Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Ask Linda #1512-Relief from fence situated out of bounds

Hi Linda,
I have a question. On my golf course, OB is marked by White stakes. On one of the holes, outside the OB stakes a house has put up a metal fence, which is approximately one foot outside the OB defined by stakes. My ball comes to rest in bounds about 1 foot inside the white stakes. But my swing is restricted because of this man-made fence that is OB. The fence is not the OB marker. It is not the OB defining fence. It is not part of the course and has not been built by the golf course.

Do I have free relief? Thanks in advance for answering.

Cheers,
Lou from Greenwich, Connecticut

Dear Lou,

There is no relief without penalty from an immovable artificial object that lies out of bounds [Decision 24-2b/21]. Such objects are not defined as obstructions [Definition of “Obstructions”]. If you are unable to hit your ball, you may declare it unplayable and choose one of the relief options in Rule 28, all of which include a one-stroke penalty.

Linda
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