What if your ball is lost in a penalty area?
By The Fairway Labs TeamReviewed
Penalty areas
Penalty: One stroke
What if your ball is lost in a penalty area?
PenaltyOne stroke· under Rule 17.1c
What to do
- 1Search for the ball, but note any evidence it entered the penalty area.
- 2If entry is known or virtually certain, take penalty area relief for one stroke.
- 3If there’s no such evidence, it’s a lost ball: stroke and distance.
- 4Replay from your previous spot if treating it as lost.
Based on the modern Rules of Golf (Rule 17.1c), as published by the USGA and The R&A and effective from the 2019 revision. Local rules can modify some situations — check the scorecard or with the committee when in doubt.
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