Change the OB Rule?

[LICC]

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"?

You aren’t really trying to argue that stroke and distance is not a double penalty? This is a joke?

 

[Flipit]

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.

To me this makes plenty of sense. Why over complicate things?

 

[blueonblack]

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

Provisional yes. But there's a little incentive to keep it moving on a crowded course on a weekend. Walking back to the tee is not really an option anyway is what I'm getting at. I'm not sure how closely this rule is really followed for weekend warriors anyway.

 

[Canadan]

The local rule allowing a drop in the fairway is still a two-stroke penalty.

OB is OB, and the bottom of a pond is the bottom of a pond. Neither one can be played. So the penalty should be the same.

So you feel that from a scoring perspective it's too penalizing to be OB?

I think it makes perfect sense. Most locations that are marked OB are intentionally set to deter golfers from hitting there.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Provisional yes. But there's a little incentive to keep it moving on a crowded course on a weekend. Walking back to the tee is not really an option anyway is what I'm getting at. I'm not sure how closely this rule is really followed for weekend warriors anyway.

That's why I play provisionals liberally. That being said, I have made the walk back when necessary.

 

[greenOak]

I think everything should be treated as a lateral hazard. Tons of amateurs already play OB as a lateral, and it would help pace of play slightly. There’s nothing worse than watching someone drill ball after ball OB on the tee. Also, I’d 100% chastise someone for walking 200+ yards back to the tee on a crowded day - luckily I’ve never seen it. If you care so much about playing exactly by the rules you should’ve made sure to hit a provisional off the tee.

 

[Canadan]

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.

there's no such thing as a hazard anymore

 

[greenOak]

Provisional yes. But there's a little incentive to keep it moving on a crowded course on a weekend. Walking back to the tee is not really an option anyway is what I'm getting at. I'm not sure how closely this rule is really followed for weekend warriors anyway.

So you feel that from a scoring perspective it's too penalizing to be OB?

I think it makes perfect sense. Most locations that are marked OB are intentionally set to deter golfers from hitting there.

So are lateral hazards...

 

[YukonLiving]

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

I completely agree. Sorry if that wasn’t clear in my post.

 

[Canadan]

I think everything should be treated as a lateral hazard. Tons of amateurs already play OB as a lateral, and it would help pace of play slightly. There’s nothing worse than watching someone drill ball after ball OB on the tee. Also, I’d 100% chastise someone for walking 200+ yards back to the tee on a crowded day - luckily I’ve never seen it. If you care so much about playing exactly by the rules you should’ve made sure to hit a provisional off the tee.

That's why they implemented a new rule that can be adopted locally to avoid returning to the original location.

It's a great feature - And as any golfer constructs their handicap, I see no reason why they couldn't encourage their local club to adopt said rule (or use it during handicap tracked rounds). We are not 100% inclined to play 'letter of the law' golf each location we visit unless it's in tournament play.

 

[Molten]

That's why I play provisionals liberally. That being said, I have made the walk back when necessary.

I mean this with no disrespect but if I saw someone making the walk back on a Saturday morning round, I would lose my marbles if their pace of play was bad.

 

[Canadan]

So are lateral hazards...

You mean penalty areas?

Yes and no. Many penalty areas are within the confines of the individual hole. The only place I can think of where OB is present on my course that still belongs to the course is the driving range, which absolutely should be OB.

 

[Tevenor]

there's no such thing as a hazard anymore

But yet we still have OB...

 

[greenOak]

You mean penalty areas?

Yes and no. Many penalty areas are within the confines of the individual hole. The only place I can think of where OB is present on my course that still belongs to the course is the driving range, which absolutely should be OB.

My point is that changing OB to a lateral is not going to result in an influx of balls being hit into those areas.

 

[Canadan]

But yet we still have OB...

I don't get the comparison?

 

[McLovin]

there's no such thing as a hazard anymore

I don't follow?

 

[Canadan]

My point is that changing OB to a lateral is not going to result in an influx of balls being hit into those areas.

I'll concede that taking a side on such an argument is highly subjective, but I can pretty comfortably say that no one I golf with would feel the same way about a penalty area than OB in certain locations.

It's a totally different experience.

 

[Canadan]

I don't follow?

hazards are gone.

We are in the 'penalty area' era.

 

[Tevenor]

hazards are gone.

We are in the 'penalty area' era.

And that was my point. Why isn't it all "penalty area"? Keep the OB designation but treat it as unplayable penalty area.

 

[greenOak]

I'll concede that taking a side on such an argument is highly subjective, but I can pretty comfortably say that no one I golf with would feel the same way about a penalty area than OB in certain locations.

It's a totally different experience.

You also have to consider that people will no longer be hitting multiple balls into the OB area on the same hole.

 

[MWard]

I mean this with no disrespect but if I saw someone making the walk back on a Saturday morning round, I would lose my marbles if their pace of play was bad.

Sir, it’s important that I count every stroke in this very important $5 Nassau.

I think the OB rule needs tweaking. Let me take my penalty and go from there. I'm not gonna try and play from a backyard, I didn’t want to be there to begin with.

 

[Canadan]

And that was my point. Why isn't it all "penalty area"? Keep the OB designation but treat it as unplayable penalty area.

Because OB areas must be avoided by golfers - for the safety of pretty much everyone not playing golf.

Backyards, roads, driving ranges, train tracks, parking lots... We definitely want golfers playing away from them, not into them.

 

[Canadan]

You also have to consider that people will no longer be hitting multiple balls into the OB area on the same hole.

Not with the new potential local rule addition that was added in 2019. Anyone can use this, or encourage their course to adapt it (for both, actually).

 

[MattyD-MPLS]

A large portion of OB is a boundary issue but there are boundaries that are more significant than fences like an ENTIRE Ocean on Pebble Beach!
Make them all red penalty areas and it will make the game the much faster. No need for a provisional ball.

 

[Tevenor]

Because OB areas must be avoided by golfers - for the safety of pretty much everyone not playing golf.

Backyards, roads, driving ranges, train tracks, parking lots... We definitely want golfers playing away from them, not into them.

I still haven't seen the evidence that making it a 1 stroke penalty vs a 2 stroke penalty encourages people to hit into back yards and roads and such. OB doesn't stop balls from doing that now, right?