Rule #17 – Penalty Areas

Know the rules with M&M – Rule #17: Penalty Areas

 

This week, we will focus on the fourth of the five defined areas of the golf course – Rule #17: 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. Players may use specific relief options to play a ball from outside the penalty area.

 

Penalty areas are defined as either red or yellow which affects the player’s relief options.

 

A player may stand in a penalty area to play a ball outside the penalty area, including after taking relief from the penalty area and a ball is in a penalty area when any part of the ball:

• Lies on or touches the ground inside the edge of the penalty area, or
• Is above the edge or any other part of the penalty area (in a bush as example).

 

When the ball is in a penalty area, the player may either:

• Play the ball as it lies without penalty, under the same Rules that apply to a ball in the general area, or
• Play a ball from outside the penalty area by taking a one stroke penalty. 

 

If a player’s ball has not been found and it is known or virtually certain (KVC) that the ball came to rest in a penalty area.  The player may take penalty relief.  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.
  • But if it is not known or virtually certain that the ball came to rest in a penalty area and the ball is lost and the player must take stroke-and-distance penalty.

 

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 (Red or Yellow Penalty area). The player may play the original ball or another ball from where the previous stroke was made.
• (2) Back-On-the-Line Relief Red or Yellow penalty area). The player may drop the original ball or another ball in a relief area that is based on a reference line (Point of entry) going straight back from the hole (Flag) through the estimated point where the original ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area:
  • Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: One club-length, but with these limits:
    • Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point (point of entry), 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.
• (3) 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:
  • 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:
    • 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.

 

RELIEF FOR BALL IN YELLOW PENALTY AREA

 

RELIEF FOR BALL IN RED PENALTY AREA

 

If a ball played from a penalty area comes to rest in the same penalty area or another penalty area, the player may play the ball as it lies, or, for one penalty stroke, the player may take relief under any of these options:

• Stroke-and-distance relief (in the penalty area).
• Back-on-the-line relief.  Or,
• For a red penalty area, lateral relief.
  • The estimated point used to determine the relief area is where the original ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area where the ball now lies.
  • If the player takes stroke-and-distance relief by dropping a ball in the penalty area and then decides not to play the dropped ball from where it comes to rest:
    • The player may take further relief outside the penalty area under (for a red penalty area only).
    • If the player does so, he or she gets one more penalty stroke, for a total of two penalty strokes: one stroke for taking stroke-and-distance relief, and one stroke for taking relief outside the penalty area.
• Play from Where Last Stroke Made Outside a Penalty Area.
  • The player may choose to play the original ball or another ball from where he or she made the last stroke from outside a penalty area.

 

BALL PLAYED FROM PENALTY AREA COMES TO REST IN SAME PENALTY AREA

 

BALL PLAYED FROM PENALTY AREA COMES TO REST IN SAME PENALTY AREA HAVING EXITED AND RE-ENTERED

 

When a player’s ball is in a penalty area, there is no relief for:

• Interference by an abnormal course condition,
• An embedded ball, or
• An unplayable ball

 

The player’s only relief option is to take penalty relief under Rule #17.

 

As always, we hope you have a great week on the links and wish you all straight drives and one putts.

 

Next week, we will review the final defined area of the course – The General Area

 

Until then,

 

Mario Paradis & Michael Alderman