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First, last Saturday I drove my shot into the trees off the tee so I had to chip it out with a 4 iron. It was a decent enough chip but it came to rest directly behind the 150 yard marker about 2 feet behind it. If I would have swung any club at the ball it would have hit the marker so not being sure of the rule I measured two club lengths back and hit from there. Is that right?
Not being sure, I assessed a penalty stroke on myself.

Second, the course was really crowded that day and on the par three second I pulled my shot way right, then hit into a bunker, then from the bunker caught the ball super clean and the it sailed over the green past the cart path. Rather than hold up the entire production I just picked up and gave myself an 8 for the hole. I don't know if there's an official rule about picking up but is there some sort of etiquette? From where I was I'm pretty sure I could have gotten a six but I wanted to err on the side of conservatism (about the only time I wish to err on the side of conservatism), henceforth, the 8 on the scorecard. I also considered that hole a 3 putt and counted it as such at the end of the round.

Any help, speculation, real knowledge, or just plain rumination is welcome. Thanks.

Usually, the stakes in the center of the fairway are removeable, however, as chances are you did not realize this, or it wasn't removeable, i would personally consider your action appropriate. It sounds as if you took it as an unplayable, and did as you would with any other unplayable.

For the par 3, i am not sure, i would've probably continued to play it, but that's just because i'm a sucker for punishment. Refer to handicap, and the usga webpage, because each handicap level has a maximum amount of strokes to take on each hole, to prevent those kind of blowups occurring, and affecting your 'cap.

If the yardage marker was moveable , you could move it out of your way . If it was not moveable , but was manmade , it then is an obstruction and you get to drop to nearest relief plus a clublength with no penalty . Only if the marker is something growing , like a small shrub , would you not get relief (and even in that case there might be a local rule allowing free relief as they wouldn't want the shrub markers damaged) .

As for picking up , in my group we pick up at double bogey , and double bogeys all tie regardless of whether the score was made by putting it in or made picking up .