Rough Ruling

[westerndevon]

There are a few areas at a new course I've visited a few times between fairways where there are wide areas of thick rough that in places are getting on for 3ft high. If you land in this you've zero chance of finding it yet none of it is marked O.B

Currently whenever we've landed in this area we've just allowed ourselves a free drop as there's no point hacking around trying to find it and if by some miracle you did you'd never play it out

So at what point does rough become out of bounds if at all?

[Mac62]

There are a few areas at a new course I've visited a few times between fairways where there are wide areas of thick rough that in places are getting on for 3ft high. If you land in this you've zero chance of finding it yet none of it is marked O.B

Currently whenever we've landed in this area we've just allowed ourselves a free drop as there's no point hacking around trying to find it and if by some miracle you did you'd never play it out

So at what point does rough become out of bounds if at all?

It doesn't 'become' out of bounds unless it's marked by white stakes/lines, outside of the course boundaries, or otherwise designated as OB by the course itself.  The proper procedure under the Rules of Golf would be to take a penalty of stroke and distance (if you can't find your ball) as per Rule 27-1, or declare it unplayable (if you can find it but not hit it) and proceed under the relief provisions of Rule 28.

[saevel25]

There are a few areas at a new course I've visited a few times between fairways where there are wide areas of thick rough that in places are getting on for 3ft high. If you land in this you've zero chance of finding it yet none of it is marked O.B

Currently whenever we've landed in this area we've just allowed ourselves a free drop as there's no point hacking around trying to find it and if by some miracle you did you'd never play it out

So at what point does rough become out of bounds if at all?

OB should be marked by a white line, white stake, or fence.

If their is a white line then the line itself is considered OB. I believe if any part of the ball touches the line it is considered OB.

If their is a white stake then I believe OB is considered anything behind the white stakes, if you are between stakes then you draw a straight line between the stakes and anything behind that is considered OB.

If you have high grass and it is not marked OB, then it is in play. If you hit a ball in the high grass and you find it then you have to either play it, take an unplayable lie, or rehit from the teeing ground. If you can not find the ball with in 5 minutes then you must rehit from the teeing ground.

Bot instances you are taking a 1 stroke penalty if you do not find the ball or take an unplayable lie.

[westerndevon]

There was no markers that we could see, we had a good rummage about to see if they'd been knocked over and overgrown or removed but nothing, but they also have two green side lakes that aren't staked or marked on the ground either

[Asheville]

A water hazard whether marked or not is still a water hazard and the player is entitled to continue to play in accordance with Rule 26.

26/3,

Unmarked Water Hazard

Q. An unmarked ditch on the left of a hole is in bounds, but the left-hand margin is out of bounds. Accordingly, it is impossible to drop behind the water hazard under Rule 26-1b . A player's ball comes to rest in the ditch. Is the player restricted to playing the ball as it lies or proceeding under Rule 26-1a ?

A. It is the responsibility of the Committee to define accurately the margins of water hazards and lateral water hazards - see Rule 33-2a . However, if the Committee has not done so, the ditch is, by definition, a lateral water hazard and the player should be permitted to proceed under Rule 26-1c(i) .

[ColinL]

OB should be marked by a white line, white stake, or fence.

If their is a white line then the line itself is considered OB. I believe if any part of the ball touches the line it is considered OB.

If their is a white stake then I believe OB is considered anything behind the white stakes, if you are between stakes then you draw a straight line between the stakes and anything behind that is considered OB.

If you have high grass and it is not marked OB, then it is in play. If you hit a ball in the high grass and you find it then you have to either play it, take an unplayable lie, or rehit from the teeing ground. If you can not find the ball with in 5 minutes then you must rehit from the teeing ground.

Bot instances you are taking a 1 stroke penalty if you do not find the ball or take an unplayable lie.

May I just correct this?  The ball must be wholly over the line to be OOB.  You are probably confusing this with a water hazard where the ball is in the hazard if it touches the margin.  Also to clarify, it is the front edge of the stakes (i.e. nearest the course) which defines the OOB line.

[saevel25]

May I just correct this?  The ball must be wholly over the line to be OOB.  You are probably confusing this with a water hazard where the ball is in the hazard if it touches the margin.  Also to clarify, it is the front edge of the stakes (i.e. nearest the course) which defines the OOB line.

When out of bounds is defined by reference to stakes or a fence or as being beyond stakes or a fence, theout of bounds line is determined by the nearest inside points at ground level of the stakes or fence posts (excluding angled supports). When both stakes and lines are used to indicate out of bounds, the stakes identify out of bounds and the lines define out of bounds. When out of bounds is defined by a line on the ground, the line itself is out of bounds.

[Fourputt]

There are a few areas at a new course I've visited a few times between fairways where there are wide areas of thick rough that in places are getting on for 3ft high. If you land in this you've zero chance of finding it yet none of it is marked O.B

Currently whenever we've landed in this area we've just allowed ourselves a free drop as there's no point hacking around trying to find it and if by some miracle you did you'd never play it out

So at what point does rough become out of bounds if at all?

Just because grass is tall that doesn't make it out of bounds.  My former home course has similar native rough, and with the wet spring, it will be ridiculously tall this year - as much as 4 feet.  If the ball goes in there then you should just play a provisional ball, or just play a second ball under stroke and distance and forget the original ball.

A lost ball is treated the same as one out of bounds, so the distinction is irrelevant for procedure.  It's stroke and distance either way.