Hi Linda,
I have a follow up question to the below explanation.
As defined:
An “obstruction’’ is anything artificial, including
the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured ice,
except:
a.
Objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and
railings;
b. Any
part of an immovable artificial object that is out of bounds; and
c. Any
construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course.
There is a note in the Definition of Out of Bounds I would
like for you to explain exactly what is being said:
“Note 2: A Committee may make a Local Rule
declaring stakes identifying but not defining out of bounds to be obstructions.”
Are they saying the Committee can change the defining stakes
to identifying, or is there something different one might see that would be identifying
rather than defining? If so what am I looking for?
Lou from New Orleans
Dear Lou,
When out-of-bounds is marked by both stakes and lines, the
stakes identify OB and the lines define OB. In other words, when you
have both stakes and lines, the stakes are there to notify you of the presence
of the OB, and the line is the actual margin of the OB. When a line marks
the OB boundary, your ball is OB if it is lying on the line and no part of the
ball breaks the vertical plane onto the golf course.
Ordinarily, out-of-bounds stakes are fixed, whether they define OB (no lines present) or identify OB (accompanied by lines).
However, the Committee has the authority to declare stakes that identify OB to be obstructions [Note #2
to the Definition of Out of Bounds]. This
option is available only when both stakes and lines are present. If the
Committee adopts this Local Rule, players are entitled to relief from the
stakes; if it does not, the stakes are fixed – no free relief, and they may not
be removed.
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
