Can I always take stroke and distance relief?

Yes, you can always take stroke and distance relief. Add one penalty stroke and play from where you made your last shot — this option is always available no matter where your ball is on the course (Rule 18.1).

How stroke and distance works

At any point, you can decide to take stroke and distance. You add one penalty stroke and drop (or place, if you're back on the tee) a ball where you played the previous shot from. It doesn't matter if your ball is in the rough, a penalty area, a bunker, or even if you know exactly where it is — the option is always yours. You can use the original ball or a different one. Once you put that new ball in play, the original ball is dead — you can't play it even if someone finds it two minutes later.

When the original ball is out of play

The moment you make a stroke at the new ball you've dropped or placed under stroke and distance, the original ball is no longer in play. This is true even if the original ball is found on the course before the three-minute search time runs out. You've committed to the new ball and the penalty stroke that comes with it.

Two times it works differently

There are two situations where putting another ball down doesn't automatically kill the original ball. First, if you announce you're playing a provisional ball (Rule 18.3b) — the original stays alive until the provisional becomes the ball in play. Second, in stroke play, if you're playing a second ball under Rule 14.7b or 20.1c(3) to resolve a rules uncertainty, the original ball isn't automatically abandoned either. Also, when you're playing again from the teeing area, a ball you've teed, placed, or dropped there isn't in play until you actually make a stroke at it. If you find your original ball within the three-minute search window and haven't swung at the teed ball yet, you can pick up the teed ball and keep playing the original with no penalty.

Exceptions that change the answer

• You announce and play a provisional ball (Rule 18.3b) → The original ball remains in play until the provisional becomes the ball in play; you can still play the original if found in time.
• You play a second ball in stroke play under Rule 14.7b or 20.1c(3) → The original ball is not automatically out of play; the committee decides which ball counts after the round.
• You tee a ball in the teeing area but haven't made a stroke at it yet → That teed ball is not in play; if the original ball is found within three minutes, you may abandon the teed ball and continue with the original.
• You lift your ball when not allowed (Rule 9.4b) and then choose stroke and distance → You cannot avoid the one-stroke penalty for lifting the ball — you get that penalty plus the stroke and distance penalty.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take stroke and distance even if my ball is in a penalty area?

Yes. Stroke and distance is always an option, no matter where your ball is — penalty area, bunker, rough, even the fairway. You don't need to declare the ball unplayable first.

What happens if I find my original ball after I've already dropped another one?

Too late. Once you make a stroke at the dropped ball, the original ball is out of play for good — even if it's found within the three-minute search time.

Does stroke and distance cost two strokes?

No, it's one penalty stroke. You count the stroke you just hit, add one penalty stroke, and play your next shot from where you hit that last stroke.

Can I use stroke and distance to avoid a penalty for picking up my ball?

No. If you lift your ball when the rules don't allow it (Rule 9.4b), you get that one-stroke penalty plus the stroke and distance penalty. You can't erase the first mistake by choosing stroke and distance.

What if I tee a new ball on the tee box but find my first one before I swing?

The teed ball isn't in play until you make a stroke at it. If you find your original ball within three minutes and haven't swung at the teed ball, you can pick up the teed ball and play the original with no penalty.