Penalty strokes in golf
Strokes added to a player’s score in defined situations, such as hitting out of bounds or losing a ball.
Overview
Rather than sending players off or awarding free shots to an opponent, golf handles most infringements and misfortunes by adding strokes to the score. A penalty stroke costs exactly what a played shot costs, so the scorecard stays a single, comparable number.
Common situations include a ball hit out of bounds, a ball that cannot be found, a ball in a penalty area, and a lie the player judges unplayable. Each has its own procedure for where the next shot is played from, and the number of strokes added depends on which situation applies.
Key points
- A penalty stroke counts the same as a stroke actually played.
- The procedure differs by situation, including where the next shot is played from.
- A ball out of bounds or lost is handled differently from one in a penalty area.
- Players may declare a ball unplayable almost anywhere and take relief under penalty.
- Because golf is largely self-officiated, players are expected to apply penalties to themselves.
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Officiating
- Self-OfficiatingThe convention, central to golf and common in other sports, that players apply the rules to themselves and call their own penalties.
- Out-of-Bounds CallAn official's ruling that the ball or a player in possession has left the legal playing area, stopping play and handing a restart or possession to the opponent.
- UmpireA match official who rules on lines, serves and dismissals in racket, bat-and-ball and net sports such as tennis, cricket and baseball — and, in racket sports, also keeps the running score.
- Foul callA foul call is an official's ruling that a player broke a rule of contact or conduct, triggering a penalty such as a free kick, free throw or penalty.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Rule
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
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- Content updated
- 2026-08-30
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