Why aren't more areas on the course OOB?

[S17er]

One example from many.

Our 7th has a very dense array of small trees, bushes and vegetation all the way down the left hand side.

If if you go in there you would:

- struggle to find your ball
- have no shot even if taking relief

Not put it in there for ages but would immediately declare it lost if I had done but played with plenty of people who have gone in there but played a provisional and gone off searching.

Can't see why and making the area OOB just makes more sense to me so why doesn't that happen?

 

[ManinBlack]

Because the general principle is that you play the ball as it lies if it's on the course. OOB normally refers to the course boundaries & often the practice ground. Declaring other parts OOB is denying players the right to play the ball if they want to. And you can't "declare it lost" as such. You can immediately put another ball into play without declaring it a provisional if you want, if you think you won't like where you find it.

 

[backwoodsman]

It's not designated OOB because there is no need for it to be designated so.

If the ball goes OOB you play another ball from where you last played. You have that option at any time.

And as MiB says, OOB generally relates to boundaries, and designating "non-boundaries" as OOB merely removes choice - possibly an unpalatable one, mind - from a player.

 

[ScienceBoy]

And you can't "declare it lost" as such. You can immediately put another ball into play without declaring it a provisional if you want, if you think you won't like where you find it.

I remember once tanking my second shot on a short par 4, just had a wedge to go... The shot flew off into some bushes so no lie or line would be better than the fairway.

I dropped a ball to play from the same spot and stuck it to a foot... easy two points.

I always quickly weigh up looking for it vs dropping and playing. If you can leave a tee in the spot before you go look it can help speed things up.

Often unless the ball is likely to be a lot closer when found I will drop and play.

 

[fundy]

One of my pet hates on a golf course, areas designated OOB that are still part of the golf course. We have (a badly marked) internal OOB on our 18th and its just a by product of bad design imo

 

[Hosel Fade]

OoB should only exist for boundaries or for safety reasons (say you have a dogleg right and there is another fairway on the right that would be advantageous to use). Maybe for fairness reasons the beach/ocean should also be OoB so no one gets an advantage during low tide, seen it both ways but think OoB is the way forward

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not sure the hole in the OP needs it. If it's as bad as it sounds, put a provisional in play. With the search time due to come down and the inhospitable nature of the area in question it won't take long for most to make a decision to have a quick peek, not like what they see and move on

 

[delc]

I personally hate internal OOB unless it's there for a very good reason! 🙄