Course Tips | Immovable Obstruction

The following are designated immovable obstructions, and must not be moved before playing your shot, even if it is physically possible to do so:

• All items of watering equipment;
• All signs;
• Drainage grates;
• Fences other than boundary fences;
• The western carpark (the Eastern carpark is out of bounds);
• Stakes defining penalty areas (red), no play zones (black), drop zones (blue), ground under repair (white); and
• Paved surfaces, quarry sand paths, areas of plastic matting installed for the purpose of turf preservation.

If you move one of these designated ‘immovable obstructions’ before playing your stroke you incur a two stroke penalty for breaching a local rule. However, if you replace the object before playing your stroke, you are not penalised.

Note that the reason for designating some objects as immovable obstructions, even though they can be easily moved, is that these objects define the course conditions and if they are moved it could be unfair to following players.

Note that all stakes apart from those listed above are movable obstructions.

Except when your ball is in a penalty area, if your ball comes to rest so that there is interference to the lie of your ball, your stance or your swing by an immovable obstruction, you may take free relief.

In taking relief:

• If there is a blue stakes(s) near the obstruction you must drop a ball within one club-length of the stake nearest to the point where your ball crossed the margin of the obstruction, even if that stake is nearer to the hole, or
• If there is no stake(s) present you must drop your ball within a one club-length relief area taken from the point where your ball lies so that you get complete relief from interference to your stance or swing.

If when playing your stroke your stance or club touches the obstruction you will incur a two stroke penalty, for playing from the wrong place.