The Advertiser, with help from Ko Olina director of golf Greg Nichols, is offering a question-and-answer feature on the rules of golf. If you have a question regarding the rules of golf e-mail a question to cmurayama@honoluluadvertiser.com.

For additional rules information, ask your local Aloha Section PGA professional or go online to www.USGA.org.

Q. Is there ever a situation where a ball cannot be declared "unplayable"?

A. A player may declare his ball unplayable anywhere on the golf course except a water hazard. If his ball lies in a water hazard, and the player elects to take relief under penalty of one stroke, he or she must proceed under Rule 26-1, which provides relief in water hazards, including lateral water hazards.

If a ball lies in a bunker, the player may choose to declare the ball unplayable and, under penalty of one stroke, use one of the three options. In two of the options, the player must drop his ball in the bunker. In option "b," the player drops within two club-lengths of where the original ball lay, no closer to the hole. In option "c," the ball is dropped behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.

I'm sure you know many players who wish they could simply take a one-stroke penalty and drop their ball just outside of a bunker but unfortunately, the rules do not allow it, except in the rare instance where a bunker is completely filled with water.

The third option for taking relief from an unplayable lie is to play a ball as nearly as possible from the spot from which the original ball was last played.

The Rules of Golf also allow a player, when taking relief from an unplayable lie, through the green, to elect to drop the ball in a water hazard and play from there.

It's important to note that the player is always the sole judge of whether or not the ball is unplayable. I hope that helps and you don't have to use the unplayable ball rule too often.