The Rules of Golf

Explained

Bye Bye Birdies

A Women’s Golf Club

Presented By

Lori J. Baker

Rule 27

Ball Lost or Out of Bounds;

Provisional Ball

Definition

• The definition of out of bounds is “beyond

the boundaries of the course or any part of

the course so marked by the Committee.”

• All perimeter fences bordering Arcadia Par 3

Golf Course are considered out of bounds.

Out of Bounds Stakes

• When out of bounds is defined by reference

to stakes or a fence or as being beyond

stakes or a fence, the out of bounds line is

determined by the nearest inside points at

ground level of the stakes or fence posts

(excluding angled supports).

Stakes identify OB

• Objects defining out of bounds such as

walls, fences, stakes and railings, are not

obstructions and are deemed to be fixed.

• Stakes identifying out of bounds are not

obstructions and are deemed to be fixed.

Lines Define OB

• When both stakes and lines are used to

indicate out of bounds, the stakes identify

out of bounds and the lines define out of

bounds. When out of bounds is defined by

a line on the ground, the line itself is out of

bounds.

All of the Ball Must Be OB

• The out of bounds line extends vertically

upwards and downwards.

• A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out

of bounds.

• A player may stand out of bounds to play a

ball lying within bounds.

Ball Lost Out of Bounds

• When a ball is determined to be lost out of

bounds, a player must proceed under stroke

and distance (under penalty of one stroke),

playing a ball as nearly as possible at the

spot from which the original ball was last

played (Rule 27-1a).

Playing From Wrong Place

• If a player drops a ball and makes a stroke

from a wrong place (Rule 20-7), she incurs a

penalty of two strokes and must play out the

hole with the ball played from the wrong

place, without correcting her error, provided

she has not committed a serious breach.

Play a Second Ball

• If a competitor becomes aware that she has

played from a wrong place and believes that

she has committed a serious breach, she

must, before making a stroke from the next

teeing ground, play out the hole with a

second ball played in accordance to the

Rules.

Before Leaving Green

• If the hole being played is the last hole of

the round, she must declare, before leaving

the putting green, that she will play out the

hole with a second ball played in

accordance to the Rules.

Report to Committee

• If the competitor has played a second ball,

she must report the facts to the Committee

before returning her scorecard; if she fails to

do so, she is disqualified.

A Serious Breach of a Rule

• The Committee must determine whether the

competitor has committed a serious breach

of the applicable Rule. If she has, the score

with the second ball counts and the

competitor must add two penalty strokes to

her score with that ball.

• If the competitor has committed a serious

breach and has failed to correct it as

outlined above, she is disqualified.

Significant Advantage?

• Note: A competitor is deemed to have

committed a serious breach of the Rule if

the Committee considers that she has

gained a significant advantage from playing

from a wrong place.

Provisional Ball

• If a ball may be lost out of bounds, to save

time, the player may play another ball

provisionally in accordance with Rule 27-1.

Inform Fellow Competitor

• The player must inform her fellow competitor

that she intends to play a provisional ball,

and she must play it before she goes

forward to look for her original ball.

• If the original ball is not lost out of bounds,

the player must abandon the provisional ball

and continue playing the original ball.

Provisional Ball in Play

• If she makes any further strokes at the

provisional ball, she is playing a wrong ball

and the provisions of Rule 15-3 apply.

• If the original ball is lost out of bounds, the

provisional ball becomes the ball in play,

under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule

27-1).