Dropped in a penalty area under stroke-and-distance but don't want to play it — can I take relief outside?

Yes, you can take relief outside the penalty area. If you dropped under stroke-and-distance in the penalty area and decide not to play that ball, you may take back-on-the-line or lateral relief outside the penalty area for one additional penalty stroke — two penalty strokes total.

What the rule says

Rule 17.2a covers exactly this: you played from a penalty area, your ball stayed in a penalty area, and you chose stroke-and-distance relief by dropping a ball back in that penalty area. If you now don't want to play the dropped ball from where it came to rest, you're allowed to take further relief outside the penalty area. The reference point for that outside relief is where your original ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area where the dropped ball now lies.

How the two penalty strokes add up

The first penalty stroke was for taking stroke-and-distance relief under Rule 17.1d(1). The second penalty stroke is for taking relief outside the penalty area under Rule 17.1d(2) or (3) (or the extra option in 17.2a(2)). You don't have to actually play the dropped ball first — you can decide not to play it and go straight to outside relief — but the total is still two penalty strokes either way.

Your relief options outside

For a red penalty area you have back-on-the-line relief (Rule 17.1d(2)) and lateral relief (Rule 17.1d(3)), both measured from where the original ball last crossed the edge. For a yellow penalty area you only have back-on-the-line relief. The extra option under Rule 17.2a(2) lets you play from where you made your last stroke from outside a penalty area — essentially stroke-and-distance again, but from outside.

Exceptions that change the answer

• Your ball lies in a no-play zone inside the penalty area → You must take relief outside the penalty area under Rule 17.1e — you cannot play the ball as it lies, and the normal penalty-area relief options apply with the same two-stroke total if you dropped under stroke-and-distance first.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to play the dropped ball before taking outside relief?

No. Rule 17.2a explicitly says you may take further relief outside the penalty area without first playing the dropped ball. The two-stroke total applies either way.

What if the penalty area is yellow, not red?

You only get back-on-the-line relief outside (Rule 17.1d(2)). Lateral relief (Rule 17.1d(3)) is not available for yellow penalty areas.

Can I just go back to where I hit my last shot from outside the penalty area?

Yes — that's the extra option in Rule 17.2a(2). You play from where you made your last stroke from outside a penalty area, still for a total of two penalty strokes.

What if I dropped outside the penalty area originally instead of in it?

Then Rule 17.2a doesn't apply — you already took relief outside. This rule only kicks in when you dropped back inside the penalty area under stroke-and-distance.

Does the two-stroke total change if I take relief under a different rule like unplayable ball?

No. Rule 17.2b says the same two-stroke total applies if you later take stroke-and-distance for a ball lost, out of bounds, or unplayable outside the penalty area after playing from it.