Rules Guy: If a ball goes OB off the tee but emerges in-bounds on a different hole, can you play it?

The Guidelines of Golf are tough! Fortunately, we’ve received the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Acquired a query? He’s received all of the solutions.

I’ve received a query that has brought on a heated debate at my membership. If a tee shot on gap No. 1 crosses the out-of-bounds mark, crosses the adjoining avenue, then enters by means of the out-of-bounds mark on gap #10 and involves relaxation in its fairway, is the ball OB or no? —Mario Polit, through e-mail

Generally sure, generally no.

Guidelines Man isn’t being philosophical or mealy-mouthed; there’s a Mannequin Native Rule (A-5) that will deal with a ball that crosses a boundary as out of bounds even when it involves relaxation on one other a part of the course.

With out the Mannequin Native Rule, then if the ball involves relaxation someplace that’s on the course (i.e., inbounds) it doesn’t matter whether or not it crossed utterly over a boundary or not — the ball is on the course. Which implies Guidelines Man will get to ask you a query: Does your course have stated Mannequin Native Rule in impact?

For extra OB-related steering from our guru, learn on …

Just lately I discovered myself at an area golf course the place my ball landed in bounds however the out-of-bounds put up would hinder my swing. As I’ve achieved with a purple hazard put up, I pulled it out of the bottom, hit my ball and changed it again the place it was. My enjoying accomplice stated I incurred a two-stroke penalty because the put up was not in bounds and for that cause couldn’t be moved. —Bob Wackerman, San Mateo, CA

Bob, your enjoying accomplice received the ruling right even when his rationalization wasn’t exactly on level.

Since it’s a boundary object, an out-of-bounds stake isn’t handled the identical means as a penalty-area stake. Boundary objects are thought of mounted and, underneath Rule 8.1a(1), is probably not moved if doing so improves one in every of your circumstances affecting the stroke, equivalent to your space of supposed swing.

While you eliminated the stake, you had the possibility to keep away from penalty by changing it prior to creating the stroke (see Rule 8.1c), however when you made the stroke along with your space of supposed swing improved by the stake’s absence, you bought the final penalty of two strokes in stroke play or lack of gap in match play for a breach of Rule 8.1a.

Now that this reply has been, er, posted, we hope others gained’t make the identical stake miss, uh, mistake.

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