Understanding the five defined areas of the golf course is essential for every golfer. Since the USGA updated the Rules of Golf in 2019, these areas have provided a clearer framework for how the game is played.
Knowing what area your golf ball lies in helps determine your options for whether you should play the ball as it is or take relief.
The five areas of the course are: General Area, Teeing Area, Penalty Area, Bunkers and Putting Green.
Any location outside of these five areas is considered out of bounds.
Let’s take a closer look at each:
General Area
The general area includes nearly all parts of the course except for the four other areas.
The General Area includes:
In simple terms, if you’re not in a teeing area, penalty area, bunker, or on the putting green of your current hole, you’re in the general area.
Teeing Area
The teeing area is where each hole begins.
It is defined as a rectangle that extends two club-lengths deep from the outermost edges of the tee markers and begins at the front edges of those same tee markers. Only the teeing area for the hole you are playing is considered the teeing area, every other teeing ground on the course becomes part of the general area.
In addition, the teeing area is exclusive to the tee markers you are playing and no other tee markers on that hole.
Example: If the tournament organizer has golfers playing from the blue tee markers, then the teeing area is just between the blue tee markers and not the whites, yellows, reds, etc...
Penalty Areas
Penalty areas typically include bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, and streams, but they may also include other areas designated by the course committee such as unmaintained desert.
If your ball comes to rest in a penalty area, you may take relief for a one-stroke penalty.
There are two types of penalty areas:
If a penalty area is not marked, it is treated as a red penalty area by default.
Relief options explained:
Stoke-and-distance — Going back to where you played your last shot and hitting again from there. A one-stroke penalty is assessed.
Back-on-the-line — Measuring an imaginary line between the point at which the ball entered the penalty area and the flagstick on the hole you are playing. Drop as far back as you would like on that line. A one-stroke penalty is assessed.
Lateral relief — Dropping within two club lengths of where you entered the penalty area (no closer to the hole). A one-stroke penalty is assessed.
Players can also play the ball from the penalty area if they wish for no additional penalty strokes.
Bunkers
Bunkers are specially prepared areas where turf has been removed and replaced with sand to create a challenge.
However, not all sand is considered part of a bunker. The following are not part of a bunker:
If a bunker is designated as ground under repair, it is treated as part of the general area rather than a bunker.
In bunkers you cannot ground your club, touch the sand with a practice swing, or touch the sand on your back swing.
Putting Green
The putting green is the specially prepared area of the hole you are currently playing where the flagstick and hole are located.
Its boundary is typically defined by the visible edge of the prepared surface, unless otherwise marked by the committee.
Any putting green for a hole you are not playing is considered part of the general area.
By understanding these five areas of the course, golfers can make more informed decisions and apply the Rules of Golf correctly, leading to a smoother and more enjoyable round.