Penalty areas
Penalty areas, are bodies of water or other areas defined by the Committee where a ball is often lost or unable to be played. For one penalty stroke, players may use specific relief options to play a ball from outside the penalty area. Rule 17.
Penalty areas are defined as either red or yellow. This affects the player’s relief options (see Rule 17.1d).
When Ball Is in Penalty Area
A ball is in a penalty area when any part of the ball:
Lies on or touches the ground or anything else (such as any natural or artificial
object) inside the edge of the penalty area, or
Is above the edge or any other part of the penalty area.
The player may either:
- Play the ball as it lies without penalty.
or
- Play a ball from outside the penalty area by taking penalty relief under Rule17.1d or 17.2.
Relief for Ball Not Found but in Penalty Area (17.1c)
If a player’s ball has not been found and it is known or virtually certain that the ball came to rest in a penalty area:
- The player may take penalty relief under Rule 17.1d or 17.2.
- Once the player puts another ball in play to take relief in this way:
- The original ball is no longer in play and must not be played.
- This is true even if it is then found on the course before the end of the three-
minute search time (see Rule 6.3b).
But if it is not known or virtually certain that the ball came to rest in a penalty area
and the ball is lost, the player must take stroke-and-distance relief under Rule 18.2.
RELIEF FOR BALL IN YELLOW PENALTY AREA
RELIEF FOR BALL IN RED PENALTY AREA
Relief for Ball in Penalty Area (17.1d)
If a player’s ball is in a penalty area, including when it is known or virtually certain to be in a penalty area even though not found, the player has these relief options, each for one penalty stroke:
(1) Stroke-and-Distance Relief. The player may play the original ball or another ball from where the previous stroke was made (see Rule 14.6).
(2) Back-On-the-Line Relief. The player may drop the original ball or another ball (see Rule 14.3) in a relief area that is based on a reference line going straight back from the hole through the estimated point where the original ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area:
Reference Point: A point on the course chosen by the player that is on the reference line and is farther from the hole than the estimated point (with no limit on how far back on the line):
- In choosing this reference point, the player should indicate the point by using an object (such as a tee).
- If the player drops the ball without having chosen this point, the reference point is treated as being the point on the line that is the same distance from the hole as where the dropped ball first touched the ground.
- Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point:One club-length, but with these limits:
Limits on Location of Relief Area:
- Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and
- May be in any area of the course except the same penalty area, but
- If more than one area of the course is located within one club-length of the reference point, the ball must come to rest in the relief area in the same area of the course that the ball first touched when dropped in the relief area.
Lateral Relief (Only for Red Penalty Area).
When the ball last crossed the edge of a red penalty area, the player may drop the original ball or another ball in this lateral relief area (see Rule 14.3):
- Reference Point:The estimated point where the original ball last crossed the edge of the red penalty area.
- Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: Two club-lengths, but with these limits:
Limits on Location of Relief Area:
- Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and
- May be in any area of the course except the same penalty area, but
- If more than one area of the course is located within two club-lengths of
the reference point, the ball must come to rest in the relief area in the same area of the course that the ball first touched when dropped in the relief area.
Playing the Ball from within the Penalty Area
When Playing the Ball from within the Penalty Area you are able to do sounder the same Rules that apply to a ball in the general area (which means there are no special Rules limiting how a ball may be played from a penalty area),
You can touch and move loose impediments,
You can ground club,
You may use the all of the actions permitted as in the general area .
