Talk about a bad lie.

So about a week ago I was playing my usual course. #1 is a par 5. I hit my drive with the gaping slice that is usually there into the fairway. I take a look at it and decide to go with a 3/4 3w seeing as I don't hit my longer irons very well. I dink it over towards the houses that line the right side of the hole. It hear a horribly loud thump as I realize I have hit a fence and hopefully have bounced back towards the hole. I drive over to the fence and sure enough... I find this.

Hmm, what's the ruling on that?  Unplayable lie or man made object?

I guess since its an obstruction, you get a free drop :p

Though if its a boundary fence, then its OB

Oh really?

I believe it is a boundary fence seeing as the other side of it is someone's backyard lol. But the ruling is OB? Where would the boundary actually line up? For lack of better term, the stake (left side of ball in picture) or the actual fence (right of the ball)?

I took the simple route of taking it out and dropping a few feet away from it.

No it isn't necessarily out of bounds - that depends on whether the margin is the front edge of the posts or the edge of the fence material itself.  However, no free relief from a boundary fence, so it's going to at least require a drop under Rule 28 and a one stroke penalty.  Reading your second post, if there are out of bounds stakes, that would make the fence out of bounds, and thus the ball is also out of bounds.

Did a search on "Bad Lies" and found this thread.  I think it's worth posting pictures on...   these things make me smile

from yesterday -  and the picture doesn't do it justice, the sand was overhanging the ball too....

Big hacking swing, just propel the ball forward with the sand :) #ShovelTechnique

Yup - went straight at the flag......

about 5 feet total - I think some of the sand made it to the hole

(but it came out clean - then a chip and putt to bogie - this was a shamrock shaped bunker.....GOOD LUCK)

I had a worse one a couple years ago - it lodged under the grass overhang and deeper in the sand - the hack shot actually shoved it through the thin turf and out (making a hole) - then I 3-putted.....

My tennis elbow really isn't fond of those shots

From this weekend, what made this extra tough for me was that I had to swing right towards the grass to put it on the green.