Rules Terminology
Areas of the Course
There are five areas of the course. We need to be familiar with these terms because sometimes your options for playing the ball or taking relief in a given situation depend on which area of the course you’re in.
The teeing area of the hole you are playing (Rule 6.2),
All penalty areas (Rule 17),
All bunkers (Rule 12), and
The putting green of the hole you are playing (Rule 13).
The general area, which covers the entire course except for the other four specific areas
T
Teeing Area (Definition)
The area you must play from in starting the hole you are playing. The teeing area is a rectangle that is two club-lengths deep where: the front edge is defined by the line between the forward-most points of two tee-markers set by the Committee, and the side edges are defined by the lines back from the outside points of the tee-markers.
Penalty areas (Definition)
A penalty area will include both (1) all areas currently defined in the Rules as a water hazard or lateral water hazard and (2) any other areas the Committee chooses to define as penalty areas. Penalty areas may therefore include areas such as deserts, jungles, lava rock fields, etc.
We’ll have red staked penalty areas including previous lateral water hazards and we’ll have yellow staked penalty areas which include previous water hazards. Your options for taking relief will be different in red penalty areas than in yellow.
Bunkers (Definition)
A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil has been removed. These are not part of a bunker: •A lip, wall or face at the edge of a prepared area and consisting of soil, grass, stacked turf or artificial materials, •Soil or any growing or attached natural object inside the edge of a prepared area (such as grass, bushes or trees), •Sand that has spilled over or is outside the edge of a prepared area, and •All other areas of sand on the course that are not inside the edge of a prepared area (such as deserts and other natural sand areas or areas sometimes referred to as waste areas).
Putting Green (Definition)
The area on the hole you are playing that is specially prepared for putting, or the Committee has defined as the putting green (such as when a temporary green is used).
General Area (Definition)
The area of the course that covers all of the course except for the other four defined areas: (1) the teeing area the player must play from in starting the hole he or she is playing, (2) all penalty areas, (3) all bunkers, and (4) the putting green of the hole the player is playing. All teeing locations other than that of the current hole and all greens other than that of the current hole are included in the “general area.”
No Play Zone A part of the course where the Committee has prohibited play. These may include flower beds or what we used to call environmentally protected areas. A no play zone must be defined as part of either an abnormal course condition (free drop) or a penalty area (penalty for drop) so you need to know the designation of the given area.
Club-Length The length of the longest club of the 14 (or fewer) clubs you have during the round (as allowed by Rule 4.1b(1)), other than a putter. For example, if the longest club (other than a putter) you have during a round is a 43-inch driver, a club-length is 43 inches for you for that round.
Relief Area The area where you must drop a ball when taking relief under a Rule. Each relief Rule requires you to use a specific relief area whose size and location are based on these three factors:
Nearest Point of Complete Relief Your reference point for taking free relief from an abnormal course condition, dangerous animal condition, wrong green or no play zone or in taking relief under certain Local Rules. It is the estimated point where your ball would lie that is: nearest to your ball’s original spot, but not nearer the hole than that spot, in the required area of the course, and where the condition does not interfere with the stroke you would have made from the original spot if the condition was not there. Estimating this reference point requires you to identify the choice of club, stance, swing and line of play you would have used for that stroke.
Point of Maximum Available Relief Your reference point for taking free relief from an abnormal course condition in a bunker or on the putting green when there is no nearest point of complete relief.
It is the estimated point where your ball would lie that is (a) nearest to your ball’s original spot (b) not nearer the hole than that spot, (c) in the required area of the course, and (d) where that abnormal course condition least interferes with the stroke you would have made from the original spot if the condition was not there.
Estimating this reference point requires you to identify the choice of club, stance, swing and line of play you would have used for that stroke.
Loose Impediments Leaves, twigs, stones, grass cuttings and other natural objects. These can be moved without penalty but if the ball moves as a result, put it back with a one stroke penalty.
Movable Instructions Bottles, cans, signs, red or yellow stakes, and other artificial objects can be removed without penalty. If the ball moves, put it back with no penalty. If the ball is lying in or on the obstruction, you can remove it and drop the ball within one club length.
Abnormal Course Condition: Free relief is allowed from interference from abnormal course conditions including animal holes, ground under repair, immovable obstructions or temporary water. Although these are collectively called abnormal course conditions, each has a separate definition. The most common ones we deal with are probably immovable instructions since they include cart paths and sprinkler heads.
Boundary Object Artificial objects defining or showing out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, from which free relief is not allowed. This includes any base and post of a boundary fence, but does not include angled supports or guy wires that are attached to a wall or fence, or any steps, bridge or similar construction used for getting over the wall or fence. Boundary objects are treated as immovable even if they are movable or any part of them is movable. You can not move a boundary stake for your stance or your swing.
Embedded When your ball is in its own pitch-mark made as a result of your previous stroke and where part of the ball is below the level of the ground. Your ball does not necessarily have to touch soil to be embedded (for example, grass and loose impediments may be between your ball and the soil). Note that this requires that your ball is in the “pitch-mark made as a result of your previous stroke” -- it does not include situations where your ball rolls into someone else’s pitch-mark or where you step on your ball.
There are five areas of the course. We need to be familiar with these terms because sometimes your options for playing the ball or taking relief in a given situation depend on which area of the course you’re in.
The teeing area of the hole you are playing (Rule 6.2),
All penalty areas (Rule 17),
All bunkers (Rule 12), and
The putting green of the hole you are playing (Rule 13).
The general area, which covers the entire course except for the other four specific areas
T
Teeing Area (Definition)
The area you must play from in starting the hole you are playing. The teeing area is a rectangle that is two club-lengths deep where: the front edge is defined by the line between the forward-most points of two tee-markers set by the Committee, and the side edges are defined by the lines back from the outside points of the tee-markers.
Penalty areas (Definition)
A penalty area will include both (1) all areas currently defined in the Rules as a water hazard or lateral water hazard and (2) any other areas the Committee chooses to define as penalty areas. Penalty areas may therefore include areas such as deserts, jungles, lava rock fields, etc.
We’ll have red staked penalty areas including previous lateral water hazards and we’ll have yellow staked penalty areas which include previous water hazards. Your options for taking relief will be different in red penalty areas than in yellow.
Bunkers (Definition)
A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil has been removed. These are not part of a bunker: •A lip, wall or face at the edge of a prepared area and consisting of soil, grass, stacked turf or artificial materials, •Soil or any growing or attached natural object inside the edge of a prepared area (such as grass, bushes or trees), •Sand that has spilled over or is outside the edge of a prepared area, and •All other areas of sand on the course that are not inside the edge of a prepared area (such as deserts and other natural sand areas or areas sometimes referred to as waste areas).
Putting Green (Definition)
The area on the hole you are playing that is specially prepared for putting, or the Committee has defined as the putting green (such as when a temporary green is used).
General Area (Definition)
The area of the course that covers all of the course except for the other four defined areas: (1) the teeing area the player must play from in starting the hole he or she is playing, (2) all penalty areas, (3) all bunkers, and (4) the putting green of the hole the player is playing. All teeing locations other than that of the current hole and all greens other than that of the current hole are included in the “general area.”
No Play Zone A part of the course where the Committee has prohibited play. These may include flower beds or what we used to call environmentally protected areas. A no play zone must be defined as part of either an abnormal course condition (free drop) or a penalty area (penalty for drop) so you need to know the designation of the given area.
Club-Length The length of the longest club of the 14 (or fewer) clubs you have during the round (as allowed by Rule 4.1b(1)), other than a putter. For example, if the longest club (other than a putter) you have during a round is a 43-inch driver, a club-length is 43 inches for you for that round.
Relief Area The area where you must drop a ball when taking relief under a Rule. Each relief Rule requires you to use a specific relief area whose size and location are based on these three factors:
- Reference Point: The point from which the size of relief area is measured.
- Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: The relief area is either one or two club-lengths from the reference point, but with certain limits:
- Limits on Location of Relief Area: The location of the relief area may be limited in one or more ways so that, for example: it is only in certain defined areas of the course, such as only in the general area, or not in a bunker or a penalty area, it is not nearer the hole than your reference point or must be outside a penalty area or a bunker from which you are taking relief, or it is where there is no interference (as defined in the particular Rule) from the condition from which you are taking relief.
Nearest Point of Complete Relief Your reference point for taking free relief from an abnormal course condition, dangerous animal condition, wrong green or no play zone or in taking relief under certain Local Rules. It is the estimated point where your ball would lie that is: nearest to your ball’s original spot, but not nearer the hole than that spot, in the required area of the course, and where the condition does not interfere with the stroke you would have made from the original spot if the condition was not there. Estimating this reference point requires you to identify the choice of club, stance, swing and line of play you would have used for that stroke.
Point of Maximum Available Relief Your reference point for taking free relief from an abnormal course condition in a bunker or on the putting green when there is no nearest point of complete relief.
It is the estimated point where your ball would lie that is (a) nearest to your ball’s original spot (b) not nearer the hole than that spot, (c) in the required area of the course, and (d) where that abnormal course condition least interferes with the stroke you would have made from the original spot if the condition was not there.
Estimating this reference point requires you to identify the choice of club, stance, swing and line of play you would have used for that stroke.
Loose Impediments Leaves, twigs, stones, grass cuttings and other natural objects. These can be moved without penalty but if the ball moves as a result, put it back with a one stroke penalty.
Movable Instructions Bottles, cans, signs, red or yellow stakes, and other artificial objects can be removed without penalty. If the ball moves, put it back with no penalty. If the ball is lying in or on the obstruction, you can remove it and drop the ball within one club length.
Abnormal Course Condition: Free relief is allowed from interference from abnormal course conditions including animal holes, ground under repair, immovable obstructions or temporary water. Although these are collectively called abnormal course conditions, each has a separate definition. The most common ones we deal with are probably immovable instructions since they include cart paths and sprinkler heads.
Boundary Object Artificial objects defining or showing out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, from which free relief is not allowed. This includes any base and post of a boundary fence, but does not include angled supports or guy wires that are attached to a wall or fence, or any steps, bridge or similar construction used for getting over the wall or fence. Boundary objects are treated as immovable even if they are movable or any part of them is movable. You can not move a boundary stake for your stance or your swing.
Embedded When your ball is in its own pitch-mark made as a result of your previous stroke and where part of the ball is below the level of the ground. Your ball does not necessarily have to touch soil to be embedded (for example, grass and loose impediments may be between your ball and the soil). Note that this requires that your ball is in the “pitch-mark made as a result of your previous stroke” -- it does not include situations where your ball rolls into someone else’s pitch-mark or where you step on your ball.