NCG’s Golf Glossary: What is out of bounds?

Here at NCG we pride ourselves on being the publication for the everyday player, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to delve into the wonderful world of the golfing lexicon.

Sometimes the most obvious terms have the most interesting story, so you might find yourself an interesting conversation starter…

What is out of bounds?

Out of bounds is an area of a hole and the golf course that you can’t play another shot out of.

How would I use it in a sentence?

“He hit his tee shot so far right over the trees that it end up going out of bounds”

What are the origins?

There are a number of ways that a course can determine which areas of the course are out of bounds. These include – white stakes, painted lines, railings and fences.

The first out of bounds rule was the same as the first drop rule, the ‘three shots and distance’ rule.

That is now the one shot and distance rule so if you went out of bounds from the tee box you would be hitting your THIRD shot from the same location.

Any other business?

Did you know that it is actually possible to play your ball out of the club house as long as the stakes don’t ensure it is out of bounds?

Rules state that “if your shot ends up in the clubhouse, and the clubhouse is not considered out-of-bounds, you may open a window or door and play your next shot without penalty.”

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