What is the procedure if a player's ball deflects off a maintenance vehicle and goes out of bounds?

If a player's ball deflects off a maintenance vehicle and goes out of bounds, the situation is treated under the rules that govern out-of-bounds scenarios. Specifically, a ball is considered out of bounds if it is not in play, and if a ball strikes an object that intervenes, such as a maintenance vehicle, it can affect the player’s next actions.

In this scenario, if the ball had deflected off the maintenance vehicle and subsequently went out of bounds, the player would need to add a penalty stroke for the unplayable lie contributed by the interference and for the out-of-bounds rule. The rules require the player to replay the original shot from the previous spot, adding to their score as a result of the ball going out of bounds.

Thus, the infraction results in a two-stroke penalty: one for the ball going out of bounds and an additional one for playing from a location where the ball was not in a playable position. Therefore, the correct understanding aligns with the consequences outlined in the rules of golf regarding such situations.