The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.
If my ball hits the out-of-bounds marker, which blocks it from going out of bounds, does that count as going out of bounds? Thank you! – Michael Stover, age 12
Hello, Michael! It’s nice to know that Rules Guy has some young readers — and maybe someone to take over the column from him when he retires.
While golf can be a harsh game at times, it’s not that harsh. The Rules of Golf aren’t opposed to good luck when it comes, and if a boundary object such as a stake prevents your ball from going OB and instead keeps it in play, then your ball is just that —in play.
Rule 18.2 says that the entire ball must come to rest out of bounds to be OB, and the Rules don’t care what the ball may have accidentally hit on the way to staying in bounds. Thank the golf gods for your good fortune and happily move along. Here’s hoping that fortune follows you throughout your journey in the sport.
For more OB guidance from our guru, read on …
Our course has an in-course OB to protect players on an adjacent fairway. About 240 yards out, in said fairway, is the last OB stake. Our pro says the OB extends on a line parallel to the last two OB stakes “indefinitely.” I say OB ends at the last stake. Who’s correct? – Tim Slauter, West Lafayette, Ind.
The answer should be specified by the local rule that creates the boundary; if not, the pro, as the de facto committee, is the decider.
Important to note: Boundaries and markings don’t just “stop,” and when a marking “ends,” typically it is by either tying into another marking or is extended to infinity. Your pro appears to be alluding to the latter, which is generally indicated by a “double-stake” marking, with two stakes placed within a yard of each other.
As to what the marking should be, that depends upon the nature of this internal OB and the geography — and is above our pay grade.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: golf.com
