[Matt Schmidt]

In the July, 1934 edition of Golf Illustrated, in a column edited by A. W. Tillinghast, there is a snippet titled "Writing on a Tree" that states the USGA modified the penalty for out-of-bounds shots to loss of distance only for the 1934 US Open.  Does anyone know if that rule change was actually implemented?  Seems odd, but here is the snippet in its entirety:

Just before the Open Championship got
under way at Merion, there was tacked
to the shaggy bark of a tree, close by
the official starters' chairs,—this legend. Out of Bounds—
Loss of Distance Only.

This deviation from the code of the Rules of Golf Committee
of St. Andrews was authorized by the United States
Golf Association, as one of the executive committee explained
to us, because of the frequency of boundaries at Merion. In
other words a rule which seems, quite unfair, providing the
penalty of a stroke and distance for balls struck out of bounds,
seemed particularly obnoxious when it appeared that it might
be applied too frequently. As we see it, any rule is good or
bad no matter how frequently or seldom it applies, but this
special ruling at the recent Open Championship indicates that
our national golf association must regard it as unfair.
Whether it crops up once or a dozen times should make no
difference. Some months since, we intimated that unless the
rules of golf were modified at their source we, in the States,
might be forced to do so occasionally. The writing on that tree
is significant.

[Ronald Montesano]

There should be no out of bounds...all borders should be hazards...will speed up play.

[Alex Miller]

There should be no out of bounds...all borders should be hazards...will speed up play.

And historically the best use of OB, 17 at TOC, would require a re-tee anyway given the height of the hotel.

[Pete_Pittock]

The penalties for a lost ball and a ball out of bounds zigzagged for about two centuries, from 1775 to 1968, when it took its current form. In 1929 the penalty for both was stroke and distance, but there was approval for a local rule, which was implemented by the Committee for the US Open at Merion.

[Matt Schmidt]

The penalties for a lost ball and a ball out of bounds zigzagged for about two centuries, from 1775 to 1968, when it took its current form. In 1929 the penalty for both was stroke and distance, but there was approval for a local rule, which was implemented by the Committee for the US Open at Merion.

I recall the penalty being pretty solidly stroke and distance from very early rules well past the '34 Open, and then only moving off that for very short periods.  But I don't have any direct knowledge.  Regardless, seems like a pretty big local rule to me, especially for an event as big as the US Open.  Traditions being so strong in the game, I'm surprised something like that happened, especially back then (perhaps a romanticized view).  We seem more sensitive to scoring now (lift, clean, place when conditions aren't ideal) so I'd be less surprised if a rule change like this happened today.

Anyway, there are a lot of great stories and things to read in the old magazines on the USGA research site.

[V. Kmetz]

Pasted from http://www.ruleshistory.com/lost.html#oob:

Out of Bounds
The term out of bounds was first defined in 1899 as being outside the recognised boundaries of the course. Penalty distance only.

1908 Redefined as all ground on which play is prohibited. Penalty distance only still, but may be changed to stroke and distance by local rule for both forms of play. Also, a ball out of bounds may be treated as lost by local rule, (i.e. lost hole in match play). This change was not adopted by the USGA until 1915, although the local rule adjustment was not incorporated.

1920 Stroke and distance, but now the penalty stroke may be remitted by local rule.

1947 USGA and 1950 R&A. Distance only, and no provision for change by a local rule.

1952 Stroke and distance.

1960 USGA experimentally changed to distance only.

1961 USGA back to stroke and distance. in addition, the USGA allowed an alternative procedure of stroke only - dropping a ball within two club lengths of where the ball went out of bounds on courses where the penalty of stroke and distance would be "unduly severe".

1964 USGA allowed a local rule to be adopted which allowed a stroke-only option if it was felt that stroke and distance would be "'unduly severe."
The player could drop a ball within two club-lengths of where the original ball crossed the out of bounds line. Reasonable evidence was required both that the ball had gone out of bounds and as to the point of crossing. In the absence of either, stroke and distance was the only option.
Rescinded in 1968.

From the introduction of out of bounds, a ball was out of bounds when the greater part of it lay out of bounds. From 1950, all the ball has to be out.

When out of bounds is defined by a line, the line was in bounds until 1954.

cheers

vk

[Tom_Doak]

Generally speaking, the governing bodies are much more worried about the hazard to outsiders than they were in the old days.  If you reduced the penalty back to "distance only" that would encourage more golfers to hit away and more shots o.b., and hence more injury lawsuits.  So I doubt it is ever going to change back.

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