Out of Bounds

[Jason Topp]

I'm sure this has been debated before, but I have always had a belief that out of bounds is a necessary evil but a negative when it comes to course design.

By the same token, out of bounds is an integral part of the thrills of the Road Hole.  At least one hole I play often is fun primarily because of the threat of out of bounds.  In addition, I have read authors that have suggested that the threat of out of bounds is what makes certain holes at Holyake superior.

What's the view of out of bounds?  Is it a good thing or a bad thing?  Are there other examples where out of bounds has been used as a particularly laudatory design feature?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

On reading the title of your thread my mind immediately ran to Hoylake.  It is a necessary evil around the boundaries of many courses - and there is nothing wrong with that.  Internal out-of-bounds is another matter, largely a matter of safety, and I find that unfortunate.

[Kyle Harris]

I never understood giving someone a stroke and distance penalty for the purpose of safety (as would be the case with internal OB).

How does this make sense? You mark something OB to make it safe, someone hits it there (unsafe) and then you make them go back to the same spot they hit the original from and potentially do the same thing again (more unsafe).

How do actuaries justify that?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I've no idea how actuaries justify that (if they do), but I can think of lots of British courses which try to dissuade you from taking the best line through an internal out-of-bounds.  It's not, for the player, a question of testing their insurance policy but, rather, the loss of stroke-and-distance and almost all club competitions are medals.

[Kyle Harris]

Good point, I get especially annoyed at the right-angle-dogleg-must-play-around-a-pole/birdhouse/bush/halfway house/statue/member's mausoleum-hole that you get every now and then.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Never yet been forced to play round a bird house.  I look forward to the experience.  Winged Foot, I presume.

[Jason Topp]

I recall reading once about a course on which Homero Blancas shot something like 55 that was routed arround a bunch of oil holding tanks and had out of bounds on both sides of the holes.  Might be fun to try once.

[Martin Del Vecchio]

Oyster Harbors, a Donald Ross on Cape Cod, declares on its scorecard that there is no out of bounds on the course.  

I thought I proved otherwise, when I sculled a shot on #7 into somebody's front yard.  Fortunatley, I couldn't find the ball, and didn't have to play from there.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I can think of one course played around oil tanks (Eastham Lodge in Cheshire) but I am not going to suggest it is anything other than a brilliant use of otherwise unusable land.  But if you want to experience the magic of Martin Hawtree look here rather than Royal Birkdale.  A course of this kind, on a minimal acreage, requires brilliance.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Martin, There is (apparently) no out-of-bounds at Beau Desert.  That does not mean that you cannot lose your ball - only just off the fairway - but lose it you jolly well do and - well, the score hardly matters!

[Mark_Fine]

One of the worst internal out of bounds - First hole - Royal Portrush.