On a local course we play a good bit, there is a number of holes that are basically staked with Red (say on the right side down the fairway). On the left side of the same fairway, it is the same terrain (wooded) but there is no markers. If a ball goes into the wooded area, and the ball is lost, will that be a lost ball? The reason I ask this is why would one side be lateral and the other not marked when it is the exact same terrain? This course has virtually no OB, so can you assume that everything should be played as lateral? Thanks.

I think that the best thing to do in this situation is to ask the clubhouse what the course rules are. I have found that it is common to have hazards here and there that aren't specifically marked. The course I played last Sunday, for instance, has a fairway that has an OB area to the right that is not marked with white stakes. It is clearly stated on the course rules in the clubhouse, though, that the area is OB, and it's pretty obvious to the casual observer, since it's private property, that you are supposed to take stroke and distance if you hit over there.

Sounds like there shouldn't be red stakes and thdy are mis-usedin order to keep pace on the course. If that's the case, there is no ruling posible dxcept that the committee should rethink the decision to make it into a LWH.

In case the red stakes actually do border a water hazard, you should play it as one. If the ball than goes into the unmarked side of the hazard and you can't determine if it crossed the border, you should treat it as a lost ball. If you're virtually certain it is in the water hazard, treat it as such and try to determine wherethe ball entered the hazard.