What happens if I play my ball from the wrong place?

You get the general penalty — two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play — and you may have to correct the mistake before the next tee if it gave you a significant advantage.

The basic rule and penalty

After you start a hole, every stroke must be made from where your ball comes to rest, unless a Rule specifically lets you play from somewhere else. If you make a stroke from a wrong place, you incur the general penalty: two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play. The ball is played as it lies; you do not get to redo the stroke just because the place was wrong.

Serious breach vs. not serious in stroke play

In stroke play, what you do next depends on whether playing from the wrong place gave you a significant advantage — that's a serious breach. If it wasn't serious, you simply continue with the ball you played from the wrong place and add the two penalty strokes. If it was serious, you must correct the mistake by playing out the hole with a ball from a right place under the Rules. Fail to correct before the next tee (or before returning your card on the last hole) and you're disqualified.

When you're not sure, play two balls

If you're uncertain whether the breach was serious, the Rules let you play out the hole with two balls: the original from the wrong place and a second from the right place. You must report the facts to the Committee before handing in your scorecard, even if both balls yield the same score. The Committee then decides which score counts and applies the two-stroke penalty to that ball.

Exceptions that change the answer

• Your ball comes to rest in a no-play zone or on a wrong green and you make a stroke from there → You get two penalty strokes for each stroke made from that area, not just the general penalty once.
• You take relief from an abnormal course condition but your dropped ball still has interference from that condition for the stroke you would have made from the original spot → The ball is in a wrong place even though it's in the relief area, and the general penalty applies.

Frequently asked questions

What is the penalty for playing from a wrong place?

The general penalty: two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play (Rule 14.7a).

Do I have to correct the mistake if I played from the wrong place?

In stroke play, only if it was a serious breach — meaning you gained a significant advantage. If not serious, you continue with that ball and add two strokes. In match play, the loss-of-hole penalty ends the hole; there's no correction.

What happens if I don't correct a serious breach before the next tee?

You are disqualified (Rule 14.7b(1)).

Can I play two balls if I'm not sure whether it was a serious breach?

Yes. Play one ball from the wrong place and a second from the right place, then report the facts to the Committee before returning your scorecard. The Committee decides which score counts (Rule 14.7b(2)).

If I play from a no-play zone, is it just the general penalty?

No. You get two penalty strokes for each stroke you make while the ball is in that no-play zone (Interpretation 14.7b/1).