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Hitting from outside the teeing area

If you tee off from the wrong spot, add two penalty strokes in stroke play and replay from inside the tee box; correct it before the next hole or you are disqualified.

If you start a hole by hitting from outside the teeing area, in stroke play you add two penalty strokes and must replay from inside it. That includes hitting from the wrong set of tee markers. In match play there is no penalty, but your opponent can make you replay.

What is the teeing area?

It is the zone the tee markers set for that hole. You must start each hole from anywhere inside it. You can stand outside the area while hitting a ball that is inside it.

What happens in stroke play?

The stroke doesn't count and you add two penalty strokes. Play a ball from inside the teeing area; that shot is your third stroke. If you don't fix it before you play from the next tee, or before you return your scorecard after the last hole, you are disqualified.

What happens in match play?

No penalty. Your opponent can promptly cancel the stroke, before either of you hits again. If they do, you replay from inside the teeing area and it's still your turn. If they don't, the shot counts and you play the ball where it lies.

Where can I tee the ball?

Anywhere within the area, off a tee or from the ground. The ball isn't in play until you hit it, so you can re-tee a ball that falls off the tee before you swing at no penalty.

What if I hit from the wrong colour tees?

Same rule. You played from outside your teeing area, so the penalty applies. Check your tee marker colour before you swing, especially at the start of a round.

The governing rule is Rule 6.1.

Local rules

Your league's committee may have local rules that change this. Ask the organizer which ones your league uses.