[Golf Beginner Etiquette③] "Clearly, Swiftly"

If You Forget the 'Jamjeonggu', Penalty and Disqualification Apply, Up to 3 Minutes to Find the Original Ball, Any Area Outside the Virtual Line Is Automatically 'OB'

The maximum time allowed to find the ball for a quick play is 3 minutes.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] For golf beginners (golf + children), the tee shot is important.

It determines the score for that hole. If the ball lands on the fairway, you can record a relatively good score. On the other hand, if you hit Out of Bounds (OB), everything collapses. The probability of recording a double bogey or worse is high. Especially, the tee shot on the 1st hole is difficult even for tour players. When the tee shot goes into the OB area, the mind becomes complicated. If there is an OB tee, that is fortunate. You can continue with the 4th shot from there. The local rule takes precedence.

However, if there is no OB tee, you must hit a provisional ball. It is sensible to carry extra balls in your pocket in preparation for this. When a playing partner is teeing off, watch quietly. It is forbidden not to watch the shot or to shout "Good shot" just by hearing the impact sound. Confirm the exact spot where the ball lands before saying "Good shot." The ball may fall into an unwanted rough or bunker. There is no need to create an embarrassing situation.

When hitting a provisional ball, a rule created to save time, you must clearly express your intention. Recently, provisional ball issues have occurred even in domestic men's and women's professional tournaments. Park Min-ji (23, NH Investment & Securities), who won six times this year on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, was caught by a quintuple bogey on the 6th hole (par 5) of the first round of the Daewoo Winia MBN Women's Open on the 13th of last month. At that time, her second shot flew into the woods, so she hit a provisional ball.

She was penalized for not informing her playing partners and made a 'mistake' by playing with the original ball found under a tree. Adding 4 penalty strokes resulted in a quintuple bogey. Heo In-hoe (34) sent his tee shot into a hazard on the 17th hole (par 5) of the second round of the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour Bizplay-Electronic Times Open on the 3rd and said he would hit a provisional ball. Balls that go into a hazard do not require a provisional ball. He gave up on the 18th hole (par 4) right after the provisional ball controversy and was disqualified.

Golfers hit a provisional ball if there is a risk of losing the ball they shot. Fortunately, if the original ball is still in play, you can play with that ball. The maximum time to search for the original ball is 3 minutes. This is a new rule changed to shorten playing time. Balls found after 3 minutes are considered 'ball dead.' The provisional ball is an in-play ball. Problems can also arise when dealing with the original ball placed near the OB stakes. If it crosses this boundary, it is considered out of the course and thus OB.

In professional tournaments, the OB boundary line is clearly marked to eliminate any controversy. However, golf courses for amateur golfers are different. Most do not have OB boundary lines. When the ball is placed between OB stakes, you can draw an imaginary line to judge. If the ball is alive outside the OB stakes and playable, some golf beginners play with the original ball instead of the provisional ball. If it is outside the imaginary line, it is definitely OB.