OB Par +1 or +2?

[Todd Dugan]

Many of these responses indicate a real lack of knowlege of the rules. The procedure for a ball lost or out of bounds is as basic as it gets. Perhaps take a few hours away from your study of the science of the swing to have a look at a rule book. Usually, the people who complain that the rules are too complicated, unfair, and should be changed, really don't know the rules at all.

 

[johnnymarlboro]

That's true Todd, but on a busy public course sometimes for the sake of pace of play you can't go back and retee without looking like an asshole. I agree with Kevin's assessment for a friendly game. If he dropped in the fairway that should have been treated as his provisional and been laying 4.

I've had many a time on a public course where I saw where the ball went so I of course wouldn't play a provisional. Then you get out there and just can't find the damn thing. Last time I played I lost a ball in the fairway. It was so wet that it must have plugged. There were folks on the tee box so I couldn't go back. My playing partner happened to find another ball that had plugged in the vicinity of where mine would have been so I just played that one. In a friendly game, or weekend outing I'm totally fine with this type of behavior for the sake of pace of play. People spending 15 minutes searching for their precious $5 golf balls seems to be a big contributor to slow play to me.

 

[mgranato]

I know, I know... without rules we'd have chaos. But seriously? This sounds like two friends out to enjoy some golf without backing up the course. Thank you!

If these are handicap rounds, play by the rules (all of them). If these are purely fun rounds, play by the rules that keep the pace up. If this is a money game between the two guys, tell him he can right down whatever number he's feels comfortable with just as long as he knows he lost the hole.

I don't know the level of play here, but the common sense application of the rules should be reflected in the level of play. It doesn't do anybody any good if the guy has to spend 5+ minutes looking, then get in the cart (or worse, walk), drive back to the tee, and then proceed to grind out a 10.

I agree, it is important to know all the rules. It allows for a more informed decision on which ones to ignore. JK

 

[rprevost]

That's true Todd, but on a busy public course sometimes for the sake of pace of play you can't go back and retee without looking like an asshole. I agree with Kevin's assessment for a friendly game. If he dropped in the fairway that should have been treated as his provisional and been laying 4.

I've had many a time on a public course where I saw where the ball went so I of course wouldn't play a provisional. Then you get out there and just can't find the damn thing. Last time I played I lost a ball in the fairway. It was so wet that it must have plugged. There were folks on the tee box so I couldn't go back. My playing partner happened to find another ball that had plugged in the vicinity of where mine would have been so I just played that one. In a friendly game, or weekend outing I'm totally fine with this type of behavior for the sake of pace of play. People spending 15 minutes searching for their precious $5 golf balls seems to be a big contributor to slow play to me.

I am having trouble with the math. Why laying 4, rather than hitting 4? So, you hit it out of bounds. That is stroke # 1. You drop a new ball as your penalty stroke. That is stroke # 2. You hit it as your distance penalty. That is stroke # 3. You find it and you are hitting 4. Where is the missing stroke? I may have been counting this wrong for a long, long time!

 

[Shot Limit]

I am having trouble with the math. Why laying 4, rather than hitting 4? So, you hit it out of bounds. That is stroke # 1. You drop a new ball as your penalty stroke. That is stroke # 2. You hit it as your distance penalty. That is stroke # 3. You find it and you are hitting 4. Where is the missing stroke? I may have been counting this wrong for a long, long time!

He didn't hit the provisional. He walked out to the fairway after his initial tee shot because he assumed it wasn't OB or lost.

 

[johnnymarlboro]

I am having trouble with the math. Why laying 4, rather than hitting 4? So, you hit it out of bounds. That is stroke # 1. You drop a new ball as your penalty stroke. That is stroke # 2. You hit it as your distance penalty. That is stroke # 3. You find it and you are hitting 4. Where is the missing stroke? I may have been counting this wrong for a long, long time!

I think you're right, I just said it wrong. I always get mixed up with the "laying 3, hitting 4" etc. In a friendly game on a busy course I find it acceptable to take a drop to substitute for hitting a provisional as long as you count an extra stroke. Basically a drop and two stroke penalty to make up for the distance part. My bad. This is of course not legit when following actual "rules." It's just a casual rule I go by to speed play.

 

[Erik_K]

I want to say my league follows a similar 'rule.' My 'home' course has a few areas that are clearly OB, but most of the time people don't re-tee and hit the provisional. As others have stated, sometimes the ball goes into a wooded area (no provisional played) and they can't find the ball. They drop (this is the penalty) and we keep going. Otherwise the play would get way too backed up. I should point out that this is the case for our weakest flight. Perhaps in the other, better, groups they follow the rules more closely.

Erik

 

[Tony D'Antonio]

Boy, 3 pages on the penalty for OB/lost ball, and I thought the rule book was long.

 

[Cloran]

For all you rule book thumpers:

Last summer I played Bethpage Black. I stepped up to the first tee and hit a fade which landed in the fairway and one-hopped into the right rough. No need for a provisional, right? From the first tee at the Black you can see EXACTLY where each shot ends up.

I walk to the spot where my ball should be and *poof* it's gone. Noone in my group can find it.

Now, I'm no vuh jay-jay... But there's no way in hell I'm walking back up that hill and telling Peter, Paul, Michael and Tony to step aside so I can hit another tee shot. No f-in way.

I do the RIGHT THING and drop one (a golf ball) right there in the rough. Take exactly ONE penalty stroke, and hit three.

Any other decision is stupid, a waste of time, or both.

I'd like to see one of you "you'd better know the rules" guys/gals do it "by the book" on a busy long island muni... Lol. Notgunnahappen.

 

[JEREMY5577]

Par 4

Tee shot

Went to fairway, didn't find the ball.

Couldn't go back to hit the provisional because there were people behind us waiting already.

Dropped the ball to the nearest spot where he thinks the ball might have went out.

Got on to the green from the dropped area in 1. Two putted.

Scored 5 (+1) for this hole

My friends and I would call this an I-5. I standing for Illegitimate. So next time just chalk him down for an I-5 then when he asks what the I stands for, tell him