Good morning Linda,
I have a question about out of bounds within the boundary of the golf course. One of the courses I play at used to have OB stakes between holes 16 and 17 which were OB only for #16. The course was recently sold and the new owner removed the stakes. When I asked about it I was told "OB within the boundaries of the golf course are illegal so I removed them." Is this true or can courses designate OB in any manner they wish?
Thank you,
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
Interior out-of-bounds stakes are neither illegal nor unusual. There are a number of reasons why a course might install interior OB stakes, such as around an unfenced driving range, or as a safety measure to prevent golfers from cutting a dogleg by playing through another fairway.
It is also permissible to have OB stakes between two holes that are OB for the one hole but not for the other. In this case the Committee would have to write a Local Rule declaring the stakes to be immovable obstructions when golfers are playing the hole where they are not defining out of bounds.
You may want to refer the new owner to the following Decisions regarding interior out-of-bounds stakes: 33-2a/12, 33-2a/14, and 24/5.
Linda
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