You are playing hole #7 on the Sabal Golf Course. You hit your drive into the bunker on the far-left side of the fairway. You have a choice for your next stroke. One, hit your next stroke to the right avoiding the penalty area or two, hit your next stroke at least 150 yards to carry over the penalty area. You decide to hit your next stroke over the penalty area going directly at the green. Your shot does not carry over the penalty area, but you did not see a splash. You go to the other side of the penalty area and find your ball unplayable in the bank of the penalty area. You don’t want to go back toward the bunker where it crossed the red penalty area line. There is an area within one club-length of your original unplayable ball that you could drop your ball for one penalty stroke and would not have to go back toward the bunker to play your next stroke.
Do the Rules of golf allow you to take an unplayable ball relief from a penalty area?
NO!
Rule 19.1 Player May Decide to Take Unplayable Ball Relief Anywhere Except Penalty Area
Unplayable ball relief is allowed anywhere on the course, except in a penalty area.
If a ball is unplayable in a penalty area, the only relief option is to take penalty relief under Rule 17.
Rule 17.1d Relief for Ball in Penalty Area
If a player’s ball is in a penalty area, including when it’s known or virtually certain to be in a penalty area even though not found, the player has these relief options, each for one penalty stroke:
(1) Stroke-and-Distance Relief. The player may play the original ball or another ball from where the previous stroke was made.
(2) Back-on-the-line Relief. The Player may drop the original ball or another ball outside the penalty area, keeping the estimated point where the original ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area between the hole and the spot where the ball is dropped (with no limit as to how far back the ball may be dropped). The spot on the line where the ball first touches the ground when dropped creates a relief area that is one club-length in any direction from that point, but with these limits:
Limits on Location of relief area:
• Must not be nearer the hole than the estimated point where the original ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area, and
• May be in any area of the course except the same penalty area, but
• Must be in the same area of the course that the ball first touched when dropped.
Here is this month’s golf etiquette tip: Players should always alert grounds crew nearby or ahead when they are about to make a stroke that might endanger them.
