‘Stroke and distance’ is a harsh penalty, but it’s at your disposal whenever you need it
I can assure you there are very few “always” in the Rules of Golf, as seemingly every rule has at least one exception. So when there is an “always”, it is important to know it.
You can always proceed under stroke and distance. Stroke and distance means that you add one penalty stroke and surrender any distance you gained from your previous stroke by playing again from where your previous stroke was made. You always have this option, regardless of where your ball is on the course and even when a rule requires you to take relief in a certain way or to play a ball from a certain place. Even if you don’t know where your ball is.
There are two times when you must proceed under stroke and distance. If your ball comes to rest out-of-bounds or is lost outside a penalty area, your progression of playing from the teeing area to the hole is broken, and you must resume that progression by playing again from where the previous stroke was made.
Where that previous stroke was made from will determine how you put your ball back into play. For example, if your last stroke was made from the general area, then you must drop within a one-club-length relief area from the spot where the previous stroke was made (which, if not known, must be estimated), no nearer the hole and the ball must remain within the general area when dropped.
This is the same if your ball was last played from a bunker or penalty area. You return to where your previous stroke was made and drop a ball into play. However, if the previous stroke was made from a putting green, the original ball or another ball must be placed on the spot where the previous stroke was made (which, if not known, must be estimated), not dropped.
Once you put another ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance, the original ball is taken out of play and must not be played, even if the original ball is then found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time.
The only difference is on the teeing area. When playing again from the teeing area, a ball that is placed, dropped or teed in the teeing area is not in play until you make a stroke at it. This means if you change your mind, you can pick up that ball in the teeing area and continue play with the original ball, assuming it is still your ball in play.
A good example of proceeding under stroke and distance for less-skilled players is on the putting green. You might have a five-metre downhill putt on a quick green with high winds. You putt too hard and your ball not only passes the hole, but it also runs off the front of the green and down the slope coming to rest 40 metres away.
Using stroke and distance, you can place another ball at the spot where you just made your last stroke from on the putting green, add one penalty stroke and continue play of the hole.
Another example is hitting your ball into a bunker and you don’t want to play from there. You can return to the spot of your previous stroke, add one penalty stroke and put another ball into play.
Stroke and distance is different to playing a provisional ball, although your provisional ball may eventually become your ball in play, under penalty of stroke and distance.
Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images
Stuart McPhee is a referee for the PGA Tour of Australasia and co-host of the No.1 podcast in the world dedicated solely to discussing the Rules of Golf: The Golf Rules Questions Podcast.
