Rules on the course
No-Play Zones: Penalty Area vs Ground Under Repair
A no-play-zone designation requires relief, but the underlying course area determines the procedure and possible penalty.
Competitive Play · Updated October 22, 2026
Four ball-and-stance positions, different relief areas
1. Ball in no-play GUR
Free Rule 16.1b relief in the general area. N is the nearest complete-relief point in this declared stance model; blue is within one club-length, no nearer H, with complete relief.
- H
- Hole; distance restrictions are measured to this point.
- B
- Original ball. Dashed outlines show the declared right-handed stance and swing envelope.
- N
- Nearest point of complete relief for this fixed northward stroke and declared footprint; one-club-length reference.
- D
- A qualifying example drop-and-rest point in blue, with no remaining no-play-zone interference.
2. Ball inside a red penalty-area no-play zone
The drawn option is red lateral relief: one penalty stroke, within two club-lengths of last crossing X, no nearer H and outside this penalty area. Stroke-and-distance and back-on-the-line alternatives are not drawn. After a first stroke into the zone, the next stroke is 3.
- H
- Hole; distance restrictions are measured to this point.
- B
- Original ball. Dashed outlines show the declared right-handed stance and swing envelope.
- X
- Last crossing of the red edge, used for the drawn two-club-length option.
- D
- A qualifying example drop-and-rest point in blue, with no remaining no-play-zone interference.
3. Ball outside the zone, still in the same penalty area
The original stance overlaps the zone. The free Rule 17.1e(2) option exists here only in the thin blue strip of the same penalty area: one club-length from N, no nearer H, and clear of the zone. Penalty relief outside is a separate option.
- H
- Hole; distance restrictions are measured to this point.
- B
- Original ball. Dashed outlines show the declared right-handed stance and swing envelope.
- N
- Nearest point of complete relief for this fixed northward stroke and declared footprint; one-club-length reference.
- D
- A qualifying example drop-and-rest point in blue, with no remaining no-play-zone interference.
4. Ball in the general area, stance in the zone
This left-handed stance reaches into the zone although B is outside the penalty area. The illustrated free Rule 16.1f(2) route remains in the general area, within one club-length of N, no nearer H and with complete relief. Rule 19 is a separate alternative.
- H
- Hole; distance restrictions are measured to this point.
- B
- Original ball. Dashed outlines show the declared left-handed stance and swing envelope.
- N
- Nearest point of complete relief for this fixed northward stroke and declared footprint; one-club-length reference.
- D
- A qualifying example drop-and-rest point in blue, with no remaining no-play-zone interference.
Footprint and swing extents are supplied teaching assumptions, with zero-width boundaries and no interior overlap at complete relief. Actual nearest points depend on the player’s reasonable stroke and measurements. Blue includes only complete-relief locations; the dotted full circle also crosses excluded ground. A no-play designation does not by itself define all entry restrictions.
The short version
- Read how the Committee defines the zone.
- A ball in a penalty-area no-play zone differs from one in ground under repair.
- Stance or swing interference can matter even when the ball is outside the zone.
Read the marking before choosing the penalty
Ava sees a restricted patch with a notice defining ground under repair. Ben sees an apparently similar patch defined as part of a penalty area. A matching conservation purpose does not make the relief procedures identical.
Use the actual lines, stakes and Local Rule to establish both the underlying area and the no-play designation. A colored top or sign without context should prompt a question to the Committee rather than a guessed ruling.
Keep the ball position on the sketch
A ball in a penalty-area no-play zone must take the specified penalty relief. A ball outside that zone can still require relief when the intended stance or swing is affected, with options depending on whether the ball itself is in the penalty area or elsewhere.
Do not walk into the zone to test a stance or retrieve a ball contrary to access restrictions. Staff or a referee can clarify the designated boundaries.
Separate entitlement from the next procedure
Once the correct relief rule is established, determine the actual reference point, area and limits. A nearby attractive patch is not automatically the answer.
For an ordinary procedural sequence, see drop, re-drop or place. For a different mandatory interference case, compare wrong greens.
Official sources
Official provisions checked October 22, 2026. Read their full wording and current event conditions.
Your next move
Read the governing source
Check the complete official procedure and your event conditions before acting.
Read the governing source(Official source), opens in a new tab