What happens if my dropped ball won't stay in the relief area

You drop correctly twice and both times the ball rolls out of the relief area — you must place a ball on the spot where the second drop first hit the ground (Rule 14.3c(2)). If you play the ball from outside the relief area without placing, it's the general penalty.

The two-drop rule

When you're taking relief, you get two tries to drop the ball so it comes to rest inside the relief area. Both drops have to be done the right way — from knee height, straight down, by you, and landing in the relief area. If the first drop rolls out, you pick it up and drop again. If the second drop also rolls out, the dropping procedure is over.

Now you place it

After two legal drops that both end up outside the relief area, you switch to placing. Find the exact spot where the second drop first struck the ground (or bush, or tuft of grass — that counts as ground). Place a ball right there. If it won't stay on that spot after two tries, you place it at the nearest spot not nearer the hole where it will stay at rest, still in the relief area.

Don't just play it

If you skip the placing step and hit the ball from where it stopped after the second drop, you've played from a wrong place. That's the general penalty — two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play. The only exception: if the ball happened to stop inside the relief area after the second drop, it's in play and you play it as it lies with no penalty.

Exceptions that change the answer

• The second drop comes to rest inside the relief area → The ball is in play. You do not place it. Play it as it lies with no penalty.
• The spot where the second drop first hit the ground is in a bush or thick grass → That vegetation counts as ground. You attempt to place the ball where it first struck the bush. If it won't stay after two attempts, find the nearest spot not nearer the hole where it will stay.
• The relief area includes a no-play zone → You may drop in the no-play zone if it's part of the relief area, but once the ball comes to rest there you must take further relief under the Rule that applies to that no-play zone (e.g., Rule 16.1f for abnormal course conditions).

Frequently asked questions

What if my first drop rolls out but the second one stays in?

The ball is in play. You only place after two legal drops that both end up outside the relief area. One good drop is all you need.

Can I re-drop if the ball lands in a terrible lie inside the relief area?

No. If the ball comes to rest in the relief area — even in a bush, thick rough, or a divot — it's in play. You don't get to drop again just because the lie is bad.

What counts as 'ground' when placing after two failed drops?

Ground includes grass, bushes, and other growing things. If your second drop hit a bush first, that spot on the bush is where you try to place the ball.

What if the placed ball won't stay on the spot after two tries?

You place it at the nearest spot not nearer the hole where it will stay at rest, still within the relief area. That's your final spot.

Is there a penalty if I accidentally drop from shoulder height instead of knee height?

Yes, that's a wrong-way drop. You must re-drop correctly. If you play the ball without fixing it, you get one penalty stroke if played from the relief area, or the general penalty if played from outside it.