Off the T box drive hits out of bounds screen.cant find ball is this lost ball or O.B.??

Question

Off the T box drive hits out of bounds screen.cant find ball is this lost ball or O.B.??

Answer 1

I am really beginning to doubt the logic of the USGA and R&A even printing the Rules of Golf every year.  It is obvious that so few people actually read them.  And to top it off there are so many supposed golfers that are totally lost when it comes to the rules....Amazing....Just Amazing!

Answer 2

First of all, it doesn't matter if it is OB or lost ball, it is a stroke and distance penalty and you must re-tee the ball from the tee box and hit your third stroke.  NOT from where the ball went OB.

Technically, the OB screen is there to protect whatever is on the other side by preventing the ball from flying out, and hitting the screen means the ball 'would have' flown out of bounds.  Most likely if you check the local rules on that course, it will say that hitting the OB screen means OB.

Answer 3

In order to declare a ball as out of bounds, it must first be found and identified, otherwise, it is played as a lost ball. The only exception is when it is clear to all that it went out of bounds (such as hitting it into a freeway or over a retaining wall). Here is the exact rule from the Rules of Golf 2008.

Rule 27.

Ball Lost or Out of Bounds; Provisional Ball

Definitions

All defined terms are in italics and are listed alphabetically in

the Definitions section — see pages 5-18.

27-1. Stroke and Distance; Ball Out of Bounds; Ball Not

Found Within Five Minutes

g a. Proceeding Under Stroke and Distance

At any time, a player may, under penalty of one stroke, play a

ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original

ball was last played (see Rule 20-5), i.e., proceed under penalty of stroke and distance.

Except as otherwise provided in the Rules, if a player makes

a stroke at a ball from the spot at which the original ball was

last played, he is deemed to have proceeded under penalty of stroke and distance.

g b. Ball Out of Bounds

If a ball is out of bounds, the player must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke, as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5).

80 Rule 27

g c. Ball Not Found Within Five Minutes

If a ball is lost as a result of not being found or identified as

his by the player within five minutes after the player’s side or

his or their caddies have begun to search for it, the player must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke, as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5).

Exceptions:

1. If it is known or virtually certain that the original ball

that has not been found is in an obstruction (Rule 24-3) or

is in an abnormal ground condition (Rule 25-1c), the player

may proceed under the applicable Rule.

2. If it is known or virtually certain that the original ball

that has not been found has been moved by an outside

agency (Rule 18-1) or is in a water hazard (Rule 26-1), the

player must proceed under the applicable Rule.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 27-1:

Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.

Answer 4

if the screen is declared O.B. and your ball strikes it then no matter if you find your ball or not, you must take your O.B. penalty.. now you may rehit from the tee.. or drop a ball at the aproximate point where the ball exited with stroke.

Answer 5

The ball hits an out of bounds screen and the ball is lost. No one is sure the ball went out of bounds. Every one is sure the ball is lost. The player, after searching five minutes,gives up the search and goes back to the tee box, retees and plays his third shot. The lost ball penalty is stroke and distance. Hitting the OB screen is immaterial to the ruling. Even so the player has to go back to the tee box and will play his 3rd  shot the same as if the ball had been declared lost.

Answer 6

Is the screen OB?  Local rules should state so.  In any event, go back and hit another with distance and stroke penalty.