⛳ In Korea, You Never Go Back – OB/Hazard Tees
If you’ve played golf in the U.S. or Europe, you know the rule: hit it Out of Bounds (OB), and you march back to the tee. Same with a water hazard — you either re-tee or drop under Rule 17. Painful, slow, and often embarrassing.
But in Korea? You almost never go back.
๐ What Are OB and Hazard Tees?
Korean courses often set up special forward tee boxes called OB Tees or Hazard Tees.
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OB Tee: When your shot goes Out of Bounds, instead of walking back, you proceed to a designated OB tee up ahead and continue play with a penalty.
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Hazard Tee: Same idea, but for penalty areas (water hazards, lateral hazards). You don’t re-tee or measure relief — you just move to the hazard tee and play on.
This system is not part of the USGA/R&A official rules. It’s a local adaptation for pace of play.
๐ก Why Korea Does This
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Pace of Play → Korean golf is fast-paced; foursomes must keep moving.
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Course Culture → Tee times are tightly scheduled, and slow play is frowned upon.
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Caddie System → Caddies guide groups to keep games on time.
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Beginner-Friendly → Less stress for amateurs; nobody likes trudging back to the tee.
๐ Pros
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Speeds up rounds dramatically.
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Prevents bottlenecks on crowded courses.
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Reduces mental damage from disaster holes.
๐ Cons
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Scores don’t reflect true “stroke-and-distance” penalties.
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Foreign golfers may feel it’s “not real golf.”
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Creates a cultural gap between Korean golf and international play.
๐️ My Take
As someone who’s played both in Korea and abroad, I admit — OB/Hazard tees save time and frustration.
But they also make you a little soft. When I first played in the U.S. without them, I realized how punishing the real rules can be.
Still, in Korea, the motto is simple:
You never go back.
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