Where can you drop a ball after taking relief?

The situation

You're entitled to relief — free or with a penalty — and you need to know exactly where you can drop the ball. Not all relief areas are the same size.

The rule

Under Rule 14.3, the relief area depends on which rule you're using. For free relief (immovable obstruction, casual water, GUR, embedded ball, wrong green): the relief area is 1 club length from the nearest point of complete relief (NPCR). For penalty area lateral relief (red stakes): 2 club lengths from the reference point. In all cases, the ball must: land in the relief area, come to rest in the relief area, not be in a penalty area, not be on a putting green, and not be nearer the hole than the reference point. The area is defined by your longest club (excluding putter) — most players use a driver.

Real example

Your ball is on a cart path (free relief). You find the NPCR — where your stance and swing are both clear of the path. You measure one driver-length from that point and mark the outer boundary. The drop zone is the arc between the NPCR and that outer mark, no closer to the hole. Drop anywhere in that area.

What to do on the course

• Use the longest club in your bag (usually driver) to measure the relief area
• The NPCR is the starting point — measure from there, never from the ball
• The relief area cannot include a penalty area or putting green — if the natural arc overlaps one, you adjust to exclude it
• The ball must stay in the same area of the course where the NPCR is (fairway stays fairway, rough stays rough)

Penalty

No penalty for free relief situations. 1-stroke penalty for penalty area lateral relief.