Penalty Areas:

Red Stakes/Yellow Stakes

RULE 17

When you are certain that your ball has entered a penalty area (water hazard), whether it be lined with red or yellow stakes, below are the options you are allowed to follow under the Rules of golf.

1^st option.

Play another ball from where you are currently, i.e., where you made your last stroke.  Continue play with a one stroke penalty.

2^nd option.

Go down to where you believe or saw you ball cross the margin/edge of the penalty area.  If you can see your ball, you may play it as it lies.  You may ground your club and make practice swings.  Continue play with NO penalty.

3^rd option.  Regardless of whether the stakes are RED or YELLOW

Determine where you estimate your ball last crossed the margin/edge of the penalty area and you may drop a ball in a relief area on a line going straight back from the hole through this estimated point.  The relief area is one club length in size either side of the point where you intend to drop a ball. You may go back on this line as far as you wish. Continue play with one stroke penalty.

4^th option ONLY if the stakes are RED.

Red stakes usually line penalty areas which run laterally, as in along the course rather than across it making dropping a ball behind, in line with the pin, very difficult.  

Determine where you estimate your ball last crossed the margin/edge of this RED penalty area and drop a ball laterally within a two-club length relief area no closer to the hole.  This area is wedge shaped from your reference point where the ball last crossed the margin.  See page 109 of your Rules book for a great diagram. Continue play with a one stroke penalty.  

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How to drop a ball if on hole #11, your ball goes over the lake, hits the land and then bounces back into the penalty area.  This is ONLY applicable for penalty areas marked in RED 

This relief is for red staked penalty areas ONLY such as we find on our hole #11.  

You cannot use this relief method if your ball bounces back into a penalty area marked with YELLOW stakes e.g. As on hole #3 or #13 where the penalty areas cross the fairway! 

Hilary