About hazards
A hazard is an area of a golf course which provides a difficult obstacle for the golfer to negotiate. A
course may include water hazards such as lakes and rivers, man-made hazards such as bunkers, and
natural hazards such as trees or thick vegetation.
Many recreational golfers use the term "hazard" to mean anything on a golf course that is hazardous
to one's score such as thick rough or a tall tree in the middle of a fairway.
A ball is considered to be in a hazard when any part of the ball touches that hazard. Special rules
apply to playing balls that have landed in a hazard. For example, a player may not touch the ground
with his club before playing a ball, not even for a practice swing. A ball in any hazard may be
played as it lies without penalty. If it cannot be played from the hazard, the ball may be hit from
another location, generally with a penalty of one stroke.
Bunkers
A bunker is a steep-sided hole or shallow pit near the green or fairway that is usually filled with
sand. It can be more difficult to play a ball from sand than from grass and bunkers sometimes have
a raised lip which makes it difficult to hit the ball out of the bunker.
To hit the ball out of a bunker, you usually need to use a very lofted club called a "sand wedge".
Specific rules of golf govern play from a bunker. Also, after playing out of a bunker, the player or
their caddy must rake smooth the area of the sand disturbed during play.
There are three types of bunkers used when designing a course and all are designed to impede the
golfer's progress toward the green. Bunkers in the middle or sides of the fairway can catch
inaccurate tee shots on par 4 and par 5 holes. Bunkers near and around the green can collect
inaccurate approach shots on long holes and tee shots on par 3 holes. On links or coastal courses,
very large natural sandy areas are not considered to be hazards according to the rules of golf, and
the rules are different for these areas from other bunkers.
Water hazards
Water hazards are usually natural obstacles that add difficulty to a golf course, though on brand
new courses they can of course be man-made. A water hazard may typically be a stream or pond,
positioned next to the fairway or across a fairway, forcing the player to hit the ball over the water
hazard.
Tip: Water hazards don't have to actually have water in them to count as hazards.
See also: Understanding hazards on your watch
Understanding hazards on your watch
Your TomTom Golfer can show you nearby water hazards or bunkers that are within 300 meters (328
yards).
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