Penalty Area Colors?

[Golf Grouch]

The USGA has proposed the following expanded concept of penalty areas to modernize the Rules:  "The two types of penalty areas would be known by the color of their marking: red penalty areas (today called lateral water hazards) and yellow penalty areas (today called water hazards)."

I understand that this is derived from the original red and yellow stake water hazard designations in the current rules of golf.  But is there a fundamental reason or rational basis for the choice of these original colors?  It never made sense to me that lateral hazards were colored red and the more penal hazards were colored yellow.  Red is the universal color of extremes including danger.  It is the international color for stop.  Yellow is the moderate color of caution.  Indeed, traffic lights have ingrained these color associations into our psyche.  So it follows, wouldn't it make sense to color the most penal areas red and the less penal areas yellow?  Since areas that allow lateral relief are less penal than areas that don't, shouldn't they be colored yellow instead of red?  For much of my golf life, the hazard relief options were confusing to me because I naturally associated the red stakes with being more penal than the yellow when they are actually the opposite according to the rules of golf.  Even now I have to pause and tell myself it's "the opposite" when evaluating water hazard situations.

If the USGA and The R&A are taking the tremendous initiative to modernize the Rules, wouldn't it also be the perfect time to change the penalty area colors to conform to convention?  I know it's a long shot, but I wish that they would.  Do you feel likewise?

[dennyjones]

43 minutes ago, Golf Grouch said:

 I know it's a long shot,

Yes it it.  

[David in FL]

No, not confusing at all.

I don't like this potential change though.

[iacas]

It'd be way more confusing to change the colors now.

[RickK]

Nope, they do not need to change the colors.  Let me see about this...change the rule and now you force every golf course to go out and change the color of the stakes on their golf course.  A totally unneeded expense when today many courses are struggling already.  Why put that new burden on them.  It is not all that hard to understand the difference between red and yellow stakes.