Red or yellow stakes? On the golf course, these colors define hazards, rules, options—and sometimes wet trousers.
The question of red or yellow doesn’t just divide car enthusiasts debating the ideal Ferrari color. While “Giallo Modena” (yellow) is the official color of the Italian automaker, “Rosso Corsa” (racing red) is deeply tied to its motorsport identity. Similarly, in golf, red and yellow markings are more than just colors—they define penalty areas and dictate how players proceed when their ball ends up in trouble.
These colored stakes or lines mark penalty areas, a concept formally introduced into the Rules of Golf in 1980. Yellow stakes indicate water hazards, while red stakes mark lateral water hazards. Other familiar colors include white for out-of-bounds and blue for no-play zones.
Penalty Areas and Playing the Ball as It Lies
In real play, it’s common for balls to land in these zones. Players can attempt to play the ball as it lies within the penalty area, which is allowed without penalty if the ball is playable. This has led to some humorous moments, even in professional golf, such as Woody Austin’s famous splash at the 2007 Presidents Cup.
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, players have three relief options under Rule 17.1d, each with a one-stroke penalty. The first is stroke-and-distance relief: replaying the shot from the original position. The second is back-on-the-line relief, where the ball is dropped on a line between the hole and the estimated point where the ball last crossed the penalty area boundary. The drop zone must be outside the penalty area and not closer to the hole, with a one-club-length relief area.
The third option, unique to red penalty areas, is lateral relief. From the estimated crossing point, players may drop a ball within two club lengths, not nearer the hole and outside the penalty area. The ball must come to rest in the same area of the course it first touches when dropped—whether fairway, rough, or path.
Yellow Penalty Areas: A Key Difference
Yellow penalty areas are designed as direct challenges to be carried over, such as ponds in front of greens. Relief options here are limited to stroke-and-distance and back-on-the-line relief—lateral relief is not permitted. Both options carry a one-stroke penalty, just like in red zones, but the absence of lateral relief makes yellow areas more strategically demanding.