If you play golf in Japan, you may notice something unusual on the fairway.
A yellow round marker, usually located about 250 yards from the tee.
What is it?
It is for a special Japanese local rule called “Playing 4” (プレーイング4), also commonly known in Japan as “Mae-yon” (前4).
What Is “Playing 4”?
Imagine that you hit your tee shot out of bounds.
Normally, under the standard Rules of Golf, you would have to deal with the OB according to the applicable rules.
But many golf courses in Japan have a special local rule designed to keep play moving.
If your tee shot goes OB, instead of going back and hitting another ball from the tee, you move forward to the designated Playing 4 area.
From there, you play your next shot as your fourth shot.
In Japanese, golfers often call this:
“Mae” means “forward” or “ahead,” and “yon” means “four.”
Look for the Yellow Marker
If you find yellow markers on the course, that’s where you can place a ball and resume play.
At many courses, the Playing 4 area is located roughly 230–250 yards from the tee.
So if you are playing golf in Japan and see a yellow marker well ahead of the tee, it may be the designated area for Playing 4.
Why Do Japanese Golf Courses Use It?
One important reason is pace of play.
Going back to the tee after discovering that your ball is OB can slow down the groups behind you.
Playing 4 allows golfers to move forward and continue the hole without returning to the original teeing area.
This is particularly useful on busy Japanese golf courses.
It is important to remember that Playing 4 is a local rule used by the golf course, rather than the normal procedure you should automatically use whenever your ball is OB.
Sometimes We Call It “Lucky Mae-yon”
There is also a funny side to Playing 4.
At GOL Yome Golf, we sometimes call it:
Why?
Imagine hitting a terrible tee shot that immediately disappears OB.
You walk forward and discover that the Playing 4 marker is around 250 yards from the tee.
Your ball may have traveled nowhere near 250 yards—but suddenly, you are playing your fourth shot from there.
Not bad!
Of course, you already have the penalty built into your score, so it is not really “free.”
But for beginner golfers, there are definitely moments when Mae-yon feels surprisingly lucky.
A Small but Very Japanese Golf Experience
Playing 4 is one of those things that may surprise golfers visiting Japan for the first time.
If you see a yellow round marker about 250 yards down the hole, don’t assume it is a distance marker.
It might be the Playing 4 area.
And if your tee shot has just gone OB…
“Lucky Mae-yon!”
