OB when walking

[Golfing Dad]

How do you guys play a ball that has gone OB when you are walking? Yesterday I hit a drive that was off a tee box that was high on a hill. I sliced it right, which I have done on this hole on several occassions in the past, so based on my past experiences I figured I wasn't OB and I didn't hit a provisional. When I got to my ball it ended up being OB by about 2 inches. I ended up playing it where it lay and took a 2 stroke penalty so I was lying three.
Do you walk all the way back to the tee and tee off again if you are walking?

[Zeph]

If I got the time, I'll walk back. If not, I put a horisontal line on the card and play the ball out from where it lies.

[Mrd19abhs]

If its just a casual round I would have done the same thing you did. If its for money get ta steppin.

[brgolf]

We were having this discussion in another topic. There are some people who insist you go back to the tee which is the rule but in the course of a casual round just drop a ball and step up to hit shot number four. I can't see many people who insist on following the rule in a casual round actually walking back to the tee especially if there is a group on it. But you do get some bluffers.

[Shorty]

Here we go again. You can do whatever you like, but you shouldn't be scoring if you decide not to play by the rules. You can't break the rules or make new ones up and then say you had x on a hole, because you didn't. If it is a just a casual round, which is essentially practice, who cares? You aren't scoring. In a competition round, if you don't want to go back to the tee, then that's it, you're finished. Anyone who claims scores for handicapping purposes where they have dropped balls near an OB fence is kidding himself.

This is why there are millions of golfers who have never played competition golf, think they are "about a 12" and then can't break 110 when for the first time in their life someone else is marking their card.

[JML22]

haha ya i have a freind who says he'll shoot like 84 but when he goes out with us he's 105+

[James_Black]

I'd just play it if I wasn't in a competition.
2 inches OB? play it.

If I was in a competition I'd call it OB and run back to the teebox (which I did on the 18th hole today)

[zeg]

Here we go again. You can do whatever you like, but you shouldn't be scoring if you decide not to play by the rules. You can't break the rules or make new ones up and then say you had x on a hole, because you didn't. If it is a just a casual round, which is essentially practice, who cares? You aren't scoring. In a competition round, if you don't want to go back to the tee, then that's it, you're finished. Anyone who claims scores for handicapping purposes where they have dropped balls near an OB fence is kidding himself.

Here we go again again. There's nothing wrong (handicap-wise) with dropping, taking two penalty strokes, and then reporting the score for handicap purposes. In fact, you'd be violating the rules if you didn't report it. As long as you don't do this on 1/3 or more of the holes you play, you are required to estimate your most likely score for the holes you did not complete or did not play according to the Rules of Golf. Playing out the hole from the drop is a fine way to estimate what your score would have been.

You're correct in competition; you'd get a big fat DQ for breaking this rule. But for casual rounds, when it's impractical to go back (which does happen), I don't see any problem with this approach. It certainly doesn't introduce a problem for your handicap. edit: Also, I would strongly suggest dropping in bounds rather than playing from OB. OB is off the course, which may be in environmentally sensitive land, land that does not belong to the course, etc. You're bending the rules anyway, so just drop it on the right side of the fence and stay in the good graces of the greenskeepers.

[Zeph]

Here we go again again. There's nothing wrong (handicap-wise) with dropping, taking two penalty strokes, and then reporting the score for handicap purposes. In fact, you'd be violating the rules if you didn't report it. As long as you don't do this on 1/3 or more of the holes you play, you are required to estimate your most likely score for the holes you did not complete or did not play according to the Rules of Golf. Playing out the hole from the drop is a fine way to estimate what your score would have been.

Of course it is wrong. Just because it doesn't happen very often does not mean you can legitimate it.

[cougar978]

How do you guys play a ball that has gone OB when you are walking? Yesterday I hit a drive that was off a tee box that was high on a hill. I sliced it right, which I have done on this hole on several occassions in the past, so based on my past experiences I figured I wasn't OB and I didn't hit a provisional. When I got to my ball it ended up being OB by about 2 inches. I ended up playing it where it lay and took a 2 stroke penalty so I was lying three.

If I'm concerned about the ball being OB/lost, I'll hit a provisional every time just to avoid the above mentioned situation - if you find your original in play then you just pick up the provisional with no penalty (it's a practice shot in essence).

[leo3]

If there is even a chance my original ball is OB, I hit a provisional off the tee.

[zeg]

Of course it is wrong. Just because it doesn't happen very often does not mean you can legitimate it.

Sorry, no. The USGA handicap manual specifically states what to do if you don't play by the Rules of Golf for part of your round. If you're maintaining a handicap, as long as you follow those rules, you're fine. This isn't rationalization, this is recognizing that there are times when it's more important to keep moving than to agonize over the rules in a non-competitive situation. I stand by my statement: there is nothing wrong with reporting your handicap after taking the "illegal" drop in a casual round. It would be a serious violation *not* to report the score.

[alf174]

Sorry, no. The USGA handicap manual specifically states what to do if you don't play by the Rules of Golf for part of your round. If you're maintaining a handicap, as long as you follow those rules, you're fine. This isn't rationalization, this is recognizing that there are times when it's more important to keep moving than to agonize over the rules in a non-competitive situation. I stand by my statement: there is nothing wrong with reporting your handicap after taking the "illegal" drop in a casual round. It would be a serious violation *not* to report the score.

What other rules do you make up as you are walking your round? Several of your posts have mentioned how important it is to keep the pace of play but nowhere in that USGA Rule Book (that I've found) will you find it mentioned that the rules can be bent/violated/whatever in order to ensure "pace of play". If you play by the rules and if there is even a minuscule chance that its OB, hit a provisional. The rules allow it and the rules encourage it. If I don't see where my shot ended up and I believe it not to be in the fairway, I declare I'm hitting a provisional, drop one, and hit it. It uses the least amount of time without bending the rules.

[bigoak]

the penalty is stroke and distance and this is the same if you walk out to your ball's landing spot and you cannot find your ball. If you are not keeping score then you can do what ever you want. If you are keeping score then you are hitting 3 off the tee. If you are playing softball and hit a ball just over the foul line, you don't get to call it fair and take your place on first base.

[mcfc_nick]

obviously you're supposed to go back to the tee but its about whether or not you're playing seriously or not, i mean whats to say that you won't hit it OB again

[Shindig]

nowhere in that USGA Rule Book (that I've found) will you find it mentioned that the rules can be bent/violated/whatever in order to ensure "pace of play".

No, but there are places in the USGA Handicap Guidelines for what to do if you don't play a hole according to the Rules of Golf. This can be finding a ball O.B. (or not finding a ball) and deciding not to go back to the tee. This can be someone playing goaltender on the putting green. There are any number of times when you don't, for whatever reason, play by the rules during a non-competitive round, and there are rules for what to do for purposes of reporting your score.

[CG031]

ill be honest. i'll probably hit a provisional off the tee if it's in question, but I ain't walking back in a casual round at my home course. I'll drop it by thew oods and take two strokes at the end of the hole and add it on.

[alomar123]

Id be pretty upset if I was on a crowed course and the guy infront of me tee'd off walked 300 yards, searched, walk 300 back and wanted to re-tee, especially if he is playing alone.