Relief from a red penalty area.

Red areas offer lateral relief as well as stroke-and-distance and back-on-the-line options.

Plain-language guide · Rule 17.1d. Use the current official text and your round’s Local Rules for a ruling.

What to know

With one penalty stroke, lateral relief uses two club-lengths from the estimated last crossing point, no nearer the hole. The ball must finish in the permitted relief area outside that penalty area.

On the course

Measure from the crossing point, not where the ball finally stopped.