You're Correct!

If you hit a shot into a water hazard, the chances are you will need to take a drop and suffer a setback to the score card.

However, if the water hazard has run dry or the ball has come to rest in a position where it is still playable, golfers can still try to hit a shot.

The rules of golf state that if your ball is in a water hazard with yellow stakes, golfers can play the ball as it lies or drop the ball with a one stroke penalty where the last shot was played from, or drop a ball any distance behind the water hazard keeping a straight line between the hole and the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard and the spot on which the ball is dropped.

The rules are slightly different if the ball finishes in a lateral water hazard which are marked with red stakes or lines. With a lateral hazard, you have all the options for a ball in a water hazard but you can also under a penalty of one stroke drop the ball within two club lengths of, and not nearer the hole than the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, or a point on the opposite side of the hazard equidistant to the hole from the point where the ball last crossed the margin.

Players need to carefully weigh up what the best option will be. Sometimes the ball may be playable from the hazard but if a player can only move the ball back to where they would drop it normally then it may not be worth the risk.

When deciding if the ball is in the hazard, players should be aware that the ball needs to cross the boundary of the stakes to be classed as in the hazard. If a player stands in the hazard but the ball is outside the hazard, they can still ground the club and play the shot as normal.

Grounding the club in a hazard (water, bunkers) is not allowed by the rules and therefore needs to be hovered behind the ball. When the ball is struck, the club can hit the ground without penalty.

The rules state that the ball can be played as it lies. The only thing golfers need to be wary of is grounding the club before the shot is hit as this will incur penalty strokes.

If the ball is lying in an accessible area of the water hazard then the ball can be played as normal with one exception; players cannot ground the club before the ball is struck.

The only place where a ball must be dropped from is Ground under Repair. Even if the ball is six feet under water in a hazard, a golfer can try and play the shot, however, this wouldnt be advisable! Yes, you can play a shot from a water hazard, however weigh up all the options available first.