Penalty Area Stakes in the Covid Era

[mikejohnchapman]

We have all of our penalty areas defined by red stakes and in normal times if these interfere with a stroke they can be removed and then replaced after the shot.

Currently they are defined as an immovable obstruction and you should drop away from them in the normal manner. I presume if you remove them there is a general penalty applied?

My query relates to a ball in a penalty area where a stake interferes with the intended swing. Are you allowed to drop it in the penalty area without penalty or must you take a penalty using the ABC protocol?

 

[SammmeBee]

We have all of our penalty areas defined by red stakes and in normal times if these interfere with a stroke they can be removed and then replaced after the shot.

Currently they are defined as an immovable obstruction and you should drop away from them in the normal manner. I presume if you remove them there is a general penalty applied?

My query relates to a ball in a penalty area where a stake interferes with the intended swing. Are you allowed to drop it in the penalty area without penalty or must you take a penalty using the ABC protocol?

Is this fact or made up stuff?

 

[rulefan]

The advice is that they should be declared to be immovable obstructions. General penalty for moving them. But there is no relief if the ball is in a penalty area (16.1a(2))

 

[mikejohnchapman]

The advice is that they should be declared to be immovable obstructions. General penalty for moving them. But there is no relief if the ball is in a penalty area (16.1a(2))

OK thanks

 

[cliveb]

Our club has recently removed all the stakes and painted red lines to define the penalty areas. I presume this is to eliminate the possibility of people touching the stakes.
(Interestingly, even where there were yellow stakes, there are now red lines. Perhaps they didn't want to buy two cans of paint?)

 

[SammmeBee]

The advice is that they should be declared to be immovable obstructions. General penalty for moving them. But there is no relief if the ball is in a penalty area (16.1a(2))

Is that official advice?

 

[rulefan]

Our club has recently removed all the stakes and painted red lines to define the penalty areas. I presume this is to eliminate the possibility of people touching the stakes.
(Interestingly, even where there were yellow stakes, there are now red lines. Perhaps they didn't want to buy two cans of paint?)

The need to differentiate between red and yellow is much reduced by 2019 change. In fact the RBs suggested that yellows could simply be abandoned.

 

[rulefan]

Is that official advice?

From the R&A 29th June.

"All other removable items to be removed, except that stakes defining areas of the course can be treated as immovable obstructions. "