Any control location that encourages cheating (through nav error or intent) is definitely bad course setting! Very frustrating for the participants who follow the rules, knowing they're taking a time hit in the process. Curious if you pointed it out to the director?
Agreed. If you don't want people going out of bounds, make sure that out of bounds is a really bad route choice. Then, if somebody does do it, they've already been penalized.
I didn't point it out because I didn't see it. My friend who was on the team that saw it did tell it to a volunteer. I don't know if that was passed on to the RD or not.