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Rule 2: The Golf Course: Understanding Your Playing Field

What this is about

This rule shows you how the golf course is laid out. You'll learn about the different areas and how they affect your game.

What you need to do

First, find out which of the five course areas your ball is in.

The areas are:

• The teeing area: Where you start each hole.
• The general area: The largest zone, including the fairway and rough.
• Penalty areas: Often near water or rough patches.
• Bunkers: The sandy pits.
• The putting green: The closely mown area around the hole.

Is your ball lying on the edge of two areas? Then the more specific area takes priority. For example, a bunker takes priority over the general area.

Check whether something is interfering with your play. This could be twigs, rakes or puddles of water.

In many cases, you're allowed to move your ball without penalty. This is called taking relief.

Watch out for no play zones. These are places where you're absolutely not allowed to play. You must always take relief here. If you still play from a no play zone, you get two penalty strokes.

Common mistake

A common mistake is thinking you can take relief anywhere. Think about boundary stakes on the course. These are fixed parts of the course. You can't move your ball without penalty because of them.

Example

Your ball has just rolled past the green. Half of the ball is on the putting green. The other half is at the edge of the rough. According to the rules, your ball now lies entirely on the putting green. This means you have to follow the rules for the putting green.

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2.1 Boundary edges and out of bounds

The whole golf course is bounded by boundaries set by the Committee. Everything outside those boundaries is "out of bounds" and isn't part of the course. The boundary is marked by white stakes, lines or other markings. Out of bounds markers are themselves out of bounds too. When the boundary is defined by stakes or a fence, the boundary is determined by the line between the points on the stakes or fence posts nearest the course at ground level.

2.2 Defined areas of the course

2.2a The general area

The general area covers the entire course, except for the four specific areas. It's the largest part of the course and includes all types of terrain and vegetation found there, such as fairway, semi-rough, rough, trees and bushes.

2.2b The four specific areas

In addition to the general area, the course has four specific areas, each with its own rules:

1. The teeing area, the starting area of each hole, defined by the tee-markers
2. Bunkers, specially prepared areas of sand
3. Penalty areas, bodies of water and other areas defined by the Committee, marked with yellow or red stakes/lines
4. The putting green, the specially prepared area around the hole, meant for putting

2.2c Determining which area of the course the ball is in

The area where the ball lies determines which rules apply. When a ball lies partly in two areas, it's treated as lying in the specific area. If a ball lies in two specific areas at the same time, the area that takes priority in this order applies: penalty area, bunker, putting green.

2.3 Objects and conditions that can interfere with play

The Rules distinguish between different types of objects and conditions:

• Loose impediments: leaves, twigs, stones, dead insects etc. that aren't attached or growing and aren't embedded in the ground
• Movable obstructions: artificial objects that can be moved (cups, bottles, rakes etc.)
• Immovable obstructions: artificial objects that can't be moved (paths, sprinklers, fences etc.)
• Integral objects: artificial objects that the Committee has defined as part of the course (walls, paved paths etc.)
• Ground under repair (GUR): areas marked by the Committee from which free relief is allowed

2.4 No-play zones

The Committee can define a part of the course as a no-play zone. A no-play zone can be located in an abnormal course condition or a penalty area. You're not allowed to play from a no-play zone; if it interferes with your stance or area of intended swing, you must take relief.