Purpose: Rule 2 introduces the basic things you should know about the course:
It is important to know the area of the course where your ball lies and the status of any interfering objects and conditions, because they often affect your options for playing your ball or taking relief.
Golf is played on a course. Areas not on the course are out of bounds.
There are five areas of the course. The general area, which covers the entire course except for the four specific areas:
It is important to know the area of the course where your ball lies as this affects the Rules that apply in playing your ball or taking relief.
See Full Rules For information on how to treat a ball that is lying on two parts of the course.
Free relief (relief with no penalty) may be available from:
But you do not get free relief from boundary objects or integral objects that interfere with your play.
A no play zone is a part of the course that you are not allowed to play your ball from. You must also take relief if the no play zone interferes with your stance or area of intended swing when playing a ball outside the no play zone.
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee. The boundary edge extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee. The boundary edge extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
All areas outside the boundary edge of the course as defined by the Committee. All areas inside that edge are in bounds.
The boundary edge of the course extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
The boundary edge should be defined by boundary objects or lines:
The five defined areas that make up the course: (1) the general area, (2) the teeing area you must play from in starting the hole you are playing, (3) all penalty areas, (4) all bunkers, and (5) the putting green of the hole you are playing.
The area of the course that covers all of the course except for the other four defined areas: (1) the teeing area you must play from in starting the hole you are playing, (2) all penalty areas, (3) all bunkers, and (4) the putting green of the hole you are playing.
The general area includes all teeing locations on the course other than the teeing area, and all wrong greens.
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee. The boundary edge extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
The area you must play from in starting the hole you are playing. The teeing area is a rectangle that is two club-lengths deep where:
An area from which relief with a one-stroke penalty is allowed if your ball comes to rest there.
There are two different types of penalty areas, distinguished by the colour used to mark them:
If the colour of a penalty area has not been marked or indicated by the Committee, it is treated as a red penalty area.
The edge of a penalty area extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
The edge of a penalty area should be defined by stakes or lines.
A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed. These are not part of a bunker:
The area on the hole you are playing that is specially prepared for putting, or the Committee has defined as the putting green (such as when a temporary green is used).
The five defined areas that make up the course: (1) the general area, (2) the teeing area you must play from in starting the hole you are playing, (3) all penalty areas, (4) all bunkers, and (5) the putting green of the hole you are playing.
Any unattached natural object such as:
Such natural objects are not loose if they are:
Special cases:
An obstruction that can be moved with reasonable effort and without damaging the obstruction or the course.
If part of an immovable obstruction or integral object (such as a gate or door or part of an attached cable) meets these two standards, that part is treated as a movable obstruction. But this does not apply if the movable part of an immovable obstruction or integral object is not meant to be moved (such as a loose stone that is part of a stone wall).
An animal hole, ground under repair, an immovable obstruction, or temporary water.
Any hole dug in the ground by an animal, except for holes dug by animals that are also defined as loose impediments (such as worms or insects).
The term animal hole includes:
Any part of the course the Committee defines to be ground under repair (whether by marking it or otherwise).
Ground under repair also includes the following things, even if the Committee does not define them as such:
The edge of ground under repair should be defined by stakes or lines:
Any obstruction that cannot be moved without unreasonable effort or without damaging the obstruction or the course, and otherwise does not meet the definition of a movable obstruction.
Any temporary accumulation of water on the surface of the ground (such as puddles from rain or irrigation or an overflow from a body of water) that is not in a penalty area, and can be seen before or after you take a stance (without pressing down excessively with your feet).
It is not enough for the ground to be merely wet, muddy or soft or for the water to be momentarily visible as you step on the ground; an accumulation of water must remain present either before or after your stance is taken.
Special cases:
Artificial objects defining or showing out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, from which free relief is not allowed.
This includes any base and post of a boundary fence, but does not include angled supports or guy wires that are attached to a wall or fence, or any steps, bridge or similar construction used for getting over the wall or fence.
Boundary objects are treated as immovable even if they are movable or any part of them is movable (see Rule 8.1a).
Boundary objects are not obstructions or integral objects.
An artificial object defined by the Committee as part of the challenge of playing the course from which free relief is not allowed.
Artificial objects defined by the Committee as integral objects are treated as immovable (see Rule 8.1a). But if part of an integral object (such as a gate or door or part of an attached cable) meets the definition of movable obstruction, that part is treated as a movable obstruction.
Integral objects are not obstructions or boundary objects.
A part of the course where the Committee has prohibited play. A no play zone must be defined as part of either an abnormal course condition or a penalty area.
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee. The boundary edge extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
A part of the course where the Committee has prohibited play. A no play zone must be defined as part of either an abnormal course condition or a penalty area.
A part of the course where the Committee has prohibited play. A no play zone must be defined as part of either an abnormal course condition or a penalty area.