5. Unplayable lies, Water Hazards & Out of Bounds

Yellow stakes, Red stakes, White stakes ?? What do they all mean?!?

Unplayable lies

If your ball has come to rest in a position that you believe to be unplayable, you have three options:

1. Either hit another ball from the point of your previous shot

2. Drop a ball behind the unplayable lie (as far back as you wish, keeping the original lie between you and the hole

3. Drop the ball, within 2 club lengths of the unplayable lie, no nearer the hole

 Each option incurs a one stroke penalty. 

Water hazards

Yellow stakes - Yellow stakes or lines indicate a penalty area, most likely a water hazard. You can attempt to play from this penalty area if it appears playable, but you will most likely have to take a drop.

Penalty - 1 stroke

If you decide to take a stroke penalty you have two options:

1. Go back to the place where you played your last shot and drop the ball within 1 club length, no nearer to the hole. This option is called stroke – distance – relief.

2. The second option is called back-on-the-line relief. This means identifying the spot at which your ball crossed into the yellow penalty area, then imagining a straight line drawn from the hole on the putting green back to that spot. You can walk back on that line as far as you wish before dropping within a one-club-length relief area.

Red stakes - Red stakes on a golf course usually indicate a lateral water hazard. What is a lateral water hazard? Well for starters, it is lateral and runs alongside or adjacent to the line of play and you really want to avoid them! Normally a lateral water hazard is a lake or creek that runs alongside the fairway and extends towards the tee. These hazards are handled differently as you are unable to drop behind the hazard and play another shot. Dealing with the ball…you can play from the hazard if you desire, but the easier option would be to take a drop and a 1 stroke penalty. The drop can be takeen within two club lengths from the point where the ball crossed the margin of the hazard, no nearer the hole. Or a golfer can go to the opposite side of the lateral water hazard and drop at a spot on the hazard margin that is equidistant from the hole.

Penalty - 1 stroke 

Out of Bounds

White stakes - Knowing what to do when your ball sails out of bounds is crucial to a beginner. A ball hit beyond the confines of the course (usually marked by white stakes) must be re-played from the original position adding a penalty of one stroke. This may also be from the tee.

The scorecard of any course should clearely state or describe it’s boundaries. If you believe a shot has gone OB or indeed into a water hazard, always play a provisional ball and declare it.

When looking for your ball, you only have five minutes to search for it. If you are unable to find it, you must proceed and play your provisional ball. Playing a provisional also helps to speed up play and if indeed it is lost, you save valuable time continuing with the provisional ball despite a one stroke penalty. If your original is subsequently found in bounds or dry within five minutes of the point of search, you must continue with the original ball.

NEXT WEEK: The Scorecard - drops Fri 30th October 2020