In a tournament yesterday on a very hilly course with forests everywhere in the middle of the course, on the 4th hole i hit a hook, and another kid in my group pushes one abit, from a tee elevated about 40 feet above the fairway. We see red stakes on both sides but once we walk down a rules official drives up and tells us that the red stakes is only about a foot wide on both sides and that the forests were playing as OB. So we go back and hit provisionals and go look for our balls, but cant find them, and while looking we both notice that there were larger hazards for ditches about 10 feet wide that we could have hit into, but no one saw where our balls ended up exactly, so we had to play our second ones under the assumption that our balls missed the hazards and went into the forests

I just dont think it makes much sense that there is a 10 foot wide hazard and if you miss that hazard on a bad shot, your reteeing makes no sense to me, anyone want to explain?

id say its just a crazy local ruling.
If any of you seen the ball go into the hazard it would have being alot easier.

First, it's ridiculous that the "forest is playing as OB" if there are no OB stakes. Makes no sense to me.

Hi Beach,

Sounds like a very poorly marked golf course. I don't know how the forests can be considered OB without being marked. It does seem the rules person made the proper call, but perhaps should have called the balls lost if not found within 5 minutes instead of OB?

To declare a ball as lost in a hazard, there has to be reasonable evidence that they are in the hazard. It seems to me that evidence did not exist, so back to the tee you go...

Kevin

isn't it a USGA ruling that you cannot have OB marked within course property lines...?

say two bordering holes, are marked OB, that's not legit in a USGA event...?

Where did you find that, in the rule book or decisions?

Kevin

Sometimes it's best to go right to the definition, quick and easy. I believe the answer to your question is found there:

Out of Bounds
"Out of bounds" is beyond the boundaries of the course or any part of the course so marked by the Committee.

Kevin

OB can be anywhere...

I actually thought about it and technically reteeing would be correct, as it is not staked and so it would be an unplayable, but it is still dumb to have a 1 yard wide hazard and if your ball misses that you have to retee, as well as the rules official saying its OB

Would it be unplayable, or a lost ball?

Kevin

Kevin,
You are right (of course) BUT the rules off should have not called it O/B without stakes marking the o/b, what would have happened if he had not been there?
Frankie

You are correct, the rules official blew the call... I believe it would have been a Lost Ball.

Please don't assume I am right, I have been wrong in many posts. This is a learning process for me as well!



Kevin