Blue stakes?

milltown

Hit an errant drive the other day which missed the fairway on the left. When we went looking there was a line of blue stakes along the left of the fairway in that area. Found my ball in the ditch/trench (no red/yellow stakes and no water in sight, apart from what was falling on us all feckin' day) and all three of us were unsure what the proper thing to do was. It was only a friendly game so for the sake of the card I declared it unplayable and took a drop at the cost of a stroke.

The only blue stakes I had previously seen on a course were 200 yards from a green so I was curious. A quick google suggests that blue stakes are used to denote GUR meaning my drop should have been free. Is this the case? Are blue stakes really rare enough that three guys of varying ability but with a good many years experience between them wouldn't have encountered them before? Or is this common knowledge that only we three dumbasses were unaware of?

DIEGO WORST

played Millicent a few years ago, it had a few areas marked with blue stakes which were there to protect young trees/bushes. Local rule was not to enter looking for ball, but to take relief from point of entry, no penalty.

FlutterinBantam

milltown wrote: »

Hit an errant drive the other day which missed the fairway on the left. When we went looking there was a line of blue stakes along the left of the fairway in that area. Found my ball in the ditch/trench (no red/yellow stakes and no water in sight, apart from what was falling on us all feckin' day) and all three of us were unsure what the proper thing to do was. It was only a friendly game so for the sake of the card I declared it unplayable and took a drop at the cost of a stroke.

The only blue stakes I had previously seen on a course were 200 yards from a green so I was curious. A quick google suggests that blue stakes are used to denote GUR meaning my drop should have been free. Is this the case? Are blue stakes really rare enough that three guys of varying ability but with a good many years experience between them wouldn't have encountered them before? Or is this common knowledge that only we three dumbasses were unaware of?

Have to give you a belt of the dumbstick for that one.

Blue stakes are quite common.

milltown

They ring a bit of a bell from Millicent actually, but if memory serves they were used along the right side of the first, second and/or third fairways for "environmentally sensitive" areas. Seem to remember being verbally warned before we went out each time not to set foot in there.

FB, I'll have to repel your dumbstick for now. I'm only playing maybe four or five years at this stage but I have spent a disproportionate amount of my playing time "off fairway" thanks to my enviable mega-fade (slice):o
This thread has had >115 views and only yourself and Diego have confirmed any prior knowledge of them. Every day spent on the golf course is a school day but I was pretty confident that I knew what all the indicators on the course were trying to tell me.

Not being bitter here, very curious in fact, can you give any more examples of the lesser known course markings that might catch out the likes of me?

koheim

"Lesser known course markings" are always down to the golf committees discretion and part of the local rules of any golf course.

If you take Millicent as a example, big areas are marked with red/blue stakes to protect the young plantation and it is prohibited to enter these areas. You drop out on the point of entry with one shot penalty..

If you read the notice board in the club house or even the back of the scorecard this should be pretty clear..

Blue stakes are not very common, and the red and blue stakes at Millicent I have never seen anywhere else.