When ball is out of bounds.. Private Property

[Aaronrogers]

When a ball is out of bounds onto private property is it the same as a lake. Ball is gone?

[billchao]

3 minutes ago, Aaronrogers said:

When a ball is out of bounds onto private property is it the same as a lake. Ball is gone?

You mean as in should you trespass on private property to go searching for your golf ball? Or are you asking about the penalty?

[JonMA1]

As far as the rules, It's not like a lake because it's out of bounds. As far as retrieving your ball, it's private property and common courtesy applies, IMO.

[Buckeyebowman]

If the ball is OB, it's OB! Doesn't matter where it's OB. According to the USGA it's stroke and distance, but check the local rules on the back of your scorecard. Some courses put in a local rule that it's stroke only, and drop somewhere near where you think the ball went OB, so as to avoid holding up play.

[Hacker James]

Stroke and distance.

[iacas]

35 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

If the ball is OB, it's OB! Doesn't matter where it's OB. According to the USGA it's stroke and distance, but check the local rules on the back of your scorecard. Some courses put in a local rule that it's stroke only, and drop somewhere near where you think the ball went OB, so as to avoid holding up play.

Not a valid “local rule” ever. Not for OB.

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, Buckeyebowman said:

If the ball is OB, it's OB! Doesn't matter where it's OB. According to the USGA it's stroke and distance, but check the local rules on the back of your scorecard. Some courses put in a local rule that it's stroke only, and drop somewhere near where you think the ball went OB, so as to avoid holding up play.

They usually quote it as a lateral. Such as outside fences could be treated that way.

I tend to treat more laterals as stroke and distance though. My bad

But they generally don’t call it OB...

[Lihu]

3 hours ago, Aaronrogers said:

When a ball is out of bounds onto private property is it the same as a lake. Ball is gone?

Yes, OB into private property is lost. You can't trespass just to recover it.

[saevel25]

13 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Yes, OB into private property is lost. You can't trespass just to recover it.

Oops. If there is no fence, or no "no trespassing" signs, I will do a quick search for the ball. Obviously I am not going to crawl under a deck. If I see the ball near a bush or in the yard I will go get it. 

[Lihu]

Just now, saevel25 said:

Oops. If there is no fence, or no "no trespassing" signs, I will do a quick search for the ball. Obviously I am not going to crawl under a deck. If I see the ball near a bush or in the yard I will go get it. 

Sure, if it's reasonable. . .mum's the word

@Gilberg and I went onto someone's ground floor patio to look for the ball, once. I was cautiously looking for some jealous husband to come out and shoot at us, or something.

[mcanadiens]

Just about anywhere I play there is either a fence or white stakes to show OB. In the absence of those, I figure its in play.

 

[Buckeyebowman]

21 hours ago, iacas said:

Not a valid “local rule” ever. Not for OB.

True, but I've seen it. Nothing will get a group waiting on a tee hotter than to see someone hiking back toward them, Driver in hand! The only thing worse is watching him plant another one beyond the white stakes!

As far as private property goes, we play a course where #2 is a "driveable" par 4. To the right of the fairway, in the "slice" zone, are back yards. One day my buddy and I were playing there, and saw a homeowner working out back. My buddy says, "I gotta go mess with this guy!"

So, he drives over there and asks if the guy finds a lot of balls in his back yard. The guy said that he did, and didn't mind if people went into his yard to pick up their ball, but did mind if they played their ball from his yard! Said he'd re-sodded his yard 2 years ago, and was distressed to see big divots carved out of it! He had no "No Trespassing" signs up.

So much for people paying attention to the Rules of Golf!

[Lihu]

13 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

True, but I've seen it. Nothing will get a group waiting on a tee hotter than to see someone hiking back toward them, Driver in hand! The only thing worse is watching him plant another one beyond the white stakes!

Loan him your 6i.

[David in FL]

From the perspective of several friends who live on courses, they all agree...

...do not drive a cart into their yard, do not play from their yard, but please come in and retrieve your ball if you can quickly and respectfully do so.  An unseen golf ball can be dangerous and destructive around the house if inadvertently hit by a lawn mower.

[Aaronrogers]

I bought a house on a course and that's my outlook on the subject also. 

I asked around about it, but apparently, the players here don't know that. We have private property signs up and down the line and weekly I  find guys poking around 3 feet away in my hedges. 

Seems to be a matter of cheapness. The stroke is no good anyway, but they don't want to lose a ball. 

[rehmwa]

37 minutes ago, David in FL said:

...do not drive a cart into their yard, do not play from their yard, but please come in and retrieve your ball if you can quickly and respectfully do so.  An unseen golf ball can be dangerous and destructive around the house if inadvertently hit by a lawn mower.

This makes a lot of sense.  The only thing to trump that, IMO, is a direct sign or fence.  I won't cross either if I can't reach it from the course side.  Clear communication goes a long way.

[JonMA1]

3 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

This makes a lot of sense.  The only thing to trump that, IMO, is a direct sign or fence.  I won't cross either if I can't reach it from the course side.

I agree with this. While I understand the potential for injury or damage from a lawn mower hitting a lost ball, I'm hesitant to trespass. 

[Lihu]

40 minutes ago, Aaronrogers said:

I bought a house on a course and that's my outlook on the subject also. 

I asked around about it, but apparently, the players here don't know that. We have private property signs up and down the line and weekly I  find guys poking around 3 feet away in my hedges. 

Seems to be a matter of cheapness. The stroke is no good anyway, but they don't want to lose a ball. 

The golfers who ignore your signs are idiots. You should make note of the times and let the course know that you are unhappy about it. They might put up a notice to all golfers not to look for balls on so and so hole. I've played a few "tournaments" where there were houses surrounding us. The course told us to specifically not try to retrieve balls on so and so holes. I was told later that there were complaints from the houses lining those holes.

Once they're told, the vast majority of golfers comply.

Edited October 9, 2017 by Lihu