Lost or Out of Bounds Ball

[ColonelMac]

(08-19-2013 11:51 AM)John Morrissett Wrote:  Dennis -

There is "good simple" and "bad simple" with changes to the Rules.

Please note that David and I were not ultimately sold on the idea of providing lateral water hazard relief for a ball that is out of bounds and therefore did not include that change in Code One. For one point, from a philosophical perspective, it does seem significant to me when someone has hit the ball [/u]off the course, as opposed to just a part of the course from which it is difficult to play (e.g., a water hazard).

However, I am not strongly opposed to the idea of letting a player drop where his ball went out of bounds. While doing so would create a difference between a ball that is lost and a ball that is out of bounds, it would eliminate a difference between a ball that is out of bounds and a ball that is in a lateral water hazard. In other words, we would just need some reprogramming to stop looking at a ball that is lost and a ball that is out of bounds as the same.

To take things to the other extreme: Providing stroke and distance as the only option for a ball that is in a water hazard would achieve the goal of simplicity, but it would, in my opinion, fall into the "bad simple" category.

Thanks.
John

John,

First of all, let me say that this is a VERY welcome project. I found your main site at the suggestion of Dottie Pepper. I wasn't expecting to actually find this Forum.

Unlike many of the others whose posts I've read here, I am no authority on the Rules of Golf. Like the other guys in my regular 4-some, we generally KNOW the rules. But, in many instances the REASONING behind the rules don't make any sense. So, we "apply" them as we see fit in order to keep our pace of play and to have fun.

Perhaps I'm too dense to fully understand the reason for differentiation, but I have NEVER understood the reasoning behind treating some lost balls differently from others.

Why should there be any difference between a ball that is lost when you hit it in the woods and a ball that you lose but that you KNOW it is lost in a water hazard? They are BOTH lost balls. The penalty and relief should be the same, drop within 2 club lengths of where you last SAW it, whether entering the trees, gorse, bushes, water, etc. But, if dropping within 2 club lengths would still leave you behind an immovable obstruction, you could still go back along the ball's line of flight as far as necessary.

For the same reason AND to improve pace of play, eliminate "distance" penalty for out of bounds. Drop within 2 club lengths of where it WENT out of bounds, or further back along the line of flight, hit it and go on.

This is how my 4-some plays, regardless of the current Rules of Golf and I would venture to guess that many recreational golfers do the same.