Internal OOB.

[John_Findlay]

Debate continues to rage at our club about the dreaded question of internal out of bounds. So what are your thoughts?

As an example I thought I'd return with a photo and, of course, a wee bit of video. (It's what you would expect, eh?)

The 15th hole at King's Acre probably causes more controversy than any hole I know. The majority of the members hate it. Personally, I really like it. It's certainly different.

Here's a wee illustration, from Google Maps about what I'm talking about.



It's a par 5 of 496 yards. Stroke index 1.

Internal OOB all the way down the right. This is what causes the problem. The OOB is there for safety reasons, primarily to deter golfers from trying to cut the corner, thereby lashing their tee shots over the heads of those on the 16th green.

The downside is that the hole has become a bit of a card wrecker, some say "Mickey Mouse". I've witnessed everything between a 3 and a 13 there. Often, shorter or less accurate hitters are reloading several times from the tee (and again on the fairway). In medals I know that some members are thinking about the hole a good 5 or 6 holes before they play it.

I think the hole's a breath of fresh air. Here's a wee video I took earlier today. What d'you think? I've heard it called the worst hole in the Lothians. I'd have to disagree.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c92DMil01Q8

:fore:

 

[CMAC]

looks fine to me, you know whats there so you play whatever gets you on the fairway. 3 wood, 6 iron, wedge and your putting for birdie.

 

[Imurg]

I don't like internal OB as a deterent to a particular shot on safety grounds. People are still going to play the shot and hope it comes off so those on the 16th green are no safer than if the OB wasn't there.
If they don't want people to go for the shot then plant some trees right by the tee to block the line.

 

[Perry]

Played Kings Acre once and this hole is one of the few that I remember. When we played there was a bit of a queue at tees as it was really busy/slow! We met a few members at the tee that described the hole for us and told us how best to play it. There opinion was cutting across the out of bounds was impossible unless you're a really big hitter. We all played safe down to the corner which is much bigger than it looks from the tee, can't remember the distance from there to the green but I don't see what the problem is. Nice interesting hole IMO.

 

[fundy]

Personally not a fan of internal OOB at all, always seems bad course design to me, though I do appreciate that sometimes its safety enforced.

Weve recently had similar issues with them trying to stop us driving our par 4 4th by cutting off the dogleg. They have moved some trees directly to the right and in front of the tee, they are fractionally too low currently but in 18mths or so then there will be no option but to fire down to the dog leg, or look to hit a 6o yard cut lol

 

[DCB]

Played Kings Acre several times as it's a popular venue for outings etc. Got to say, that hole has always been a talking point after the games. I've learned to take my medicine at that one and am happy to walk away with a bogey if needs be. A 5 there is a good score IMO.

For me, the 17th is a worse hole. It's another right hand dog leg but is uphill and can be so punishing if you even just miss the fairway. It doesn't suffer from internal OOB though


Seem to remember a similar internal OOB at Pitlochry, again. to try and stop folks driving over a cornet to the green.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Internal OOB is a health and safety feature and I don't like them. There is a hole at Cranleigh that has internal OOB to stop people driving over the dogleg, when they played a pro event there the pro's refused to recognise it. The 1967 open at Royal Liverpool also removed their internal OOB as the pro's complained.

As far as I'm concerned, if you're on the course you should be in play

 

[Marko77]

Its a similar hole to the 9th @ Murrayshall although it looks like that hole you can take a bit more direct route if wanting to cut the corner? At Murrayshall you are pretty much forced to lay up down the hill unless your confident enough and have the ability to fade the ball round the corner and not be too long so to be in the rubbish at the far side.

From seeing your 15th and knowing our 9th I can understand the safety reasons of making the internal oob.

 

[Imurg]

From seeing your 15th and knowing our 9th I can understand the safety reasons of making the internal oob.

But Safety is a poor reason for OB....

If someone is able to take the shot on - over the 16th green - then those on the 16th green are in danger if he messes up. The OB isn't protecting them at all.
It also doesn't protect when someone aims down the middle but slices it wildly right.
If those on the green need protecting then preventing the shot completely - ie blocking it with trees close to the tee - is the only sensible thing to do.

 

[AuburnWarrior]

We have an internal OOB down the right of our 11th hole. It's there to stop the big boys driving blind down the 12th.
If you find the fairway of the 12th with your drive then you're OOB. The stupid thing is that if you clear the fairway and find the rough on the other side of the 12th fairway then you're in play!
Also, the 12th fairway is only OOB when you're hitting your drive of the 11th. If you're hitting your second shot on 11 then the 12th becomes in play.

Confused? Join the club. (You probably can't as you live too far away but you get what I mean....)

 

[Marko77]

But Safety is a poor reason for OB....

The OB should deter those who think they can rather than know they can? If the OB wasn't there then everyone and their uncle would be having a go, so in that sense, I think safety is a good rationale for it.

Only those who are confident in pulling it off should really be going for it.

 

[miniTIGER95]

At my course they have a similar dogleg, with if you want to go for the green, a short wedge, you have to drive over a tee box. They fixed this by putting trees round the tee box with a huge net behind the trees, so it doesn't look ugly, and its safe, and you can go for the tiger line. Genius idea

 

[Imurg]

The OB should deter those who think they can rather than know they can? If the OB wasn't there then everyone and their uncle would be having a go, so in that sense, I think safety is a good rationale for it.

Only those who are confident in pulling it off should really be going for it.

Still doesn't protect from an errant shot though.........

If holes are close enough together to require some form of safety precaution then the design is at fault

 

[Heidi]

Thats a tricky one - me and the big man played a bounce game at Kingsacre the other week. my drive was in the oob. he took his shot first (he hit a peach onto the fairway) and hit it straight into the oob! evil!

 

[USER1999]

Internal oob sucks.

 

[Val]

It's a nice hole John but can be nasty, played 3 of the tee and made par here once holing from off the green?

Should add the OB can be carried with a Sunday best from an average length hitter

 

[sawtooth]

I played Huntswood GC recently, I think 10 holes have internal OOB.

Note, you cannot move a white post to take a shot (like you can with the reds and yellows).

 

[HomerJSimpson]

When the new Royal Ascot open there was an internal OB playing 15 going back down the 14th to stop people driving back towards the oncoming players on that hole. It was rubbish as it was only about 150 off the tee and so close to the left rough even a slight pull was out. If you hit a hook or overdid the draw you were dead. They eventually got rid of it. It doesn't stop some guys hitting down 14 now but they all use their nous and wait for it to be clear. It is the unexpected duck hook that causes the most danger as you have to stand at an angle to hit down 14 and so it gives the golfers a warning. The hook doesn't

 

[Mike_j_golf]

It is something i hate and it would stop me joining a club. Why not stick up a big fence to stop people hitting on that line. Just making it OB doesn't make it safe.
Mike

 

[SocketRocket]

A previous club of mine had an internal OOB between two adjoining fairways. It was so say for safety to stop people driving off and endangering golfers on the other fairway. It was stupid, just because there are white stakes it does not prevent people hitting big slices off the tee. It can make them hit two of them.