Penalty Area (Water Hazard)
Also known as: water hazard
A penalty area, often a pond or stream, is marked by yellow or red stakes or lines. Relief costs one penalty stroke and is more forgiving than out of bounds.
A penalty area is a defined section of the course, marked with yellow or red stakes or painted lines. Special relief rules apply if a ball comes to rest inside it. Most commonly it is a pond, lake, or stream. The definition also covers any area a committee designates for the purpose, including some marked rough or desert areas on certain courses. Unlike out of bounds, a penalty area is still part of the course. That is why its relief options are meaningfully less costly than the stroke-and-distance penalty for OB.
Yellow-staked penalty areas offer two relief options for one penalty stroke. The first is replaying the previous shot from where it was last played. The second is dropping behind the penalty area. The golfer keeps the point where the ball last crossed the edge of the area directly between the hole and the drop spot. That line extends back as far as the golfer wants. Red-staked penalty areas offer those same two options plus a third: lateral relief. That means dropping within two club-lengths of where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area, no nearer the hole. It is a meaningfully more convenient option for a hazard running alongside a fairway rather than directly in front of the green.
A golfer is also allowed to play the ball as it lies inside a penalty area, without taking relief or a penalty at all. The ball must be findable and playable. Some golfers successfully play out of shallow water, or play a ball resting on bare ground within a marked area. That avoids the penalty stroke entirely when the lie allows it.
Example
A player's approach shot lands in a pond fronting the green, marked with yellow stakes. Rather than replaying from the fairway, they take a one-stroke penalty and drop behind the water on a direct line back from where the ball crossed the edge.
Why it matters
Knowing the penalty area relief options, especially lateral relief at red stakes, lets a golfer pick the least costly, most convenient way back into play. The golfer need not default to a full replay from the previous shot.
Common mistakes
- Not knowing the difference between yellow and red stakes, missing out on the lateral relief option only available for red-staked penalty areas.
- Dropping closer to the hole than the point where the ball crossed the edge of the penalty area, which is not a legal drop location.
- Assuming a ball inside a penalty area must always be taken with relief, when playing it as it lies (without penalty) is allowed if the ball is playable.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between yellow and red penalty area stakes?
Yellow-staked areas offer two relief options (replay the previous shot, or drop behind the hazard on a line back from where the ball crossed). Red-staked areas add a third option — lateral relief, dropping within two club-lengths of where the ball crossed the edge.
Can I hit the ball out of a penalty area instead of taking relief?
Yes — if the ball is findable and playable, a golfer can play it as it lies inside a penalty area without any penalty stroke at all.
Related terms
- Out of BoundsOut of bounds (OB) is past the course boundary, usually marked by white stakes. A ball hit there is replayed from the original spot with a one-stroke penalty.
- Drop ProcedureThe modern drop releases the ball from knee height, straight down, into the relief area. It is simpler than the old shoulder-height drop but often done wrong.
- Free ReliefFree relief is moving the ball to a better spot without a penalty. It covers cases like an immovable obstruction, ground under repair, or an embedded ball.
- Unplayable LieA golfer may declare their ball unplayable anywhere except a penalty area and take relief for one penalty stroke. Only the golfer makes that call.
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