Where would I be without yardage markers? I’ve always left my watch in the car, I’ve got a laser my golf bag that’s run out of battery. I’ve got a ridiculous number of GPS devices – all sitting in my garage.
Before technology ruled the world, spying a 150 marker used to be how we managed to work out what club to take for an approach!
But sometimes these markers serve a darker purpose on the golf course. That’s right, they get in the way.
When you’ve got one standing between you and a perfect shot, what do you do? Can you just chuck them to one side? Do you have to keep calm and carry on?
What if they’re not interfering with your swing or stance but they’re parked right on your line? The latter, especially, is a poser that often pops into my email box. What relief options are available? Let’s take a look…
Yardage markers: Relief from movable obstructions and immovable obstructions
Most of the time – and I mean like 90 per cent – if you’ve got a yardage marker giving you grief it will simply be a movable obstruction.
It will be in a socket, or sleeve, or just dug into the ground, but you can take it out without damaging the obstruction or the course.
Rule 15.2a (1) says you can remove movable obstructions anywhere either on or off the course and you “may do so in any way”.
Don’t worry about your ball while all that is going on. If it moves while you’re shifting such an obstruction, you won’t get a penalty. Simply replace it on its original spot.
Sometimes, though, people want to be awkward. Your club might deem the yardage markers to be immovable obstructions. A different situation calls for a different rule.
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Now we’re dealing with abnormal course conditions – covered in Rule 16.1.
You can’t move them – the clue is in the name – but you can still get free relief if your ball touches them, or they physically interfere with your “area of intended stance or intended swing”.
But “if the abnormal course condition is close enough to distract the player but does not meet any of these requirements, there is no interference under this rule”.
So if your club committee defines yardage markers and marker posts as immovable obstructions, and one is right in your line but interference doesn’t exist, then suck it up because you can neither shift it out of the way nor take a free drop.
Personally, I think defining yardage markers as immovable obstructions is daft. It just causes an unnecessary problem on the occasions where one does end up in the way. Clubs have their reasons, though, and ultimately it is their decision.
Make sure you look at the Local Rules to work out how your club is handling yardage markers before you start picking them up and possibly risking a penalty.
Got a question for our expert?
Despite the changes to the Rules of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. I’ll try to help by featuring the best of your queries in this column.
What do you think about these yardage markers rules? Let me know by leaving a comment on X.
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