The full Rules of Golf run to dozens of sections, with interpretations covering almost every situation imaginable. No wonder many golfers feel unsure what to do when their ball disappears into a hedge, lands in a puddle or comes to rest against a sprinkler head. The good news is that you only need to know a handful of rules to handle the vast majority of situations on the course.
This guide explains the essential rules in plain English: how to start a hole, what to do with lost balls and out of bounds, how penalty areas and unplayable lies work, when you get free relief, and the rules for bunkers and the putting green. It reflects the modern, simplified Rules of Golf used around the world.
The core principles
Golf's rules are built on two simple ideas:
- Play the ball as it lies. Do not move, improve or touch your ball except where the rules allow.
- Play the course as you find it. Do not improve your lie, stance or line of play by bending branches, pressing down grass or removing fixed objects.
And one spirit: golfers are expected to act with integrity, call penalties on themselves and show consideration to others. See golf etiquette 101.
Before you start
The 14-club limit
You may carry a maximum of 14 clubs. Starting a round with more carries a penalty: in stroke play, two strokes for each hole where the breach occurred, up to a maximum of four strokes. Count your clubs before the first tee.
Identify your ball
Put a personal mark on your ball and tell your playing partners which brand and number you are playing. Playing the wrong ball costs two penalty strokes in stroke play (or the loss of the hole in match play), and you must then play your own ball.
Starting a hole: the teeing area
- Tee your ball between the tee markers and no more than two club lengths behind them.
- You may stand outside the teeing area as long as the ball is inside it.
- If your ball falls off the tee before you have made a stroke, you may re-tee it without penalty.
- A complete miss counts as a stroke, but a practice swing does not.
Lost ball and out of bounds
Out of bounds
Out of bounds is usually marked by white stakes, lines or a boundary fence. A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies beyond the boundary.
The rule: take a one-stroke penalty and play again from where you last played. This is called stroke and distance.
So if your tee shot goes out of bounds, you replay from the tee, and your next shot is your third.
Lost ball
You have three minutes to search for your ball. If you cannot find it within that time, it is lost, and the same stroke and distance penalty applies.
Hit a provisional ball
If your ball might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds, announce that you are playing a provisional ball and hit another from the same spot. If your original ball is found in bounds within three minutes, you continue with it. If not, the provisional becomes your ball in play — saving you a long walk back.
The local rule alternative
Many courses adopt a local rule for general play that offers an alternative to stroke and distance: for two penalty strokes, you may drop near where the ball was lost or went out of bounds, in an area extending to the edge of the nearest fairway (not nearer the hole). It speeds up play, but it is usually not used in higher-level competitions. Check the scorecard.
Penalty areas
Penalty areas include water hazards such as lakes, ponds and streams, and other areas the course marks — such as dense vegetation or desert. They are marked with yellow or red stakes or lines.
You may play the ball as it lies in a penalty area without penalty. You can even ground your club and remove loose impediments. If you choose to take relief, the penalty is one stroke.
Relief from a yellow penalty area
- Stroke and distance — replay from where you last played.
- Back-on-the-line relief — drop on a line from the hole through the point where your ball last crossed into the penalty area, going back as far as you like.
Relief from a red penalty area
All the yellow options, plus:
- Lateral relief — drop within two club lengths of where your ball last crossed into the penalty area, no nearer the hole.
Unplayable lies
You can declare your ball unplayable anywhere on the course except in a penalty area. You are the sole judge. The penalty is one stroke, with three options:
- Stroke and distance — replay from where you last played.
- Back-on-the-line relief — drop on a line from the hole through your ball, going back as far as you like.
- Lateral relief — drop within two club lengths of the ball, no nearer the hole.
Unplayable in a bunker
The same options apply, but options 2 and 3 must be taken in the bunker. There is also an extra option: for a total of two penalty strokes, you may take back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker.
Free relief
Some situations give you relief without penalty.
Abnormal course conditions
- Temporary water — puddles and casual water visible before or after you take your stance.
- Ground under repair — usually marked with white lines or signs.
- Animal holes — holes made by burrowing animals.
- Immovable obstructions — such as cart paths, sprinkler heads and drainage covers.
If one of these interferes with your lie, stance or swing (or, on the green, your line of putt), you may take free relief.
How to take free relief
- Find the nearest point of complete relief — the nearest spot, no nearer the hole, where the condition no longer interferes.
- Measure one club length from that point, no nearer the hole. This is your relief area.
- Drop the ball from knee height into the relief area.
- The ball must come to rest in the relief area. If it does not, drop again; if it fails a second time, place it where it first touched the ground.
Relief from a cart path does not always mean a better lie — the nearest point of relief might be in the rough.
Embedded ball
If your ball is embedded in its own pitch mark in the general area (except sand), you may take free relief: drop within one club length of the spot right behind the ball, no nearer the hole.
Movable obstructions and loose impediments
- Movable obstructions — such as rakes, bottles and signs — can be moved anywhere on the course. If the ball moves when you move one, replace it without penalty.
- Loose impediments — natural objects such as leaves, twigs and stones — can be removed anywhere, including bunkers and penalty areas. Be careful: if your ball moves when you remove one (except on the green), there is a one-stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced.
Bunkers
In a bunker:
- You may remove loose impediments and movable obstructions.
- You may not touch the sand with your club immediately in front of or behind the ball, in your backswing or in practice swings.
- You may not test the sand to learn about its condition.
- You may lean on a club or place clubs in the bunker, as long as you are not testing the conditions.
The penalty for touching the sand in breach of the rule is two strokes in stroke play. For technique, see how to hit bunker shots.
On the putting green
- Mark, lift and clean your ball whenever it is on the green. Always replace it on its original spot.
- Repair damage — pitch marks, spike marks and other damage — but not natural imperfections such as aeration holes.
- You may leave the flagstick in or have it removed or attended. There is no penalty if your ball hits the flagstick in the hole.
- No penalty for accidentally moving your ball or ball-marker on the green; just replace it.
- If your ball hits another ball on the green when both were on the green, you get a two-stroke penalty in stroke play. Ask other players to mark their balls if needed.
- Your ball is holed when any part of it is below the surface of the green within the hole.
Learn more in our putting fundamentals guide.
Other common situations
Ball hits you or your equipment
If your ball accidentally hits you, your equipment or your caddie, there is no penalty. Play it as it lies.
Ball moved during search
If you or your playing partners accidentally move your ball while searching for it, there is no penalty. Replace it.
Double hit
If you accidentally hit the ball more than once in a single stroke, it counts as one stroke, with no penalty.
Ball at rest moved by you
If you cause your ball to move (other than on the green or while searching), it is usually a one-stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced.
Ball in a tree
If you can identify your ball in a tree but cannot play it, you may declare it unplayable and take relief — using the spot directly beneath the ball for lateral relief.
Advice
You may not ask for or give advice about club selection or how to play a shot to anyone except your partner or caddie. Information about rules, distances and the location of hazards is not advice.
Distance-measuring devices
You may use a rangefinder or GPS device to measure distances unless a local rule prohibits it. Functions that measure elevation changes (slope) are not permitted in competition. See rangefinder vs GPS.
Common penalties at a glance
| Situation | Penalty (stroke play) |
|---|---|
| Out of bounds | 1 stroke + replay (stroke and distance) |
| Lost ball | 1 stroke + replay (stroke and distance) |
| Penalty area relief | 1 stroke |
| Unplayable ball | 1 stroke (2 strokes for relief outside a bunker) |
| Playing the wrong ball | 2 strokes |
| Touching sand in a bunker before your stroke | 2 strokes |
| Ball on the green hits another ball on the green | 2 strokes |
| More than 14 clubs | 2 strokes per hole, max 4 |
| Ball moved by you (general area) | 1 stroke |
| Free relief (temporary water, GUR, paths) | No penalty |
In match play, most two-stroke penalties become loss of hole.
Rules in casual golf
In friendly rounds, many groups relax certain rules to keep things moving — for example, using the local rule alternative to stroke and distance or picking up when out of a hole. That is fine for casual golf, but remember:
- Scores posted for handicap need to follow the Rules (with net double bogey adjustments). See the World Handicap System explained.
- Competitions require the full Rules and any local rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is the penalty for out of bounds?
One penalty stroke, and you replay from where you last played (stroke and distance). Some courses use a local rule allowing a two-stroke alternative drop in casual play.
How long can I look for my ball?
Three minutes. After that, the ball is lost.
Can I move my ball off a cart path?
Yes. Cart paths are immovable obstructions, so you get free relief: find the nearest point of complete relief and drop within one club length, no nearer the hole.
Can I leave the flagstick in when putting?
Yes. There is no penalty if your putt hits the flagstick in the hole.
What happens if I hit the wrong ball?
In stroke play, you get two penalty strokes and must then find and play your own ball. Strokes played with the wrong ball do not count.
The bottom line
You do not need to memorise the rulebook to play golf properly. Learn the essentials: stroke and distance for lost balls and out of bounds, the one-stroke relief options for penalty areas and unplayable lies, free relief from temporary water, ground under repair and obstructions, the bunker and putting green basics, and when to hit a provisional ball. Play the ball as it lies, count every stroke honestly and ask when you are unsure — and you will handle almost anything the course throws at you.
For more detail, read penalty areas, out of bounds and lost balls, conforming golf equipment and our guide to pace of play.
More rules guides: free relief, putting green rules, bunker rules and how to fill in a scorecard.
Even more rules guides: local rules, playing the wrong ball, ball moved at rest, advice and caddie rules and golf rules myths.
More rules guides: golf penalties explained, common golf disqualifications, practising during a round and handicap allowances explained.