Stupid Golf Question
What is out of bounds?
Your ball crosses the white stakes and everyone gets quiet
Plain answer first
The plain answer
Out of bounds means your ball left the legal playing area, usually marked by white stakes or boundary lines.
The NPG answer
It is one of golf's least friendly ways of saying that shot no longer lives here.
When it matters
It matters because the penalty is harsher than a normal penalty area. You usually add a stroke and replay from the original spot.
What to do next
If you think a ball might be out of bounds, announce and hit a provisional before you go look.
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