Change the OB Rule?

[OGputtnfool]

Comparing a 170 yard carry off the tee to a 220 yard water carry off the tee is not valid.

If you say so.

 

[Tevenor]

It's all good. I'm a cheap date. I haven't had alcohol since 1999 and I rarely drink soda anymore. Juice, milk, or water is about it for me. Doubt I'll ever make another "experience" though. It'd probably have to be an unofficial meet.

Then I'll get get the first prune juice for ya.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Then I'll get get the first prune juice for ya.

Dude, I'm not that old...

 

[Tevenor]

Dude, I'm not that old...

 

[NEhomer]

I'll tell ya what this threads about. It's about separating the men from the boys.

 

[wadesworld]

An aside to that, I object to the red lines drawn around some hazards, generally water hazards. They seem too arbitrary, some 2' away from the water and others appearing to be 6' away. I don't honestly know if there is supposed to be a standard measurement, but my own experience at various courses is that there's doesn't seem to be. How come you can play a ball out of a water hazard without penalty, but suffer such a tough penalty for a ball OB?

Water hazard boundaries are supposed to be defined as close as possible to where the natural slope to the water begins. It’s hard to describe but there’s usually a pretty clear delineation. You might have a large area sloping gently towards the water, which suddenly changes to a steep drop to the water. It’s at that steep drop where the margin would typically be defined. Obviously things like cart paths and vegetation may alter that line though.

As for why the difference, people need to remember that a water hazard is a feature of the course. It was placed there or retained to provide a challenge. That’s why you’re allowed to play out of it (usually). OB is a prohibited area, either because it’s off the course or for safety reasons. I’m not sure why people have a problem understanding why you can’t hit a ball that’s OB. Because you hit it in a prohibited area. That’s why.

Of course the one exception to the above is oceans or large lakes bordering the property. No, they weren’t placed there or retained, and they may not be course property. However, they are a water hazard so if it’s safe to do so the course will generally designate them as such. However, I’m sure there are situations where an adjacent lake or ocean has safety concerns like a highly populated beach and therefore the course may mark it as OB.


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[OGputtnfool]

I’m not sure why people have a problem understanding why you can’t hit a ball that’s OB. Because you hit it in a prohibited area. That’s why.

 

[Tevenor]

I’m not sure why people have a problem understanding why you can’t hit a ball that’s OB. Because you hit it in a prohibited area. That’s why.

Not sure why you think anyone is saying the rule should be changed to allow hitting out if OB. I don't think anyone is advocating for hitting out if OB, just not getting penalized 2 strokes for it.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Not sure why you think anyone is saying the rule should be changed to allow hitting out if OB. I don't think anyone is advocating for hitting out if OB, just not getting penalized 2 strokes for it.

It was said way back in the thread somewhere.

Actually, it was the 2nd post.

 

[Tevenor]

It was said way back in the thread somewhere.

Actually, it was the 2nd post.

Ahhh. I see it now. Yeah, that shouldnt happen. It's OB for a reason. Unplayable, just don't cost me 2 strokes like it did to me today. Drive to right side of fairway, hits hard and bounces to cart path. One bounce. Two bounce. Third bounce kicks right and rolls OB by 3 inches. No houses, no freeways, no railroad tracks, no cliffs, no rivers, no armed gunmen. Just trees.

 

[BigDill]

Ahhh. I see it now. Yeah, that shouldnt happen. It's OB for a reason. Unplayable, just don't cost me 2 strokes like it did to me today. Drive to right side of fairway, hits hard and bounces to cart path. One bounce. Two bounce. Third bounce kicks right and rolls OB by 3 inches. No houses, no freeways, no railroad tracks, no cliffs, no rivers, no armed gunmen. Just trees.

I think you should have had the option to play that ball. Doesn’t seem like it’s materially different from a ball on the edge of a water hazard.

 

[Tevenor]

I think you should have had the option to play that ball. Doesn’t seem like it’s materially different from a ball on the edge of a water hazard.

Interestingly enough, one of the guys i was playing yanked his hard left on the sane hole and hit into a hazard by like 50 yards. He dropped at the edge of the hazard and ended up bogeying the hole after his 1 stroke penalty.

 

[OGputtnfool]

I think you should have had the option to play that ball. Doesn’t seem like it’s materially different from a ball on the edge of a water hazard.

You honestly think a ball off the playing "field" should be playable? So, basically, when you start playing, you can just hit the ball anywhere and it doesn't matter?

 

[LICC]

Water hazard boundaries are supposed to be defined as close as possible to where the natural slope to the water begins. It’s hard to describe but there’s usually a pretty clear delineation. You might have a large area sloping gently towards the water, which suddenly changes to a steep drop to the water. It’s at that steep drop where the margin would typically be defined. Obviously things like cart paths and vegetation may alter that line though.

As for why the difference, people need to remember that a water hazard is a feature of the course. It was placed there or retained to provide a challenge. That’s why you’re allowed to play out of it (usually). OB is a prohibited area, either because it’s off the course or for safety reasons. I’m not sure why people have a problem understanding why you can’t hit a ball that’s OB. Because you hit it in a prohibited area. That’s why.

Of course the one exception to the above is oceans or large lakes bordering the property. No, they weren’t placed there or retained, and they may not be course property. However, they are a water hazard so if it’s safe to do so the course will generally designate them as such. However, I’m sure there are situations where an adjacent lake or ocean has safety concerns like a highly populated beach and therefore the course may mark it as OB.


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You cannot play a ball submerged at the bottom of a pond. And water hazards can have riskier safety issues than OB.

 

[BigDill]

You honestly think a ball off the playing "field" should be playable? So, basically, when you start playing, you can just hit the ball anywhere and it doesn't matter?

No, I don’t. I think it should be the same penalty as a hazard with a drop in bounds and a one stroke penalty, as I have been saying over several threads now. I think it’s a reasonable position, as do some others. I think the OB penalty as currently constituted should be for tournament play only.

 

[LICC]

Not sure why you think anyone is saying the rule should be changed to allow hitting out if OB. I don't think anyone is advocating for hitting out if OB, just not getting penalized 2 strokes for it.

 

[OGputtnfool]

I think you should have had the option to play that ball. Doesn’t seem like it’s materially different from a ball on the edge of a water hazard.

No, I don’t. I think it should be the same penalty as a hazard with a drop in bounds and a one stroke penalty, as I have been saying over several threads now. I think it’s a reasonable position, as do some others. I think the OB penalty as currently constituted should be for tournament play only.

Except that you literally just said that he should have the option to play a ball that was OB.

 

[OGputtnfool]

That's a fairly original reply. You know, besides not acknowledging that at least one person in this thread has argued to allow hitting a ball that lies OB.

 

[OGputtnfool]

You cannot play a ball submerged at the bottom of a pond. And water hazards can have riskier safety issues than OB.

All depends on how deep the pond is.

 

[BigDill]

Except that you literally just said that he should have the option to play a ball that was OB.

Look man, I’m not going to continue to get into a pedantic argument over this. I don’t see those two as inconsistent with respect to my thoughts on the rule. I posted the earlier comment in the context of the discussion regarding why paying a ball three feet out of bounds but still in grass and on the golf course property was no different than hitting a ball at the edge of a pond. If that can’t work because of the technical possibility but practical impossibility of situations where OB balls are on Johnny Law’s lawn or on a highway (as you said) then the hard and fast rule should be if it’s over the line, treat it as a lateral hazard and drop with a stoke penalty.

I get it, you don’t agree with that. You believe OB should be a greater penalty because it is off the field of play, as opposed to a hazard which is unable to be hit but within the field of play. I get it, but for most golfers, I just don’t see it as any more of a deterrent.

From a practical perspective, the only difference in @Tevenor ’s situation was the color of the line as a result of the designation by the course. The ball wasn’t “anywhere” as you stated. His ball was three feet over the OB line and on golf course property.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Look man, I’m not going to continue to get into a pedantic argument over this. I don’t see those two as inconsistent with respect to my thoughts on the rule. I posted the earlier comment in the context of the discussion regarding why paying a ball three feet out of bounds but still in grass and on the golf course property was no different than hitting a ball at the edge of a pond. If that can’t work because of the technical possibility but practical impossibility of situations where OB balls are on Johnny Law’s lawn or on a highway (as you said) then the hard and fast rule should be if it’s over the line, treat it as a lateral hazard and drop with a stoke penalty.

I get it, you don’t agree with that. You believe OB should be a greater penalty because it is off the field of play, as opposed to a hazard which is unable to be hit but within the field of play. I get it, but for most golfers, I just don’t see it as any more of a deterrent.

From a practical perspective, the only difference in @Tevenor’s situation was the color of the line as a result of the designation by the course. The ball wasn’t “anywhere” as you stated. His ball was three feet over the OB line and on golf course property.

It's not pedantic at all. I mean, the course is laid out. It's like Scrabble, Monopoly, chess, checkers, and countless other games people play. You play on the designated area laid out for game play. No one spells words off the side of the playing area in Scrabble and allows it because the line is arbitrary and it's not going to hurt anyone.

As has been said many times, too, hazards are able to be hit out of often. Just depends on the lie and the player's decision.

 

[BigDill]

It's not pedantic at all. I mean, the course is laid out. It's like Scrabble, Monopoly, chess, checkers, and countless other games people play. You play on the designated area laid out for game play. No one spells words off the side of the playing area in Scrabble and allows it because the line is arbitrary and it's not going to hurt anyone.

As has been said many times, too, hazards are able to be hit out of often. Just depends on the lie and the player's decision.

We are discussing changes the rules and the reasoning behind it, not that we shouldn’t obey the rules. When I play golf and I hit it OB, I take the appropriate penalty as the rules require.

 

[tommyhaka]

Nothing like an OB shot to ruin your game. Why not make golf real hard with some more ridiculous rules that could turn more people away from the game. If a person can tell where his ball entered the water and drop there, they can tell where it went out of bounds and drop likewise. As far as people's property, well that's their problem they moved on to a golf course, what do you expect to get in your backyard?

 

[clarkgriswold]

Played a brutal short 9 hole course today with multiple ON course markers not allowing any hit into the adjoining fairway that wasn’t OB. It ran across 3 holes via a cree, Aanyy shot that crossed the creek was OB o n either sideZ It stunk on ice as you could have easily recovered.

 

[LICC]

It's not pedantic at all. I mean, the course is laid out. It's like Scrabble, Monopoly, chess, checkers, and countless other games people play. You play on the designated area laid out for game play. No one spells words off the side of the playing area in Scrabble and allows it because the line is arbitrary and it's not going to hurt anyone.

As has been said many times, too, hazards are able to be hit out of often. Just depends on the lie and the player's decision.

But you don’t play a ball submerged at the bottom of a pond. It is physically and practically impossible. No different from a results standpoint from OB.