Red or yellow stakes? On the golf course, these colors define hazards, rules, options—and sometimes wet pants.
The question of red or yellow doesn’t just divide car enthusiasts debating the ideal Ferrari color. While “Giallo Modena” is the official yellow of the Italian automaker, “Rosso Corsa” red is Italy’s iconic racing color. Similarly, in golf, red and yellow markings are more than just colors—they indicate penalty areas and dictate how a player may proceed when their ball ends up in trouble.
According to the Rules of Golf, areas marked with red or yellow stakes or lines are known as penalty areas. These markings have been part of the official rulebook since 1980, where yellow indicates a water hazard and red marks a lateral water hazard. Other common colors include white for out-of-bounds and blue for no-play zones.
Understanding Penalty Areas in Golf
When a ball lands in a penalty area, players often wonder how to proceed. If the ball is playable, it can be hit without penalty. However, this sometimes leads to comical moments—even at the pro level—when players end up muddy or soaked trying to play from water hazards.
Anything for the team. 😂
Nothing like this moment from Woody Austin at the 2007 Presidents Cup.pic.twitter.com/yP0KTkA9bK
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) December 13, 2019
Relief Options for Red Penalty Areas
If the ball is unplayable in a red penalty area, the player has three relief options, each incurring a one-stroke penalty. These are outlined in Rule 17.1d. The first is stroke-and-distance relief: replaying the shot from the original spot. The second is back-on-the-line relief: dropping a ball behind the penalty area, keeping the estimated point of entry between the hole and the drop spot. The third, unique to red areas, is lateral relief: dropping a ball within two club-lengths of the estimated entry point, not closer to the hole and outside the penalty area.
Yellow Penalty Areas: Key Differences
Yellow penalty areas are typically designed as direct water hazards and are meant to be a significant challenge. While stroke-and-distance and back-on-the-line relief are allowed, lateral relief is not an option for yellow areas. As with red areas, each relief method adds a one-stroke penalty.