Out of Bounds Design/Rules Question? Birdsfoot GC, Freeport, PA

[Richard Hetzel]

This past weekend I played Birdsfoot GC (Ault, Clark and Associates) northeast of Pittsburgh and I have a design/rules question about hole #2. #2 at Birdsfoot is a dogleg right par 5 that wraps around a pond. On the right hand side they staked it white all along the adjacent 7th hole to the pump house half-way across the pond. The starter said they changed this hole to OB since many were avoiding the pond and the dogleg by playing down towards the 7th's teebox and getting home in 2. He told us on the first tee that anything on 7 is OB.

We had a disagreement (a heated one I might add) in our group because one of the guys hit where he was supposed to for his first shot, but his second ventured to the right over the pond OB. He tried to say his ball was not OB because it was his second shot. When this guy, after destroying a $500 Callaway driver in a fit of rage, ran to the Birdsfoot pro crying foul. The pro, in fact, contradicted the starter and said that "the white stakes on #7 are "only OB off the tee",not for a second errant shot" but that doesn't seem to make any sense to me at all.

I thought that if the hole is staked white it is OB no matter what shot you are hitting, first, second or third.

Am I wrong here?

Here is a picture of the hole in question:

[TX Golf]

Rich,

I'm not a master on the rules but to me OB is OB. I don't care how it get there but it is OB either way. He might have had a better argument if he tried to say that he should be penalized to the hazard and not the OB, but it would still be stroke and distance so it wouldn't really matter. I don't know what else to say except that I am on your side on this one!!!

[JohnV]

Rich,
You are correct.  An area can not be OB for just the tee shot.

See: http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/books/decisions/dec33.html#33-2a/14

[D_Malley]

JVB
can an area be considered OB on one hole but not on another.  for example, at my course the range is surrounded by three holes (1st, 3rd, 9th).  we only play the range as OB on one of those holes (1st).  I am pretty sure this is ok, but just wanted to make certain.

we only play the first hole as OB because it is the only hole where balls are hit into the field with hundreds of balls. 

[JohnV]

Yes, it is perfectly ok to have an area that is only OB for one hole.  In the original example, the 7th fairway is only OB when playing #2.  It would be pretty tough if it had to be OB for all holes.

It should be specified in the local rules.  for example,

"During play of the 2nd hole the area to the right of the stakes between the second and seventh holes is out of bounds.  In the play of all other holes the stakes are considered immovable obstructions."

The second sentence allows for relief from the stakes when play 7 or other holes.

The stakes should end with a pair of stakes to show the end of the OB.

[Philippe Binette]

to me the rule is simple:

Internal OB = bad design