OB / Lost Disc question

[Dusty5150]

Scenario - The hole being played has OB down the entire left side of the fairway. The players tee shot goes OB early, maybe 75 feet off the tee. Everyone in the group sees it go OB, agrees that the disc is OB and agrees where it went OB. The disc keeps going another 300' into the OB. The player marks his lie, 1m in from where the disc went OB, as agreed by everyone on the card, and throws his third shot, landing it under the basket. When the group goes to look for the disc that went OB they can't find it within 3 minutes. What is the ruling?

[Chuck Kennedy]

The disc is lost but there's no penalty. The disc was already declared OB by the group and next shot played from where the group indicated it went OB. The player is just out a disc.

[Billym]

Chuck,
Would it have been better if the player rethrew from the tee rather than have the group guess where it went out? They never found the disc so could they betotally sure where it went out?
Thanks

[Apothecary]

better for whom?

[Chuck Kennedy]

It's player choice to have the group establish a "best guess" where the shot went out unless TD specifies that a retee is required. As a designer, I'd be inclined to establish a drop zone maybe 100 feet down the fairway where all next shots would be thrown if the tee shot ended up OB.

[Dusty5150]

The hole played a little uphill, with the left side OB area being basically a feild with a few trees around 250-300' away. It was 100% clear where the disc went out, but as it continued to fly OB, over a rise and into trees, you lose sight of it. Again, where it went out, was 75' in front of the tee, in plain sight.

There was absolutely zero doubt the disc was OB from it's flight trajectory, and zero doubt as to where it went out of bounds. The question came up when the disc couldn't found and someone said that the player should have to retee as it was a lost disc.

Good thing in this case is that we did find the disc, and didn't have to argue, but the question still came up and I wanted confirmation that my understanding of the rules was correct.

The lost OB disc is moot as the lie had been established and play had continued.

The only way the disc could have been declared lost and the player having to re-tee would have been if someone on the card disagreed either to the OB status of the disc or the point at which it went OB, and insisted that the disc be found prior to playing on.

[Chuck Kennedy]

If it was a foursome, the three other players than the thrower would have to disagree the disc went OB and should be played as lost. If only one or two thought it was lost and the thrower and at least one other person thought it was OB, then benefit of the doubt to the player in a tie.

Note: You don't have to find a disc in an OB area so it can be declared OB versus lost. All that matters is if the group feels the disc landed in the OB area whether ever found or not.

[Apothecary]

Does a lost disc supersede a shot that goes out of bounds the same way that a missed mando does?

[Dusty5150]

Note: You don't have to find a disc in an OB area so it can be declared OB versus lost. All that matters is if the group feels the disc landed in the OB area whether ever found or not.

I guess this is the key isn't it.

[Chuck Kennedy]

Does a lost disc supersede a shot that goes out of bounds the same way that a missed mando does?

Nope. Lost disc is last in line. Priorities when more than one penalty might apply are: Missed Mando, OB, 2 meter, Lost. Optional Rethrow can be called any time but it doesn't matter in relation to a lost disc since the next lie is the same. The 2 meter and Lost combo is tricky because if you can't see the disc above 2m, how do you know it's there? This is a group call where everyone saw the disc go in the tree and the ground below is all clear and nicely mowed so a disc could be found if it were there. Benefit of the doubt to the player that the disc is above 2m versus lost. It's still a penalty but at least the player doesn't lose the distance going back to the previous lie.

[money 21]

similar senerio ob to the right running the lenghth of the hole marked by a chain link fence player on my flipps a disc out over ob everyone including the thrower agrees it is ob and the thrower goes to the drop zone and throws. as we travel up the fairway we find the disc has somehow slid part way under the fence and is in. the group has the player finish from both spots and wait for the TD ruling. The ruling ws that the disc was in so he could play from there. Correct?

[ferretdance03]

My interpretation of the rules would be that once it's declared OB, it's OB. In this scenario, a provisional would have been perfect.

Now in most situations, I would have made the same call as the td in your situation.

[Chuck Kennedy]

Once the throw is made from the drop zone, the ruling has been made regardless of the later discovery of finding the disc part way under the fence in this case. Had the shot from the drop zone been declared a provisional before being thrown, then the player could have played from where the disc was under the fence with no penalty. So, incorrect ruling by TD in this case. This example is no different from 3 minutes expiring when looking for a disc, it's declared lost, player rethrows and then the disc is found one minute later. It's still considered a lost disc, player gets the penalty and does not play from their found disc.