General
Text

Penalty Areas and Bunkers

Lesson 7 Chapter 7

the junior golfer rules course

Red & Yellow Penalty Areas – What You Need to Know

What is a Penalty Area?

  • These are marked with red or yellow stakes or lines.
  • Your ball is in the penalty area if any part of it touches or is inside the edge of that area.
  • The edge goes up into the air and down into the ground.

Ball in a Penalty Area – What Can You Do?

  1. Play it as it lies (no penalty) – if you can hit it safely.
  2. Take relief (add 1 penalty stroke) and drop outside the penalty area.

If your ball is lost but you (and your playing partners or rules official) are virtually sure it’s in the penalty area, you can take relief and keep playing. If you later find the original ball, you can’t use it anymore.

Red or Yellow staked areas

There are two relief options for balls in red or yellow staked penalty areas and a third option for balls in a red staked area. All options cost 1 penalty stroke

For both Yellow and Red areas:

  1. Stroke & Distance – Go back to where you hit the last shot and play again.
  2. Back on the Line – Drop on a straight line going from the hole, through where your ball last crossed into the penalty area.
  • You can go as far back as you want on that line.
  • Drop the ball in a one-club-length area around the selected spot (named "the relief area").

The "relief area":

  • Must be no closer to the hole than where the ball crossed in.
  • Must not be in another penalty area.
  • Must be in the same area of the course (fairway, rough, etc.) as where you dropped the ball (e.g. it cannot roll from rough into the fairway, even if within one club length).

Extra Option for Red Penalty Areas

If it’s a red penalty area, you have one more choice (also 1 penalty stroke):
       3. Two Club-Length Relief – Drop the ball within two club lengths from where it last crossed the edge of the red penalty area (the reference point).

golf rules yellow penalty
golf rules red penalty

Ball Played from Penalty Area is Lost or Out of Bounds or Unplayable

  • You can choose to play the ball as it lies in a Penalty Area. If the result of that shot is that the ball goes Out of Bounds, or becomes Lost or is regarded as Unplayable, the player may take Stroke and Distance Relief by dropping back in the Penalty Area with a 1 Stroke Penalty.
  • If you don’t want to drop in the Penalty Area (where the last shot was played from), you can choose Relief outside the Penalty Area but this will cost a 2 Stroke Penalty.

Bunkers

golf rules ball in bunker

When is a Ball in the Bunker?

  • If your ball is touching the sand, it’s in the bunker.
  • If it’s on grass, soil, or a natural growing objects (e.g. a plant) inside the bunker but NOT touching the sand, it’s NOT in the bunker.
  • If the bunker runs to the water and your ball is on a painted red line, the ball is in the red penalty area, not the bunker.

What if the Ball is on a Line Between Two Areas?

Golf Rule 2.2c says:

  1. Penalty Area beats Bunker
  2. Bunker beats Putting Green

So if your ball is on a red line in the bunker, it’s in the penalty area.

Loose Stuff in the Bunker

  • You can move loose things like leaves, sticks, or a rake in the bunker.
  • If you accidentally touch or move a little sand while doing this, it’s okay!

Don’t Do These Things! (Penalty = 2 strokes)

❌ Touch the sand to test it with your hand, club, or rake.
❌ Touch the sand right in front or behind your ball (except when looking for it or moving a loose object).
❌ Touch the sand during a practice swing or backswing.

These Actions ARE Allowed

✅ Dig your feet in to take a stance. Note that reasonable digging is allowable, but excessive digging may incur a penalty (as we recently found out in a State Amateur Championship)
✅ Smooth the sand to fix footprints or care for the course (after you have hit the ball out the bunker, or before, as long as you do not impact the lie, area of intended stance or line of play).
✅ Put your clubs or bag in the bunker.
✅ Mark, lift, or replace your ball if the rules say you can (e.g. marking you ball if it is directly in front or next to your playing partner's ball or in the stance).
✅ Lean on a club for balance.
✅ Hit the sand in anger after your shot. Do not damage the course however, this may lead to disqualification.


Discover more from TheJuniorGolfer.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Powered by Thrive Apprentice
Pen