Red penalty area recap
Penalty areas replaced the term for water hazards in the Rules from 2019, with committees permitted to expand these areas to parts of the course that do not contain water. The default colour for penalty areas became red, allowing for players to use the additional lateral (two club-lengths) relief option more often. Yellow stakes or lines are still used in some instances, so always bear in mind the colour will affect your options.
Of course, if you have found your ball, there is nothing to prevent you playing it as it lies in a red penalty area. There is no penalty for touching the ground or water with your hand or club, taking practice swings or touching or moving loose impediments.
If you decide not to play your ball, however, there are three relief options. And if it is not known or virtually certain (95 per cent certainty) that your ball is in a red penalty area, you will have to go back to where you last played from under stroke and distance (Rule 18.2).
This option is also available if you know your ball is in a red penalty area. To proceed, you must identify where you last played from as a reference point (estimating that spot if you are not certain), drop within a one club-length arc not nearer the hole and play again under penalty of one stroke. You must drop in the same area of the course as your reference point, so if it was in the general area, your relief area must also be in the general area.
Your second option is to take back-on-the-line relief. To do this, determine the point at which your ball last crossed the edge of the red penalty area and drop a ball outside the penalty area, keeping that point between the hole and the spot where the ball is dropped (go back as far as you want). The spot on the line where the ball first touches the ground when dropped creates a relief area of one club-length in any direction.
Finally, you may take lateral relief by measuring a relief area of two club-lengths (not nearer the hole) from where your ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area (estimating the spot if you can’t be sure) and dropping the ball in this area. This can be in any part of the course other than the same penalty area and the penalty is again one stroke.
“IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO PLAY YOUR BALL, THERE ARE THREE RELIEF OPTIONS”