Most of what goes wrong in a first season fits in ten situations, and nearly all of them cost either nothing or one stroke. Find your situation in the chart, do what the third column says, and write down the cost.
The ChartThe ten situations, what to do and what it costs
| Situation | What to do | Cost | Rule | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Lost ball or out of bounds | Add one penalty stroke and play again from where you hit the last shot. A ball is lost if you have not found it three minutes after you start looking. It is out of bounds only when all of it is outside the boundary. | 1 stroke | Rule 18.2 | Lost ball rules |
| 2. Ball in a penalty area | Play it as it lies for no penalty, or take relief for one penalty stroke. A yellow area gives two relief options. A red area gives those two plus a third that lets you drop to the side. | 0 or 1 stroke | Rule 17.1 | Relief cheat sheet |
| 3. Stake and line colors | White stakes or lines mark out of bounds. Yellow marks one kind of penalty area and red marks the other. Check your scorecard for anything else your course paints. | Depends on the color | Definitions; Rule 17.1 | Stake colors |
| 4. Unplayable ball | You alone decide a ball is unplayable, anywhere except in a penalty area. Pick one of three options: replay from the last spot, drop back on a line from the hole, or drop within two club-lengths. | 1 stroke | Rule 19.2 | Relief cheat sheet |
| 5. Cart path or puddle in the way | Take free relief. Find the nearest spot where it no longer bothers your ball, stance or swing, no nearer the hole, and drop within one club-length of it. | None | Rule 16.1b | Free relief |
| 6. Ball in a bunker | Before your shot, do not touch the sand with your club right behind or in front of the ball, and do not touch it in a practice swing or backswing. | 2 strokes (loss of hole in match play) | Rule 12.2b | Bunker rules |
| 7. On the green | Mark your ball before you lift it, then replace it on the spot. You may clean it, and you may repair damage. Leave the flagstick in or take it out, your choice. | None | Rules 13.1b, 13.1c, 13.2 | Putting green rules |
| 8. The 14-club limit | Carry no more than 14 clubs. If you find you have extra, take the excess club out of play before your next shot. | 2 strokes per hole it happened, up to 4 in the round (match play: 1 hole each, up to 2) | Rule 4.1b | Penalty chart |
| 9. Who plays first | The player farthest from the hole plays first. On the tee, the player with the honour goes first. In stroke play, playing out of turn is generally no penalty, and ready golf is encouraged when it is safe. | Generally none | Rule 6.4 | Order of play |
| 10. Asking for advice | During a round, do not ask anyone for advice other than your caddie, and do not give advice to others. Touching another player's equipment to see which club they used counts too. | 2 strokes (loss of hole in match play) | Rule 10.2a | Advice rules |
Source: The R&A and USGA, Rules of Golf, Rules 4, 6, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18 and 19 and the Definitions, on randa.org.
Costs are strokes added to your score for the hole. In match play a penalty is usually the loss of the hole instead, and the rows say so where it applies.
Plain EnglishFour terms in the chart
Penalty stroke. A stroke added to your score without you hitting the ball.
General penalty. Loss of the hole in match play, or two penalty strokes in stroke play (Definitions).
Club-length. The length of the longest club in your bag other than a putter (Definitions). Relief areas are measured with it.
Honour. The right to play first from the teeing area (Definitions; Rule 6.4).
Using itHow to use this page on the course
Start with the cost. If the row says none, you can move on. If it says one stroke, add it and keep going. If it says two strokes, read the longer page so it does not happen twice.
Keep the chart on your phone, or print it and keep it in the bag. The rule numbers are there so that if your group disagrees, someone can look up the exact wording.
Rows 1 to 4 work together. When a ball goes into trouble, they tell you which kind of trouble it is and what it costs, and row 3 tells you which kind from the color of the stake.
Watch forCommon mistakes
Saying "another ball" instead of "provisional." Before you hit it, announce that you are playing a provisional ball. Saying you are playing another ball or playing again is not enough (Rule 18.3b).
Treating a ball in a penalty area as unplayable. Unplayable ball relief is allowed anywhere on the course except in a penalty area. There, your relief options are the ones in Rule 17 (Rule 19.1).
Touching the sand behind the ball. The bunker penalty is for touching the sand with a club right in front of or right behind the ball, or in a practice swing or backswing. Digging in your feet for a stance is fine (Rule 12.2b).
Asking a playing partner which club they used. That is asking for advice. Rule 10.2a makes an exception only for your caddie.
Thinking a cart path always means a free drop. You get free relief when the path touches your ball, or physically gets in the way of your stance or swing (Rule 16.1a). A path that is not in your way does not.
FAQQuick answers
What happens if I am not sure which rule applies?
Look up the situation in the chart above, then ask your playing partners or the pro shop. The rule number in the chart lets anyone find the exact wording on the Rules of Golf site.
What is a penalty stroke?
It is a stroke added to your score for the hole without you hitting the ball. If you take one penalty stroke and then hit the ball twice more, you write down the strokes you hit plus one.
What is the general penalty?
The Rules of Golf define it as loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play. The two-stroke rows in the chart use it.
What is a club-length?
It is the length of the longest club in your bag other than a putter. Relief areas are measured in club-lengths.
Do I get a free drop from out of bounds?
No. Out of bounds costs one penalty stroke, and you replay from where you hit the last shot (Rule 18.2b). If you think a ball might be lost or out of bounds, you can announce a provisional ball first and save a walk back (Rule 18.3b).
Does my course change any of this?
Courses can add local rules for their own conditions, and the scorecard lists them. If your card says something different from the chart, follow the card, or check with your club or committee.