Lost or Out of Bounds Ball

[Dennis Harwood]

John - I recognize your Code Two solves this issue, but if the Rules still retain a "traditional score" would an OB be treated as a WH penalty? ( one stroke but not a distance penalty? ) I envision that this my radically charge the design issue of a number of our more respected golf holes. I am concerned such a change would limit a "weapon" course architects have to resist low scoring and again encourage the move to longer courses.

I recognize we have WHs in course design, but the designer has the choice of causing line of play to require play over the hazard ( not permit Rules to negotiate the hazard). If we eliminate the distance penalty in OB I am not surre we have imposed a suffient penalty on narrow tight holes. I have always felt a bit guilty when playing a tight hole with a LWH adjoining the green which is designed as a risk reward hole, but defeat the risk aspect by hitting for the green with knowledge that its likely if flight crosses the green I still can drop ( or now place) on the green and have putt for par.

An OB close to the putting green would seem to lose its sting if the wayward shot still leaves the player a short( er) approach and one putt for par.

Not sure of the impact of a two stroke penalty for OB ( with elimination of the distance penalty.)