Q: What's the difference between a water hazard and a lateral water hazard?
A: A lateral hazard is a special kind of a water hazard or a subset of water hazards. The difference between a water hazard and a lateral water hazard can be found in the definitions. By definition, a lateral water hazard is a water hazard or that part of a water hazard so situated that it is not possible, or deemed by the Committee to be impracticable, to drop a ball behind the water hazard in accordance with Rule 26-1b (dropping a ball behind the hazard, keeping the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped).
For example, if you hooked your tee shot into the Pacific Ocean on No. 18 at Pebble Beach, it would be impracticable to drop behind the hazard under Rule 26-1b; you would be dropping near Hawaii! Therefore, the ocean left of No. 18 is a lateral water hazard.
If you have a rules question, e-mail Craig Handel at email@example.com