Can you remove a penalty-area stake if it’s in your way? Rules Guy

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.

My playing partner’s thinned drive came to rest in an un-mowed area 25 yards from the tee box, next to a red stake. The stake impeded his stance if he hit out sideways, which was reasonable, and was in his swing path if he played toward the green, which was also reasonable. Either way, he wanted to remove the red stake. Is that allowed? – David Palmer, Houston, TX

Regardless of what your playing partner was trying to do, he was allowed to move the red stake so long as the ball was in bounds — you are free to move movable obstructions anywhere in the world, at least around golf courses.

That said, if they are white stakes that are defining the boundary, they cannot be moved nor does one get free relief from them. That’s a black-and-white call, and if you knew this already, color Rules Guy impressed.

For more stake-related guidance from our guru, read on …

Rules Guy: Can you take free relief from newly planted but unstaked trees?

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Rules Guy

Our course has an in-course OB to protect players on an adjacent fairway. About 240 yards out, in said fairway, is the last OB stake. Our pro says the OB extends on a line parallel to the last two OB stakes “indefinitely.” I say OB ends at the last stake. Who’s correct? – Tim Slauter, West Lafayette, Ind.

The answer should be specified by the local rule that creates the boundary; if not, the pro, as the de facto committee, is the decider.

Important to note: Boundaries and markings don’t just “stop,” and when a marking “ends,” typically it is by either tying into another marking or is extended to infinity. Your pro appears to be alluding to the latter, which is generally indicated by a “double-stake” marking, with two stakes placed within a yard of each other.

As to what the marking should be, that depends upon the nature of this internal OB and the geography — and is above our pay grade.

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