Penalty Areas
What is a Penalty Area? A penalty area is a new Area of the Course that embodies what was formerly considered a "water hazard" and any area of the course that the Committee wishes to define as a penalty area. The term "water hazard" will no longer be in the Rules of Golf since this new penalty area concept embodies more than just what was traditionally marked as a "water hazard". Click HERE and HERE to see the video explanation.
A penalty area may now be any area that the Committee wishes to denote as such. The traditional way in which a pond or creek is marked will not change that much, but there is now leeway to correctly mark an area or tall grass or a wooded area as a penalty area and the same relief will be available as when a ball is hit into a creek or pond.
Red vs. Yellow. Most penalty areas will now be marked as a red penalty area. This does not mean that yellow penalty areas will no longer exist, but rather the default for marking a penalty area will now be red. A good rule of thumb when it comes to marking a golf course is that a penalty area will be marked yellow only if marking it red would change the integrity of the hole and how it is meant to be played. For example, #12 at Augusta National and #17 at TPC Sawgrass will still be marked as a yellow penalty area.
When is the Ball inside a Penalty Area? A ball is in a penalty area when a player sees it enter a penalty area or it is known or virtually certain that a ball is in a penalty area. Knowledge or virtual certainty is when there is a 95% chance that the ball is in a penalty area, even if the ball was not physically seen to enter the penalty area. A good standard for determining knowledge or virtual certainty is asking the question, "Could the ball be anywhere else other than inside this penalty area?" If the answer to that question is "yes" or "maybe", then there is no knowledge or virtual certainty that the ball is in the Penalty Area.
Playing from a Penalty Area. Since the Committee has greater influence on what will be marked as a penalty area, the liklihood that you may try and play a ball from within a penalty area will rise. You may always choose to play a ball out of a penalty area unless it has also been denoted as no play zone, in which case taking relief would be mandatory.
If you do choose to play a ball from within a penalty area, many of the same priciples as playing a ball from the general area will apply. You will now be able to ground your club and remove loose impediments from inside a penalty area when playing the ball. It's important to know that before you try and move a loose impediment in a penalty area that you don't cause the ball to move as a result of that movement of the loose impediment. if the ball moves you will be penalized one strok eand must replace the ball. Remember, those penalty area stakes (red or yellow) are movable obstructions and may always be removed unless you are physically unable to remove the stakes.
Relief from a Penalty Area. When taking relief from a penalty area, your options depend on the color used to define the particular penalty area.
Yellow Penalty Area - You have two options when taking relief.
1) You may proceed under stroke and distance for a one (1) stroke penalty. Click HERE to see a video explanation.
2) You may proceed under Back-on-a-line relief for a one (1) stroke penalty. Click HERE to see a video explanation.
Red Penalty Area - You have three options when taking relief
1) You may proceed under stroke and distance for a one (1) stroke penalty. Click HERE to see a video explanation.
2) You may proceed under Back-on-a-line relief for a one (1) stroke penalty. Click HERE to see a video explanation.
3) You may take lateral relief based on the point where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area for a one (1) stroke penalty. Click HERE to see a video explanation.
Click HERE to see the video explanation for all options when taking relief from a Penalty Area.