Hitting out of bounds

[Lgolfer]

Options?

What are the options when you hit a ball o/b? Does it make a difference if you hit it ob from the tee or the fairway? (I do know that a 1 stroke penalty is incurred).

Also, what is the simple rule if a ball is hit into the water?

[Hathstauwk]

I am no rules expert but what I understand is this:

 

Regardless of where you hit it OB from, you have to re-hit from the original spot that you hit the ball from, whether from the tee, the fairway or even, I believe, from a bunker. Yes, you incurred a one stroke penalty and now hitting again. That is why it is called "stroke and distance".

 

Simple rule if the ball goes in the water....not so simple. It depends if the water is a lateral hazard (red stakes) or a water hazard (yellow stakes).

 

If they are yellow stakes, you must keep the point of entry between you and the pin, then you can go back, I believe, as far as you want, keeping that point between you and the hole.

 

If it is a lateral hazard, you drop within 2 club lengths from nearest point of entry, no nearer the hole. What I am unsure of here, since I have heard both (from rules officials at local tourneys) is if you can again go back as far as desired from the point of entry.

 

In all cases, you have the option of re-hitting as well.

 

I hope this helps and please do not take as gospel as I am not a rules official nor expert.

[shortfatdopey]

If it is a lateral hazard, you drop within 2 club lengths from nearest point of entry, no nearer the hole. What I am unsure of here, since I have heard both (from rules officials at local tourneys) is if you can again go back as far as desired from the point of entry.

 

 

Red you have 5 options and yellow you have 3 options.

 

Yellow:

 

1- Play it as it lies in the water hazard (Woody Austin style)

2- Replay from original location

3- Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped

 

Red: You have ALL of the above options, as well as, 2 others. (However option 3 can screw you on a red hazard, see notes below)

 

4- Drop the ball within 2 club lengths of the hazard no nearer the hole.

5- Drop the ball on the opposite side of the hazard equidistant from the hole.

 

Yellow Note:

Remember a yellow is like a creek running across a fairway or a pond short of a green, so option 5 is impossible because the opposite side is moving toward the hole, and options 3 and 4 are similar, but because a yellow hazard sits across a hole option 4 is covered within option 3. You could drop the ball within 2 club lengths, but you could also drop it within 152 club lengths if you wanted to.

 

Red Note:

Because a red hazard is along the side of a hole option 3 is usually no good because a line from the hole through the point it last crossed the margin would take you WAY farther from the hole, so you could use option 5 and go to the other side of the lake, the same distance away, but you would NOT be keeping the point it crossed between you and the hole (This is not often used, just take your 2 club lengths).

 

 

And you are right with OB.

 

1 option- Replay the shot from its original location.

[Rockfish]

If it is a lateral hazard, you drop within 2 club lengths from nearest point of entry, no nearer the hole. What I am unsure of here, since I have heard both (from rules officials at local tourneys) is if you can again go back as far as desired from the point of entry.

 

 

Red you have 5 options and yellow you have 3 options.

 

Yellow:

 

1- Play it as it lies in the water hazard (Woody Austin style)

2- Replay from original location

3- Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped

 

Red: You have ALL of the above options, as well as, 2 others. (However option 3 can screw you on a red hazard, see notes below)

 

4- Drop the ball within 2 club lengths of the hazard no nearer the hole.

5- Drop the ball on the opposite side of the hazard equidistant from the hole.

 

Yellow Note:

Remember a yellow is like a creek running across a fairway or a pond short of a green, so option 5 is impossible because the opposite side is moving toward the hole, and options 3 and 4 are similar, but because a yellow hazard sits across a hole option 4 is covered within option 3. You could drop the ball within 2 club lengths, but you could also drop it within 152 club lengths if you wanted to.

 

Red Note:

Because a red hazard is along the side of a hole option 3 is usually no good because a line from the hole through the point it last crossed the margin would take you WAY farther from the hole, so you could use option 5 and go to the other side of the lake, the same distance away, but you would NOT be keeping the point it crossed between you and the hole (This is not often used, just take your 2 club lengths).

 

 

And you are right with OB.

 

1 option- Replay the shot from its original location.

 

Perfect - except 2 club lengths of where the ball LAST CROSSED the margin of the hazard. This is particularly important with "winding" type red hazards where the ball can actually cross multiple times and/or may hit an upslope and actually come back a little bit across the margin of the hazard.

 

For ALL waiter hazards the LAST POINT the ball crossed is ALWAYS the key spot. :rolleyes:

[Lgolfer]

To properly "drop a ball" within "two club lengths" do I place a tee in the ground first, then use my longest club to measure, another tee, another club placement, then drop from shoulder height? Is that correct? What if it's on a slope and rolls back into the hazard? Am I allowed to take a free drop or is that another penalty stroke?

 

And is it the same drop if you end up in mile high fescue?

[jjj912]

If you have to drop in mile high fescue, that's just tough luck. Try hitting the fairway next time. :rolleyes:

 

Rule 20-2 should answer all your questions regarding dropping. You can measure using any of your clubs.

 

20-2. Dropping and Re-Dropping a. By Whom and How

 

A ball to be dropped under the Rules must be dropped by the player himself. He must stand erect, hold the ball at shoulder height and arm's length and drop it. If a ball is dropped by any other person or in any other manner and the error is not corrected as provided in Rule 20-6, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke.

 

If the ball when dropped touches any person or the equipment of any player before or after it strikes a part of the course and before it comes to rest, the ball must be re-dropped, without penalty. There is no limit to the number of times a ball must be re-dropped in these circumstances.

 

(Taking action to influence position or movement of ball - see Rule 1-2.)

 

b. Where to Drop

 

When a ball is to be dropped as near as possible to a specific spot, it must be dropped not nearer the hole than the specific spot which, if it is not precisely known to the player, must be estimated.

 

A ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course where the applicable Rule requires it to be dropped. If it is not so dropped, Rules 20-6 and 20-7 apply.

 

c. When to Re-Drop

 

A dropped ball must be re-dropped, without penalty, if it:

 

(i) rolls into and comes to rest in a hazard;

(ii) rolls out of and comes to rest outside a hazard;

(iii) rolls onto and comes to rest on a putting green;

(iv) rolls and comes to rest out of bounds;

(v) rolls to and comes to rest in a position where there is interference by the condition from which relief was taken under Rule 24-2b (immovable obstruction), Rule 25-1 (abnormal ground conditions), Rule 25-3 (wrong putting green) or a Local Rule (Rule 33-8a), or rolls back into the pitch-mark from which it was lifted under Rule 25-2 (embedded ball);

(vi) rolls and comes to rest more than two club-lengths from where it first struck a part of the course; or

(vii) rolls and comes to rest nearer the hole than:

 

 

(a) its original position or estimated position (see Rule 20-2b) unless otherwise permitted by the Rules; or

(b) the nearest point of relief or maximum available relief (Rule 24-2, 25-1 or 25-3); or

( c) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or lateral water hazard (Rule 26-1).

 

If the ball when re-dropped rolls into any position listed above, it must be placed as near as possible to the spot where it first struck a part of the course when re-dropped.

 

Note 1: If a ball when dropped or re-dropped comes to rest and subsequently moves, the ball must be played as it lies, unless the provisions of any other Rule apply.

 

Note 2: If a ball to be re-dropped or placed under this Rule is not immediately recoverable, another ball may be substituted.

 

(Use of Dropping Zone - see Appendix I; Part B; Section 8.)

[777twist]

What are the options when you hit a ball o/b? Does it make a difference if you hit it ob from the tee or the fairway? (I do know that a 1 stroke penalty is incurred).

 

Also, what is the simple rule if a ball is hit into the water?

 

 

I don't think anyone said the option of the PROVISIONAL... unless we are assuming there is no doubt to your ball being OUT. There are plenty of times a tree will kick your ball back in play, so I would almost always hit a provisional first...unless the ball carried 10 or so yards OUT before it even hits a tree...but even then...you just never know.

 

BTW, I'm not sure if someone told you that you can only take provisionals from the TEE box, but that's untrue. Someone tried to tell me that one time, but I looked it up and have read about it a number of times.

 

Twist

[Pinehurst1999]

What are the options when you hit a ball o/b? Does it make a difference if you hit it ob from the tee or the fairway? (I do know that a 1 stroke penalty is incurred).

 

Also, what is the simple rule if a ball is hit into the water?

The simple response...you must replay from location of the last shot with the penalty.