# Golf Question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 19, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885 "2018-08-19T21:46:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885/1 "2018-08-19T21:46:47Z")
1st shot is out of bounds. The player hits a provisional, it is also out of bounds, what happens after that? ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2018, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885/2 "2018-08-19T21:58:47Z")
If both of the first two shots were out of bounds, the player plays his fifth shot from the tee. There’s no limit - it’s like when Sergio Garcia hit five consecutive shots into the water at this year’s Masters. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2018, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885/3 "2018-08-20T04:38:02Z")
You go back and re-tee, playing your fifth stroke. Come to think of it, that’s what they should call it, because when you’re doing it, you feel like you’re having a stroke! \ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2018, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885/4 "2018-08-20T05:05:11Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > You go back and re-tee, playing your fifth stroke. > > Come to think of it, that’s what they should call it, because when you’re doing it, you feel like you’re having a stroke! \ 😃 I cannot even THINK about golf without having Robin Williams monologue through my head. Thinking it won’t is like a wee little flag over there to give you some hope. I feel for my coworkers/teammates at our charity golf tournament next month. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885/5 "2018-08-21T01:11:41Z")
One of the many golf rules I think are stupid for the average recreational golfer in a non-tournament setting. Hit it OB, sure, reload on the tee. Lose that one as well - just go out there and drop one. JMO. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885/6 "2018-08-21T01:27:31Z")
Actually, it’s long been my opinion that OB should be treated like a lateral water hazard. Drop at the point the ball crossed the margin of the OB, take a one-stroke penalty. My golfing buddies played that way when I lived in Ohio, and it saved considerable time when playing courses with lots of OB along the margins of the course. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885/7 "2018-08-22T20:21:30Z")
A lot of courses actually adopt a form of this policy as a local rule by treating what would normally be out of bounds on the perimeter of a course as a water hazard. Always check the scorecard for local rules when playing. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885/8 "2018-08-22T21:45:44Z")
The USGA and Royal & Ancient have adopted proposed local rules, not for use by the pros or similar tournaments, that do pretty much what **DSYoungEsq** and **denquixote** mentioned. [https://www.golfdigest.com/story/usga-and-randa-officials-reveal-final-draft-of-modernized-rules-of-golf-to-debut-in-2019](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/usga-and-randa-officials-reveal-final-draft-of-modernized-rules-of-golf-to-debut-in-2019) From it: > [@](#): > > Most notably, the USGA and R&A have written a local rule that permits committees to allow golfers an alternative to the stroke-and-distance penalty for lost balls or balls hit out of bounds. Under the local rule, which is not intended for professional or elite-level competition, golfers can opt to drop the ball in the vicinity of where they lost or hit the ball out of bounds—including in the nearest fairway area—under a two-stroke penalty. > > “This addresses the issue you hear at the club level about the practical nature of going back and playing under stroke and distance just doesn’t work. It has a negative impact on pace of play, and so how can we introduce something to resolve that. That’s what this local rule is about,” said Thomas Pagel, USGA senior director of Rules & Amateur Status. “You simply estimate where it’s out of bounds or where you ball is likely to be lost, you can go all the way out to the fairway and drop anywhere behind. … But the primary objective here is to keep the player moving forward, and we think that’s the real benefit of this.” When I play and I hit OB, I hit a provisional, look for the OB unless it’s futile, and if I do end up lying 5, I’ll drop somewhere where I can hit an approach shot. But then I don’t play tourneys or for money—I’m not that good—and I generally pick up if I’m going to be 5 over. I’ve picked up a lot in the past… ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885/9 "2018-08-22T22:04:47Z")
I once caddied for my wife in a Ladies Tournament. It was an endless day of provisionals, walking back to the tee after searching for the full five minutes, arguing about rules\*, etc. The round lasted six and a half hours. Not fun. \*Not me. I managed to keep my mouth shut. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-question/819885/10 "2018-08-23T04:50:38Z")
Supposing you hit 3 or 4 balls OB in a tournament do you get 5 minutes to look for each ball without limit on the number of balls or does an official discreetly approach the player and suggest he might have injured himself sufficiently to seek medical attention on that last shot?