Stakes and lines - stakes through the green - why?

[Marc Cools]

At this moment there is a European Challenge Tour event in my country. (https://www.europeantour.com/en/challengetour/)
The water hazards are marked with lines and stakes. I noticed that alle the stakes are located through the green and not in the hazard.
Does anyone knows why they do it this way?

 

[Hosel Fade]

Its so that its clear that the line marks the boundary, the stakes just show there is a hazard there

 

[Hosel Fade]

Its so that its clear that the line marks the boundary of the hazard, the stakes just show there is a hazard there

 

[rulie]

I second and third hosel fade's posts. The stakes identify the hazard, the lines define its margins.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

I second and third hosel fade's posts. The stakes identify the hazard, the lines define its margins.

So ball touching the line is in the hazard?

 

[Colin L]

So ball touching the line is in the hazard?

Yes. But a ball touching a stake when the margin is defined by the line is not - assuming the stakes are through the green.

 

[Marc Cools]

My question is not about where the water hazard is. The line is the boundary and the whole of the line is inside the water hazard. The stakes are obstructions. In this case movable and that is important for the reason they do it this way. The question was why they put the stakes outside the water hazard and not inside.

So I was able to ask a referee of the Challenge Tour why it was. He stated that when a player forgets to put the stake back and the stake should stand inside the water hazard, there is no relief for a bal that roles into the open hole of the stake. When the stake is outside the water hazard, there is relief for that circumstance. It is more fair to all the players.

I looked it up and it is Rule 25-1b which starts with "Except when the ball is in a water hazard ..."
So now I know why.

 

[backwoodsman]

My question is not about where the water hazard is. The line is the boundary and the whole of the line is inside the water hazard. The stakes are obstructions. In this case movable and that is important for the reason they do it this way. The question was why they put the stakes outside the water hazard and not inside.

So I was able to ask a referee of the Challenge Tour why it was. He stated that when a player forgets to put the stake back and the stake should stand inside the water hazard, there is no relief for a bal that roles into the open hole of the stake. When the stake is outside the water hazard, there is relief for that circumstance. It is more fair to all the players.

I looked it up and it is Rule 25-1b which starts with "Except when the ball is in a water hazard ..."
So now I know why.

It's a valid explanation. But probably an unnecessary one. Simple fact is that if the water hazard is defined by a line, then there isn't a reason why any additional "visual indicator" stakes should not be outside the hazard. They are just objects for "information" in just the same way that a "Next tee this way" sign is.

 

[Marc Cools]

It's a valid explanation. But probably an unnecessary one. Simple fact is that if the water hazard is defined by a line, then there isn't a reason why any additional "visual indicator" stakes should not be outside the hazard. They are just objects for "information" in just the same way that a "Next tee this way" sign is.

It is not the stake, it is the hole when the stake isn't put back. No relief in the hazard for the abnormale ground condition which the hole is. It's (no) relief from the hole that's the issue.

 

[rulefan]

It is not the stake, it is the hole when the stake isn't put back. No relief in the hazard for the abnormale ground condition which the hole is. It's (no) relief from the hole that's the issue.

That is a legitimate reason but another is that often the actual problem (eg OOB or as in this case the WH) cannot be seen from some distance away. The indicating stakes will then be placed between the players and the problem.

Incidentally, stakes in water hazards or more specifically, on the line defining the WH, are often defined by LR to be immovable obstructions. So there will be no hole.