How to Score an Out of Bounds Ball in Golf

One of the most disheartening moments in golf is watching your perfectly struck shot hook or slice just past those little white stakes. Your ball is Out of Bounds, and now you're faced with a tough question: what happens next? This guide will annd you'll learn exactly how to proceed according to the official rules, how a popular local rule might change your options, and how to correctly score the dreaded OB ball so you can move on with confidence.

First Things First: What Exactly is Out of Bounds?

Before we talk about scoring, let's be crystal clear on what "Out of Bounds" means. A ball is considered Out of Bounds when all of it is outside the course boundary. These boundaries are defined by white stakes, white lines, walls, or fences.

• White Stakes/Lines: The course boundary is the line between the course-side points of the stakes at ground level. A ball is OB if its entirety is past this imaginary line. When a white line is painted on the ground, the line itself is considered out of bounds.
• Fences or Walls: If a fence or wall defines the boundary, the boundary line is defined by the course-side face of the posts or the structure itself. Your ball is OB if it's completely beyond that line.

Here's a simple way to think about it: if any part of your golf ball is touching the in-bounds side of the line or is on the course side of the boundary object, it's considered in play. But if it’s fully over, it’s gone.

The Million-Dollar Question: Can You Play From Out of Bounds?

Let's clear this up right away. The answer is a simple and firm no. The moment your ball is designated as Out of Bounds, it's no longer in play. Even if you find it sitting up perfectly in a patch of manicured lawn just outside the white stakes, you are not allowed to play it from there. Attempting to do so would result in a serious penalty for playing from a wrong place.

The Official Rule: Stroke-and-Distance is Your Only Option

When your ball goes OB, the Rules of Golf (specifically Rule 18.2) mandate a single procedure known as the "stroke-and-distance" penalty. It sounds more complicated than it is. Let's break it down into a simple, three-step process.

Step 1: Accept the Penalty Stroke

The first part of the penalty is simple: you add one stroke to your score. Think of your shot that went OB as your first action, and the penalty as your second.

Step 2: Go Back to Where You Came From

This is the "distance" part of stroke-and-distance. You must return to the exact spot where you hit your previous shot. This is not optional under the official rule, you cannot drop near where the ball went out.

Step 3: Play Your Next Shot

From that original spot, you play your next shot. This new shot will be two strokes higher than your last one.

Example 1: Your Tee Shot Goes OB

This is the most common OB scenario for many golfers.

• You step up to the tee and hit your drive. This is stroke 1.
• The ball sails past the white stakes. It's OB.
• You add a one-stroke penalty (stroke 2). So, you're "lying 2."
• 'you ust go back to the original spot - in this case, the teeing area again.
• You tee it up again and hit your next shot. This shot is your stroke 3.

Even though you’re only hitting your second physical shot of the hole, you'll be writing a "3" on your scorecard for that shot.

Example 2: Your Approach Shot from the Fairway Goes OB

Let's say you're on a par 4 and hit a great drive into the fairway.

• Your drive was stroke 1.
• You step up to hit your approach shot. This is stroke 2.
• Oh no! You pull it left, over the boundary fence. It's OB.
• You add your one-stroke penalty (stroke 3).
• You must walk back to your spot in the fairway.
• From that original spot, you hit your next shot. This is now stroke 4.

Losing that forward progress is what makes stroke-and-distance so punishing.

Your Best Friend in Doubt: The Provisional Ball

Walking all the way back to the tee or your last spot can massively slow down play. To prevent this, the rules provide a smart option called a "provisional ball." If you think your ball might be OB or lost, you can play another ball before moving forward.

1. Announce It Clearly: Before hitting, you must clearly announce to your group that you are playing a provisional ball. Say something like, "I think that might be out, I'm going to hit a provisional."
2. Play the Provisional Ball: Tee it up and hit it. This ball is temporarily in play until you determine the fate of your original ball.
3. Search for Your Original: You have three minutes to search for your original ball once you get to the area where you think it is.
   • If you find your original ball in bounds: Great! The provisional ball is immediately out of play. Pick it up and play your original ball with no penalty.
   • If your original ball is OB or you can't find it in three minutes: The provisional ball becomes the ball in play. You already took the stroke-and-distance penalty by re-hitting, so now you simply continue playing with the provisional ball. For a tee shot, that means you'd be lying 3 in the fairway (or wherever your provisional landed).

Always play a provisional if there's any doubt. It's much faster and demonstrates good etiquette.

The "Friendly" Alternative: Model Local Rule E-5

Walking all the way back, especially on a tee shot, is a pace-of-play killer. Because of this, many golf courses have adopted a Model Local Rule (often called MLR E-5) that gives you another option for a ball lost or OB. This is ONLY an option if the course has put this specific Local Rule into effect. If they haven't, you must use stroke-and-distance.

Here’s how this Local Rule works:

Step 1: Find Where Your Ball Went Out

First, identify the spot on the boundary line where your ball crossed into the out of bounds area (or is estimated to have been lost).

Step 2: Find Your Reference Point on the Fairway

From that spot on the boundary, you will find the nearest edge of the fairway no closer to the hole. This spot on the fairway edge is your "fairway reference point".

Step 3: Establish Your Relief Area and Drop

Your relief area is huge. It can be anywhere between:

• A line straight back from the hole that goes through the spot where your ball went out.
• A line straight back from the hole that goes through your fairway reference point.

Within that area, you can drop anywhere up to two club-lengths from the edge, but still on the side of that line. Most golfers take the simplest option: go to the fairway reference point and drop within two club-lengths of the fairway, no closer to the hole.

Step 4: Take a Two-Stroke Penalty

Here is the big difference. Under this local rule, you add two penalty strokes to your score.

Example: Using the Local Rule on Your Tee Shot

• You hit your tee shot OB. This was stroke 1.
• Instead of re-teeing, you walk up to where your ball crossed the boundary line.
A
• dd two penalty strokes (strokes 2 and 3).
• You drop a ball in the fairway relief area.
• The very next shot you play will be your stroke 4.

As you can see, you end up hitting the same number of strokes (your 4th shot) as if you had taken a good provisional that found the fairway (stroke 1 OB + penalty stroke 2 + provisional shot 3 = lying 3, next shot is 4). It essentially presumes your re-hit was a good one, and it saves you a ton of time. Ask in the pro shop or check the scorecard to see if this local rule is in play before your round.

Final Thoughts

Dealing with an Out of Bounds shot doesn't have to be confusing. Remember your two primary paths: the official stroke-and-distance penalty, or if available, the two-stroke local rule drop. Understanding both options allows you to navigate the rules correctly, keep up the pace of play, and score your round accurately.

When you're faced with tough calls like OB, a tricky lie, or an unclear ruling, modern tools can genuinely help. With Caddie AI, I designed a resource that acts as your on-demand rules expert. If you’re ever unsure about a procedure like stroke-and-distance or how a local rule applies, you can get a quick, straightforward answer in seconds, taking the guesswork out of the situation and letting you play with confidence.