Golf Penalty Areas Explained: Red vs. Yellow Stakes and Your Relief Options (Rule 17)
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How we wrote this: A plain-English summary of Rule 17 of the official Rules of Golf as published by the R&A, checked October 29, 2026. Your course's markings and Local Rules decide how each area is defined.
Water hazards became penalty areas in the current Rules, and they're marked red or yellow. The color decides your options.
When your ball is in a penalty area
Rule 17.1a: a ball is in a penalty area when any part of it lies on or touches the ground or anything else inside the edge, or is above the edge or any other part of the penalty area. You may stand in a penalty area to play a ball that's outside it.
If you can't find the ball, you can only use the penalty area relief options if it's known or virtually certain that the ball is in the penalty area. Otherwise it's a lost ball (see our Rule 18 guide).
Option 1: play it as it lies, free
Rule 17.1b says you may play the ball as it lies without penalty, under the same Rules as in the general area. There are no special restrictions on how you play from a penalty area, except that relief must be taken from a no play zone.
Option 2: take relief for one penalty stroke
| Option | Yellow | Red | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stroke and distance | Yes | Yes | Play again from where you made the previous stroke |
| Back-on-the-line | Yes | Yes | Drop outside the penalty area on a line from the hole through the point where the ball last crossed the edge, as far back as you like; one club-length relief area, not nearer the hole |
| Lateral relief | No | Yes | Drop within two club-lengths of the point where the ball last crossed the edge of the red penalty area, not nearer the hole, anywhere except the same penalty area |
Each option costs one penalty stroke. The key reference is always the estimated point where the ball last crossed the edge, not where it splashed down.
Things you can't do
- There's no unplayable ball relief inside a penalty area. Rule 19.1 says your only relief option there is Rule 17 (see our unplayable ball guide).
- Rule 17.3 says there's no free relief under other Rules (such as for an abnormal course condition) for a ball in a penalty area. See our free relief guide.