Situations & Options

Situations:

Lost Ball Ball Hit Out of Bounds
(white stakes)		 Ball is Hit Into a
Yellow Penalty Area		 Ball is Hit Into a
Red Penalty Area
Ball on Cart Path, Ground Under Repair, Animal Holes, Temporary Water and
Immovable Man Made Obstructions		 Unplayable Ball Unplayable Ball
in a Bunker		 Moveable Obstructions

Options:

= 3 Minutes to find the ball. After 3 minutes it is considered Out-Of-Play.

Lost Ball
When you have lost your ball anywhere on the course (except penalty areas) the penalty is one stroke and distance. What this means is that you incur a one-stroke penalty and need to go back to the point from where you hit your last shot and hit again. If you hit your ball in the rough or think it’s in an area where you might not find it, hit a provisional ball. one
penalty
stroke
Ball Hit Out of Bounds
White stakes designate the boundary of the course. The ball is Out-Of-Play even if you can see it. Only option is to Go back to where the previous stroke was made and hit again. If you think your ball might have gone Out-Of-Bounds, hit a provisional before attempting to look for your ball. If your first ball is indeed out of bounds, play the provisional ball. If your ball is Out-Of-Bounds and you didn’t hit a provisional, you must go back to the point from where you hit your last shot and hit again. A provisional ball can be hit from the tee box, fairway, rough, bunker, etc. one
penalty
stroke
New Local Rule for Casual Play (Not Tournament Play)
two
penalty
strokes
Ball Hit Into a Yellow Penalty Area
A Yellow Staked penalty area is a body of water, ditch, or surface draining ditch that you must hit directly over to continue play.

For no penalty, you can hit the ball where it lies.

2 options for relief if you end up in the water:

  1. Go back and hit from the original spot, or
  2. Imagine a straight line from flagstick going back to the point where the ball last crossed the penalty area and drop on that line as far back as you want to go.
 one
penalty
stroke
Ball Hit Into a Red Penalty Area – See Penalty Area video above
A Red Staked penalty area used to be called a lateral water hazard.

For no penalty, you can hit the ball where it lies.

4 options for relief if you end up in the water:

  1. Go back and hit from the original spot, or
  2. Imagine a straight line from flagstick going back to the point where the ball last crossed the penalty area and drop on that line as far back as you want to go, or
  3. Drop the ball within two club lengths from the red stakes at the point where ball last crossed the penalty area, no nearer the hole.
  4. If available, hit from the dropzone. Note: the dropzone is not a tee box, so don’t use a tee.
 one
penalty
stroke
Abnormal Course Conditions and Immovable Man Made Obstructions
Free Relief – No Penalty
The ball lands on the cart path or on (or near) a man-made immovable obstruction such as sprinkler heads, building, irrigation controllers, walls, fences, and benches or is affected by abnormal course conditions such as ground under repair, animal holes or temporary water.

Must move away from these objects (get relief) to continue play.

Do not pick up the ball until certain you want to take relief. Note: Nearest point of relief could be worse as in a bush or down a steep hill. Free relief from man-made obstruction only is allowed.

  1. Find nearest point of complete relief by pretending to set up to an imaginary ball with the club you will use for the shot (no closer to the hole), giving no interference to stance, lie or intended swing.
  2. Mark the imaginary ball.
  3. Lay your longest club down (no nearer the hole) and mark again at the end of the club.
  4. Pick up club and drop ball between the two marks. You get two tries to drop and land the ball within the relief area. If not successful, you may place the ball where it contacted the course on your second drop.
Unplayable Ball
An unplayable ball can be declared anywhere except in a yellow or red penalty area. 3 options:

  1. Go back to where your previous stroke was made and hit again, or
  2. Imagine a straight line from flagstick going back to where the ball lies and drop on that line as far back as you want, or
  3. Drop ball (no nearer the hole) within 2 club lengths from where the ball lies.

 one
penalty
stroke
Unplayable Ball in a Bunker
  1. Drop ball (no nearer the hole) within 2 club lengths from where the ball lies, or
  2. Imagine a straight line from flagstick going back inside the bunker as far back as you want, or
  3. Imagine a straight line from flagstick going back outside the bunker as far back as you want, or (2 penalty strokes)
  4. Go back to where your previous stroke was made and hit again.
 one
penalty
stroke
Moveable Obstructions