Rule 2 of Golf Explained: The Five Areas of the Course and Why They Matter
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How we wrote this: A plain-English summary of Rule 2 of the Rules of Golf as published by The R&A (the same Rules the USGA publishes), checked October 29, 2026. Read the official Rule text for every detail.
Boundaries first
Golf is played on a course whose boundaries are set by the Committee. Anything outside them is out of bounds (see lost ball and out of bounds).
The five defined areas (Rule 2.2)
| Area | What it covers | Main Rule |
|---|---|---|
| General area | Everything except the four specific areas below: fairway, rough, trees and so on | Rules 1–20 generally |
| Teeing area | The teeing area you must use to start the hole you're playing | Rule 6 |
| Penalty areas | All penalty areas | Rule 17 |
| Bunkers | All bunkers | Rule 12 |
| Putting green | The green of the hole you're playing | Rule 13 |
The general area is where your ball will usually be played until it reaches the putting green.
Where is my ball? (Rule 2.2c)
A ball is always treated as lying in only one area:
- If part of it is in the general area and part in one of the four specific areas, it's treated as lying in that specific area.
- If it touches two specific areas, the order is penalty area, then bunker, then putting green.
This matters because the area decides which Rules apply when you play the ball or take relief.
Objects and conditions (Rule 2.3)
Some things give free relief (no penalty):
- Loose impediments and movable obstructions (Rule 15).
- Abnormal course conditions: animal holes, ground under repair, immovable obstructions and temporary water (Rule 16).
There's no free relief from boundary objects or integral objects.
No play zones (Rule 2.4)
A no play zone is a defined part of an abnormal course condition or a penalty area where play isn't allowed. If your ball is in one, or one interferes with your stance or swing, the Rules point you to relief under Rule 16.1f or 17.1e.
Related: Rule 1 and the spirit of the game, play the course as you find it, model Local Rules.