Confused about what to do if you hit a ball out of bounds? Or what if you think you’ve hit it out of bounds but aren’t sure? This blog post should help.
If your ball is out of bounds, you have two options:
- Stroke and Distance – replay the ball from where you last hit and add one penalty stroke.
- Local Rule – estimate the spot where your ball is lost or went out of bounds and then find the nearest fairway edge that is not nearer the hole than the estimated spot. You can drop a ball in the fairway within two club-lengths of that fairway edge point, or anywhere between there and the estimated spot where your ball is lost or went out of bounds. Add two penalty strokes.
You may not hit your ball if it is out of bounds.
If you think you might’ve hit the ball out of bounds or is lost, consider playing a provisional ball from your original spot to save time. You must announce that you are playing a provisional ball before doing so. If you are then unable to find your original ball, or you find it out of bounds, your provisional ball is your ball in play under stroke and distance, and you don’t have to take the time to walk all the way back to the spot of your previous stroke.
Click here to view a video on Out of Bounds and Provisional Balls.
AFLGA 