Sometimes, your ball ends up in a place where it is impossible or difficult to play from
Only you can decide if your ball is unplayable
You can make that decision anywhere on the course. Except for one
When your ball is in a penalty area
When the penalty area rule is applied
When deciding a ball is unplayable, you have three relief options
But all come with a one-stroke penalty
The most frequently used option is to drop within two club-lengths of the ball but no closer to the hole
The second option is to imagine a straight line from the hole through the location of the unplayable ball
Choose a spot on that line behind your ball
Then drop and play within one club-length of it – Not nearer the hole
And the least frequently used option is “Stroke and Distance”
Which means you can go back to the spot where you last played
There is a fourth option that only applies when you decide that your ball is unplayable in a bunker
More on that in our video about bunkers
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