Can you ground your club in a penalty area?
By The Fairway Labs TeamReviewed
Penalty areas
Penalty: None
Can you ground your club in a penalty area?
PenaltyNone· under Rule 17.1b
What to do
- 1Ground your club normally at address in a penalty area — allowed.
- 2You may remove loose impediments like leaves or twigs.
- 3Do not deliberately touch the water to test its condition.
- 4Do not improve your lie, stance, swing area, or line of play.
Based on the modern Rules of Golf (Rule 17.1b), 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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