Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.
Hitting a drive out of bounds is one of the worst feelings in golf. Watching helplessly as the ball sails off the property and then reaching into your bag to reload will make your heart sink. Worst of all, you’ve got to hit the shot again with the thought of OB running through your mind.
Or do you?
Prior to the 2019 changes to the Rules of Golf, your only option would be re-teeing and hitting your third shot from the tee. However, thanks to a model local rule introduced in 2019, you have another option that is much more appetizing.
Check out below to see how it works.
Scenario: You hit your tee shot out of bounds.
Old rule: The previous rule required that golfers take a stroke-and-distance penalty for lost balls. This meant the player had to take a stroke-and-distance penalty and play their third shot from the tee box.
Model Local Rule E-5: A new local rule (Model Local Rule E-5) was introduced in the 2019 edition of the Rules of Golf, offering an alternative to the traditional stroke-and-distance penalty. Under this rule, players have the option to drop their ball in the fairway after hitting it out of bounds. To do this, they must identify the point where the ball crossed out of bounds and draw an imaginary line perpendicular to the fairway, no closer to the hole. The drop zone is then anywhere within two club-lengths behind that line. After dropping in the fairway, you are playing your fourth shot.
Why the rule exists: Simply put, the new rule was introduced to help with pace of play. According to the USGA, “When a provisional ball has not been played, significant issues with pace of play can result for a player needing to take stroke-and-distance relief for a ball that is out of bounds or cannot be found. The purpose of this Local Rule is to allow a Committee to provide an extra relief option that allows a player to play on without returning to the location of the previous stroke.”
When you should use this rule: This rule is perfect for use when you’re shaky off the tee with your driver. Once you lose a ball off the tee, you can use this rule to get yourself in the fairway without risking losing another ball. Using this rule not only speeds up play, it also saves you from losing too many golf balls.
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