Change the OB Rule?

[LICC]

Combine these two here, and I think we’ve got a great amendment. I really think it could speed things up when factoring in distance lost.

Besides, when most people I’ve played with hit OB, this is how the balls are played. It’s a common sense approach.

But no one is saying OB should not have any penalty. It just doesn't make sense to give it two penalties.

 

[RealPretendPsychic]

For the sake of round speed and less complicated rules, make all penalties the same. I don’t want to see hackers like me and my buddies punished more for OB. It slows down the round and adds an unnecessary extra stroke and layer of complexity.

 

[JB]

Just a quick note, multi quote is built into the system and very easy to use. Here are the instructions.

Quote Button – This is how to multi-quote. You can click as many quote buttons as you want across as many pages, and even threads as you want, and then when you go to the reply box at the bottom of the page. You will see on the bottom left it says Insert Quote, click that and all your quotes will be there and you can click quote messages, or delete some of the quotes if you didn’t want to quote them anymore or clicked it by accident. You can also de-select a quote you previously selected by simply clicking the quote button again for that post.

 

[TLuke]

On my home goat track, slicers are more often penalized for OB than straight shooters/drawers/quackers. Make it one stroke penalty for OB and lost balls and press on. BTW, even the playing field by making shots into red/yellow stake areas as out of play even if the shot has a playable lie. You crossed that red/yellow line, you have to eat the penalty of one stroke.

 

[CobraX51]

a penalty is a penalty, right? why do we have to complicate it with 3 stupid ways to play each different type of penalty? seems like my way can simplify things, still protect property, keep people safe, and speed the game up. the only thing potential detriment I see is removing the option to hit out of a lateral hazard. in my way, that option is removed so it's always a one-stroke penalty. one shot in, one penalty shot to drop, hitting your next shot. easy. i'm a genius.

I was on board with your post until here.

No way should I be penalized if I land in a red-stakes hazard. I saved Par 1 round recently out of a hazard. Now you want me to be hitting my 3rd and grind to make Bogey? No thanks.

 

[OGputtnfool]

As a guy who finds more white stakes than most I consider myself an expert on this subject matter.

I say the rule is fine as it is. Casual golfers don't follow the proper rules anyway and just throw a ball down where it went out. When your ball leaves the property of the golf course I believe you should be penalized heavier than if you simply find a creek next to the fairway.

However, a few things I'd like to add:
1) Internal OB needs to be outlawed. So stupid.
2) If we are going to change any rules, I'd first like to change the current "lost ball in play" rule. Stroke and Distance penalty is way too harsh for a disappearing golf ball, especially when all these podunk half-ass lean budget golf courses don't even bother to mark their 5 ft tall fescue grass as a penalty area. Hitting a massive block slice bananarama into Aunt Rhonda's backyard is a terrible shot and I deserve everything I get. Hitting a solid 6i that just barely misses the fairway and somehow disappears off the face of the earth is not a bad shot, and should not be punished equally.

There's an OB line in play on hole 16 at one course I regularly play to protect the 11th fairway. Are you saying, it shouldn't be there and just let the players on the 11th fairway deal with the danger of incoming balls?

 

[LICC]

It's pretty easy for me. OB is out of bounds, and outside the designed playing area. .

In every other sport/game involving a ball, when the ball goes out of bounds, it's out of play. The play is stopped, and there is a penalty associated with it. Sometimes that penalty rewards the other team with possession of the ball. In this instance you could say that "O.B." was awarded the ball. (I'm not talking about Keeler here)

Golf is no different. Rules are rules, and as such, they must be followed. Arm chair QBs don't count. Just the ruling bodies.

The current OB rule is a good rule, as it usually protects property not designed for flying golf balls.

It could be worse. Just think that for health safety reasons, the ruling bodies made fan galleries OB?

Like other sports, there should be one penalty for OB, not two penalties.

 

[ArmyGolf]

There's an OB line in play on hole 16 at one course I regularly play to protect the 11th fairway. Are you saying, it shouldn't be there and just let the players on the 11th fairway deal with the danger of incoming balls?

That's exactly what I'm saying. The magical white line doesnt stop a golf ball mid flight.
Are you suggesting that players would actually aim for the adjacent fairway? Nobody is trying to hit it there.

 

[LICC]

The hazards are on the course property/part of the course. Out of bounds is off the boundary of the course, whether its in right-of-way or adjoining property owner or just deemed "not part of the golf course" by the course.

I still don't see that as a valid reason for the extra penalty. Whether OB or the bottom of a pond, you can't play the ball.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Like other sports, there should be one penalty for OB, not two penalties.

I've never heard anyone say "the penalties for OB are stroke and distance". It's one penalty. The penalty for OB is stroke and distance.

 

[LICC]

Since we already have the water hazard penalty I was trying to think of a creative penalty that's equivalent for OB. What would you think of these simply being distance penalty without the stroke? Sail one into a neighboring yard to the right? Retee and it's your 2nd shot.

That is how the rule worked for most of the first 60 years of the rules. Then it alternated back and forth for a few years until around 1960, when we got this irrational OB double penalty rule.

 

[LICC]

I've never heard anyone say "the penalties for OB are stroke and distance". It's one penalty. The penalty for OB is stroke and distance.

That is two penalties. A stroke penalty and a distance penalty. If you hit into the bottom of a pond, you get one penalty, a stroke penalty. You don't get penalized the distance by having to go back to your original spot.

 

[OGputtnfool]

That's exactly what I'm saying. The magical white line doesnt stop a golf ball mid flight.
Are you suggesting that players would actually aim for the adjacent fairway? Nobody is trying to hit it there.

If there was no OB designated, more people would certainly try to cut the corner. It's why it's designated as OB from 16, but not from 11.

 

[2BFAST]

That is two penalties. A stroke penalty and a distance penalty. If you hit into the bottom of a pond, you get one penalty, a stroke penalty. You don't get penalized the distance by having to go back to your original spot.

multi quote is an amazing thing............and very easy to use

 

[OGputtnfool]

That is two penalties. A stroke penalty and a distance penalty. If you hit into the bottom of a pond, you get one penalty, a stroke penalty. You don't get penalized the distance by having to go back to your original spot.

Well, to be accurate, you're still penalized the distance from where your ball lies in the pond, if you don't elect to hit it out, to wherever you drop.

Calling it two penalties is like saying a ham and cheese sandwich is two sandwiches. Nope. Just one sandwinch. What kind of sandwich? A ham and cheese sandwich. What kind of penalty? A stroke and distance penalty.

 

[LICC]

Well, to be accurate, you're still penalized the distance from where your ball lies in the pond, if you don't elect to hit it out, to wherever you drop.

Calling it two penalties is like saying a ham and cheese sandwich is two sandwiches. Nope. Just one sandwinch. What kind of sandwich? A ham and cheese sandwich. What kind of penalty? A stroke and distance penalty.

No, it is two penalties. Stroke is one penalty, distance is one penalty. You are doubly penalized than if you had only a stroke penalty.

 

[LICC]

If there was no OB designated, more people would certainly try to cut the corner. It's why it's designated as OB from 16, but not from 11.

If there was a pond there instead of OB stakes, more people would try to cut the corner? No way.

 

[OGputtnfool]

If there was a pond there instead of OB stakes, more people would try to cut the corner? No way.

Maybe, maybe not. That wasn't even part of the discussion. He simply said that OB within the boundaries of the course should be removed. I pointed out a scenario where it made sense. I'm not sure how you'd get water to say between those two fairways, though, since it's on a incline. All the water would run down into the 11th fairway.

Plus, it just makes sense for OB. I'm sure white stakes are cheaper than constructing a pond.

 

[OGputtnfool]

No, it is two penalties. Stroke is one penalty, distance is one penalty. You are doubly penalized than if you had only a stroke penalty.

What if you hit a tree and bounce backward into the OB area? At that point, you'd be awarded distance and not penalized distance!

 

[blueonblack]

It's not all that realistic for weekend warriors to go back to the tee anyway if OOB. Wouldn't mind this rule changed at all.
Pro golf is a different entity, and they can handle it as they see fit.

 

[OGputtnfool]

It's not all that realistic for weekend warriors to go back to the tee anyway if OOB. Wouldn't mind this rule changed at all.
Pro golf is a different entity, and they can handle it as they see fit.

Why not? I've done it before. Besides, it's a moot point if you just hit a provisional.

 

[tahoebum]

I don’t have a problem with the OB rule as in most cases it’s off the property owned by the golf course or a hole design/safety issue so you don’t play an adjacent hole intentionally. The course that I played today had several forced carries over marsh that started 30 yards in front of the tee and the water hazard penalty is the same as OB if you don’t carry the hazard. In most cases, I’m often better off hitting driver again off the tee than trying to hit a shorter club off a downhill lie in the rough 30 yards up with 6 foot tall marsh grass to launch over.

 

[WLG1952]

Like other sports, there should be one penalty for OB, not two penalties.

I see where you are going with this. However, the usga says the "penalty" is stroke and distance. They don't say "penalties". They, the ruling body are not designating it as two penalties..

On another note. Sometimes a golfer can use "stroke, and distance" for relief even if the ball is not out of bounds. Should the golfer get "two reliefs"?

 

[McLovin]

I was on board with your post until here.

No way should I be penalized if I land in a red-stakes hazard. I saved Par 1 round recently out of a hazard. Now you want me to be hitting my 3rd and grind to make Bogey? No thanks.

it's the only way I can think of to merge the 3 types of penalties. I think stroke and distance is stupid. and the yellow stakes still confuse the hell out of me. but the points about not hitting from ob make a lot of sense. maybe it's in private property or property unrelated to the course, and you shouldn't hit out of there let alone trespass. maybe it's unsafe for some reason even if you can hit. so if we merge the 3 penalties, disallowing you from hitting the ball solves that.

I feel the ability to hit the ball out of the hazard is not by design. in my area, it's more often due to drought or abnormal weather conditions. e.g. a water hazard that is dried out is still marked red stakes because it was supposed to, well, have water in it! cool, now you can hit out of it, but that wasn't the intent.

 

[Tevenor]

I see where you are going with this. However, the usga says the "penalty" is stroke and distance. They don't say "penalties". They, the ruling body are not designating it as two penalties..

On another note. Sometimes a golfer can use "stroke, and distance" for relief even if the ball is not out of bounds. Should the golfer get "two reliefs"?

Ok. So let's be clear as I feel everyone is getting caught on the syntax.

On straight par 4 with a pond on the left and OB on the right, you play 2 balls. 1 you pull left and trickles into the water. The 2nd you push right and it trickles into OB. Both go the same distance.

My next shot for the first is at the hazard and I am hitting 3. If I take the stroke and distance rule for my push out if bounds, I drop rough the same distance and now I am hitting 4.

Why? Because the rules say so. But besides the color of the stakes, what's the difference?