What happens if your ball lands in a water hazard?
If your ball lands in a penalty area (the modern term for a water hazard), you can play it as it lies with no penalty — you may even ground your club — or take relief for a one-stroke penalty. With yellow stakes you have two relief options (stroke-and-distance or back-on-the-line); with red stakes you also get lateral relief within two club-lengths of where the ball last crossed the edge.
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
- If the ball skipped or bounced through the penalty area during your shot and came to rest outside the boundary, no relief decision is needed — see what happens when your ball bounces out of a water hazard
- If you accidentally strike a wrong ball that's moving in water (in a penalty area or temporary water), the stroke is cancelled with no penalty — see what happens if you hit a wrong ball moving in water
Penalty
No penalty to play from inside the penalty area. 1-stroke penalty for all relief options.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ground my club in a penalty area?
Yes, you may ground your club and take practice swings inside a penalty area without penalty, unlike in a bunker (Rule 17.1b).
What's the difference between red and yellow stakes?
Yellow stakes offer two relief options (stroke-and-distance or back-on-the-line); red stakes add a third option — lateral relief within two club-lengths of where the ball last crossed the edge, no closer to the hole (Rule 17.1d).
Where do I drop for lateral relief from a red penalty area?
Drop within two club-lengths of where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area, not nearer the hole — that reference point is where it crossed, not where it sank (Rule 17.1d(3)).
Do I have to find my ball to take penalty area relief?
No, you only need to know or be virtually certain the ball is in the penalty area; you can take relief without finding it (Rule 17.1c).
Can I play a provisional ball if I think my ball went in a penalty area?
No, you cannot play a provisional ball solely because you think it might be in a penalty area; you must either play the original ball as it lies or proceed under the penalty area relief options (Rule 18.3a).