Change of position of out-of-bounds stake?

[Deleted member 15344]

There is row of white OOB stakes alongside the driving range which have always been there and well off the course. One of these had been moved a good 15 yards out to the other side of the bush and not that far off the fairway. I was inside the lines between it and the next stakes back and forward (which were still in their original positions), and therefore OOB in a sort of triangle. Just wondering who can authorise such a change, and whether it should be notified to the members?

So is the bush is 15 yards wide - how far wide is the bush from the tee ?

Was their any evidence of the grass being cut nearby and finally - Did you ask in the pro shop as it could have been a mistake and moved their by accident.

 

[Duckster]

It was a on a shortish par-5. Having hit a good drive I went for the green in two with a 3-wood, as there didn't seem to be much risk in this apart from some bunkers and deep rough to the left of the green. Unfortunately I hit my shot too far right, not helped by a left-to-right wind, and ended up in said bush and OOB. If I had known the OOB was there I would have laid up with a hybrid or long iron.

So OOB moving a yard onto the other side of a bush that shouldn't be in play anyway on a par 5 would make you change your shot decision? Really? C'mon, be honest with yourself.

 

[Farneyman]

We have a fresh water quarry in our course that has internal oob and depending on the water level these posts move all the time. We don't get any notification when they move the posts however it is a matter of feet each time and maybe not even that.

 

[Colin L]

Del,

It's good principle when placing OOB stakes to ensure they are visible and it could be that moving a stake to the fairway side of the bush was for that purpose. Didn't work for you, though.

Your Committee is required to define and mark the boundaries of your course and obviously has the authority to shift a boundary for whatever reason. I'm not aware of anything that requires it to inform members in any way other than by planting white stakes, but clearly it would be good practice to do so.

I would take issue over the matter of your losing out in the competition because of this one incident. It never seems to reasonable to me to blame one shot out of all the shots you play in a round of golf for losing out any more than one lucky break is responsible for a win. But I recognise the feeling!

 

[Three]

Does it matter whether you believe him?

it's in the rules section, he asked for advice on if it can be done. I don't care whether it would affect him or not. One yard this time, how avout moving oob by 20 yards, the other side of a dogleg. You'd be annoyed if they didn't tell you that.

Focus on the point, not the poster.

he gets (fairly rightly IMO) berated for mentioning hole sizes, don't have a go when he starts posts on other things! (Not aimed specifically at LPP, general point)

Well said.

I'm amazed by the ganging up that exists on this forum.

If a different person had posted that perfectly good question, some of the responders would have replied with much more respectful answers.

Personally I think it's a great question.

 

[delc]

So OOB moving a yard onto the other side of a bush that shouldn't be in play anyway on a par 5 would make you change your shot decision? Really? C'mon, be honest with yourself.

I played a provisional ball in case the first ball was lost in the bush, also with a 3-wood because I still wasn't aware of this new OOB, but fortunately hit it straight this time (Provisional balls always seem to go straight). I found my original ball quite easily but it was definitely OOB, so had to continue with the provisional. Came up just short of the green, pitched on and 2-putted for a 7. At least this earned me one Stableford point, so it could have been worse!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Delc - did you ask the Pro Shop about the OOB stake ?

 

[c1973]

For me, any changes to OOB by the club should have resulted in members being notified by e-mail and a notice of the change being posted on the notice board.

Anything less than this would, in my view, be a failing on the clubs part. Poor show if this never happened (I haven't read all the posts btw) and I wouldn't be a happy bunny if it happened to me.

 

[Duckster]

I played a provisional ball in case the first ball was lost in the bush, also with a 3-wood because I still wasn't aware of this new OOB, but fortunately hit it straight this time (Provisional balls always seem to go straight). I found my original ball quite easily but it was definitely OOB, so had to continue with the provisional. Came up just short of the green, pitched on and 2-putted for a 7. At least this earned me one Stableford point, so it could have been worse!

So it didn't make you change your shot then. Just to make sure, the white stakes were between you and the bush? Could you not see them? How far offline is the bush from you and the green?

I say this as the 4th at ours has had OOB extended 50 yards up towards the tee, however all the posts can been seen even though they are a good 50 yards off the fairway.

*Granted, we did have a notification in the clubhouse and also one on the sign board next to the 1st tee about the OOB change

 

[Three]

For me, any changes to OOB by the club should have resulted in members being notified by e-mail and a notice of the change being posted on the notice board.

Anything less than this would, in my view, be a failing on the clubs part. Poor show if this never happened (I haven't read all the posts btw) and I wouldn't be a happy bunny if it happened to me.

Exactly.
The members are the customers, they should be informed when possible.

 

[delc]

So it didn't make you change your shot then. Just to make sure, the white stakes were between you and the bush? Could you not see them? How far offline is the bush from you and the green?

I say this as the 4th at ours has had OOB extended 50 yards up towards the tee, however all the posts can been seen even though they are a good 50 yards off the fairway.

*Granted, we did have a notification in the clubhouse and also one on the sign board next to the 1st tee about the OOB change

The OOB posts are actually brown with white tops, and are not that easy to see from a distance. I only noticed the relocated one when I got quite close to it!

 

[Colin L]

The OOB posts are actually brown with white tops, and are not that easy to see from a distance. I only noticed the relocated one when I got quite close to it!

So much for the principle of making stakes as visible as possible.

Unfortunately (and I don't know why) the rules only state that OOB stakes should be white.

 

[Old Skier]

Although I appear to be in the minority it is sound common sense when changing the layout of a course for some kind of notice be bought to the attention of those that use it. Moving something as fundamental as an OOB marker which changes the layout, especially as the poster says it was by 15 yds, should warrant some kind of notification.

 

[upsidedown]

I too would be pretty miffed if our OOB was moved by 15 yards and we were not informed .

 

[Colin L]

Although I appear to be in the minority it is sound common sense when changing the layout of a course for some kind of notice be bought to the attention of those that use it. Moving something as fundamental as an OOB marker which changes the layout, especially as the poster says it was by 15 yds, should warrant some kind of notification.

Has anyone suggested otherwise? I must have missed it.

 

[Old Skier]

Has anyone suggested otherwise? I must have missed it.

Possibly

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Im curious to know why after such critical thing to happen why delc didnt go and speak to the pro or course manager or secretary to gain clarification of why the stake was moved ?

 

[duncan mackie]

Im curious to know why after such critical thing to happen why delc didnt go and speak to the pro or course manager or secretary to gain clarification of why the stake was moved ?

Me too- and I'm not even convinced it was officially moved from the description given. Moving one stake in isolation isn't sensible and rarely constructive. Personally I would have proceeded using 3-3 and queried with the committee whether they had moved the stake (establishing why and having the opportunity to suggest they might communicate such things at the same time).

 

[delc]

Me too- and I'm not even convinced it was officially moved from the description given. Moving one stake in isolation isn't sensible and rarely constructive. Personally I would have proceeded using 3-3 and queried with the committee whether they had moved the stake (establishing why and having the opportunity to suggest they might communicate such things at the same time).

I just played the course as I found it, but I will query this with the course management.

 

[Fyldewhite]

If there was any doubt as to the correct placing of the stake then I would have played two balls, one treating the ball as OB and another assuming the stake would be in it's "correct" position. Then ask the committee for a ruling. I'd expect that such a change to the course boundary should be posted on a noticeboard somewhere but even if they haven't done this I doubt if you would have any comeback.