What happens if your ball lands in a water hazard?

The situation

Your shot lands in a lake, pond, stream, or any area marked with red or yellow stakes. The ball is gone — or visible but unplayable in the water.

The rule

Under Rule 17.1, a penalty area (the modern term for water hazard) is marked with red or yellow stakes or lines. You can play the ball as it lies inside the penalty area with no penalty — you can even ground your club and take practice swings inside a penalty area (unlike a bunker). If you choose relief, all options cost 1 stroke:

Yellow stakes (2 options): stroke-and-distance (go back and replay), or back-on-the-line (drop on a line from the hole through where the ball last crossed the penalty area edge, going back as far as you like).

Red stakes (3 options): the same two yellow-stake options, plus lateral relief — drop within two club lengths of where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area, no closer to the hole.

Real example

Your tee shot splashes into a pond marked with red stakes. You don't want to take off your shoes to play it. Drop within two club lengths of where it entered the water (not where it sank) — 1 stroke. Or go back to the tee and replay for the same 1-stroke penalty.

What to do on the course

• Identify the reference point: where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area (not where it landed in the water)
• Red stakes: lateral drop is usually the most convenient option
• Yellow stakes: back-on-the-line is often better if the entry point was close to the hole
• You can go as far back as you want on the back-on-line option — useful for avoiding a difficult carry

Penalty

No penalty to play from inside the penalty area. 1-stroke penalty for all relief options.