Rules question: White Stakes

[Kurtomac]

If one were to hit his drive and it lands in bounds and bounces to the right past a some white stakes indicating out of bounds...the ball was only a foot or two out of bounds even very hittable which was irratating. Would one have to take another shot from the spot the shot was struck hitting it OB or since it landed in bounds and then bounced out of bounds would they be able to drop the ball where where it entered the area of OB. So quesiton is...loss of stroke accompanied with a drop or loss of stroke and distance and replay the tee shot.

[iacas]

Stroke and distance. If it was your second shot, you're hitting your fourth.

[drglew]

Yes. Doesnt matter where it bounced, just where it ended up. Take the "walk of shame" back to the spot of your previous shot plus take a penalty stroke if you're playing by the rules. Or better yet, if you think a shot is remotely close to being out of bounds, declare a provisional and hit it before you search for ball #1. That helps pace of play.

I think it is the dumbest rule though, and golf would be a tad kinder if white stakes for OB were treated like red stakes for a hazard where you're penalized a stroke, but not distance.

[Kurtomac]

I agree...especially for those shots that just trickle past the stakes...next time im moving the stakes haha...jk

[iacas]

Brief sidebar in response to the comment just above... I think that if you hit the ball off the property of the whole darn course it only makes sense that you get a penalty stiffer than hitting the ball into a hazard that's ON the golf course. And remember that a lost ball is stroke and distance also, because you can't know where to put the ball, so the penalty should be at least as stiff as that.

[Shorty]

Y

Who says golf is supposed to be kind?

The thing is, lateral hazards (red stakes) mean that you're hardly penalised at all. A one shot penalty and no loss of distance means it's as if you simply hit into bad spot and have to chip out. I surely think that out of bounds deserves stroke and distance.

[soloredd]

I don't mind having a ball trickle past the white stakes. They are there for a reason. What pisses me off is when the stakes are in a stupid place to begin with. There's a par 5 at my home course and the white stakes are not but 15 yards right of the fairway - not rough but fairway. Left is parallel to an adjacent fairway. So, it's a long hole to begin with but you have to be careful as well. Oh, it's also tree lined. I've had many drives that I've pushed, that on any other hole would have been in play (in the rough/trees but in play) but on this hole it's OB. It's caused me to hook many a drive as well because I absolutely HATE having OB/lost balls.

Ah well, such is golf.

[JerseyThursday]

What about OB that is inside the course to keep you from taking a shortcut? This is the earmark of a lousy course design, IMO.