder if you have to mark it to lift it. The answer can be found in Rule 14.1. When you lift a ball to take relief under a rule, in this case Rule 17 (penalty areas), you are not required to mark the spot. You would have to mark it if you intended to play it, but good luck with that if it's full submerged. Back to the smarter player, if you grab a ball out of a pond and it turns out to be another ball's watery grave, keep fishing. Or substitute another ball and play on. Just remember, that group behind you might be getting impatient and looking for you to get moving!

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