Rules 02
Penalties & taking a drop
Out of bounds, water, and unplayable lies — what each costs and where you get to play from, without the rulebook headache.
1 min read
You will hit balls into trouble — everyone does. Knowing the three common penalty situations keeps you moving and stops you accidentally cheating or over-penalizing yourself.
The three you'll meet most
- Penalty area (water), 1 stroke. Take a drop behind the hazard, keeping the point where the ball crossed the edge between you and the hole, and play on.
- Out of bounds / lost ball, 1 stroke + distance. You replay from where you last hit. Painful — which is why a provisional ball (below) saves time.
- Unplayable lie, 1 stroke. You choose: replay from the previous spot, drop within two club-lengths (not nearer the hole), or drop back-on-a-line.
How to drop
Stand tall, hold the ball at knee height, and let it fall straight down into the relief area. It must land and stay in that area.
Play a provisional
If you think your ball might be lost or out of bounds, announce a "provisional" and hit another from the same spot before you walk forward. If the first is gone, you're already moving — no walk of shame back to the tee.
You'll hear
You can't remove rakes, signs or loose junk if your ball is in a hazard.
What's true
Movable obstructions like rakes can be removed anywhere, even in a bunker or penalty area, with no penalty. If the ball moves while you do it, just replace it.
Key takeaways
- Water relief: one stroke, drop behind keeping the line to the hole.
- Out of bounds / lost: one stroke plus distance — replay from the last spot.
- Unplayable: one stroke, with three relief options to choose from.
- Drop from knee height into the relief area.
Sources