Out of Bounds versus Lateral Hazard

[TropicalSandTrap]

I understand the technical difference, that the hazard is supposed to have water, but I think courses should be allowed to mark areas as laterals in certain spots. 

Growing up in the northeast, it seemed that the only out of bounds on a course were the course boundaries. And all the "dead areas" on a course off to the side of holes where usually marsh type areas and had red stakes (or just woods so go find your ball). 

I notice elsewhere, these dead areas might not contain any natural water, so they get marked as out of bounds instead of just red staked. For practical purposes they are no different than a big scampish area on a course in the northeast, but we don't have as much inland water so it has to be an out of bounds?  Have to go back to the tee and reload instead of a drop with a penalty?  Or maybe the course is allowed to Red stake it and just opts to go with out of bounds?

 

this picture is the course I play the most. The portion on the far left is red stake, but all that charcoal covered area is out of bounds. It's no different than if I looked at some of the courses I grew up on from a playing perspective in terms of dead marshland area, but you mis a tee shot and you incur a much stiffer penalty. 

And the other thing that kills me at some courses is when they grow the heather to a height were it might as well be a water hazard. You aren't ever finding your ball. I'm fine with them putting the obstacle on the course, but stake it off. Especially considering a lot of the heather is blind from the tee (unlike water that is marked on the scorecard or cart gps map). 

What ends up happening is 99% of the golfers end up playing these it of bound or heather areas like lateral hazards anyway. You never see people getting back in their carts and heading back to the tee to reload. So why not just mark them that way to begin with?

[DaveP043]

This rule may be changed in the near future.  You might review this thread:

and in particular, the links titled "Areas the Committee May Mark as Penalty Areas" and "Expanded Use of Red-Marked Penalty Areas"  While there is no guarantee that these particular changes will be instituted, these changes seem likely yo pass muster.

[JGus]

I'm not a course designer or superintendent, but my guess is the reason some areas are marked as OB instead of red/yellow stake is because for some reason or another they don't want you playing out of specific areas.  Obviously OB on property lines imply you are off of the course, but the areas you mentioned are probably protected and they don't want people running in and out of them or hitting from them, which you could do if it is a hazard.  

[Fourputt]

Under the current rules, they cannot mark anything as a water hazard unless it is a watercourse or holds water of some sort.  To be marked as a hazard, it must meet the rules definition of a "water hazard".  

This has been changed for the proposed rule book revision such that there will no longer be anything  called "water hazards".  They will all be called "penalty areas".  They will be treated as lateral water hazards are now, and will no longer have to meet the water hazard definition if that proposal is adopted.  That means that wooded areas, tall native grass, desert areas, etc. that now are required to be either out of bounds or lost ball situations would now be treated as you have suggested. 

That is still subject to change.

Edited July 11, 2017 by Fourputt

[TropicalSandTrap]

2 minutes ago, JGus said:

I'm not a course designer or superintendent, but my guess is the reason some areas are marked as OB instead of red/yellow stake is because for some reason or another they don't want you playing out of specific areas.  Obviously OB on property lines imply you are off of the course, but the areas you mentioned are probably protected and they don't want people running in and out of them or hitting from them, which you could do if it is a hazard.  

I understand that concern, but this is jagged lava fields. Nobody is playing out of this area (and you certainly aren't going to disturb people's privacy). With respect to the heather area, that is all course property. 

 

Thanks for the response regarding the potential rule change. That would be a good move. Much better than allowing the flagstick to stay in the hole during putting. 

 

Regardong the requirement of water, we are no longer only playing golf on the east coast and the Europe where many dead areas are going to have water. We now play in deserts and even lava fields where no water is present. Time to adjust. 

[iacas]

4 minutes ago, TropicalSandTrap said:

Time to adjust. 

Again, look at the proposed 2019 rules changes.

[DaveP043]

4 minutes ago, TropicalSandTrap said:

Regardong the requirement of water, we are no longer only playing golf on the east coast and the Europe where many dead areas are going to have water. We now play in deserts and even lava fields where no water is present. Time to adjust. 

Either that, or its time to learn to keep the ball on the green stuff.