A bridge over troubled water

[Colin L]

Years ago the deep gully crossing the line of the hole in front of our 7th tee was changed from a water hazard to an out of bounds area. So why when one of my group landed his ball on the bridge over the gully did I immediately start going through in my mind the options for landing on an obstruction in a water hazard? A question perhaps best left unanswered as it may be saying too much about the difference between long term and short term memory in old farts.

Anyway, my friend was casting around looking somewhat over-optimistically for a dropping zone when I had to tell him that on the bridge was out of bounds. It's the first time I'd come across this situation and I must confess I had a quick look at the Rule Book to confirm that I was right that the Definition of OOB is that the margins extend vertically up and down (how often do you need to remember that?).

So somewhat heartened that the memory isn't that bad, I was just left wondering how unusual or otherwise it might be to have a bridge over an OOB area.

 

[pbrown7582]

I thought internal OOB was something the rule makers actively discouraged so it's strange to change a water hazard to OOB?
Does make it a much more of a hazard and fairly unique I imagine.

 

[walshawwhippet]

I thought internal OOB was something the rule makers actively discouraged so it's strange to change a water hazard to OOB?
Does make it a much more of a hazard and fairly unique I imagine.

We have a couple on our course. Conservation being the reason given. Newts i believe.

 

[MashieNiblick]

Unusual situation.

Internal OOB is often intended to discourage particular play, e.g. using the "wrong " fairway. I assume the idea is to make people re-play under stroke and distance rather than attempt to search for the ball or take a drop.

I suppose, given that the boundaries extend up and down, if they marked it so the bridge was in bounds the area underneath it would be too. That would be just as odd.

 

[Colin L]

In our case I think it is for the conservation of members' limbs rather than newts! The gully is steep sided and slippery with a burn at the bottom running from a deep quarried area which is bordered by another two holes. To make the whole area out of bounds with a club rule prohibiting entry for safety reasons made sense. Even when it was a hazard your only sensible option if you went in it was to play from the tee, the slope down to the margin being quite steep and the distance only about 30 metres plus the likelihood of being blocked out by trees if your ball had gone in even slightly off-centre. So in playing terms it made little difference.

I do admit that when I cross the bridge and look at the treasure trove of balls down there, the wee boy in me struggles to get out: it is a great temptation to put my wellies on and come back on a quiet evening to do a little bit of retrieving. To date, I've resisted.

 

[backwoodsman]

There's ecological areas on Homer's course at Ascot which I think are OOB - to protect the newts or badgers or dragons or something.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There's ecological areas on Homer's course at Ascot which I think are OOB - to protect the newts or badgers or dragons or something.

Mainly in play off the 3rd tee. We have a bridge crossing it and never seen anyone land on it. I guess I know now that if they do it is OOB