What is the Penalty for Hitting Outside of the Tee Box?

News from The (British) Open!

Jaco Van Zyl teed off three inches in front of the tee markers on the 8th hole of  the Old Course Friday (July 17, 2015).

So what’s the penalty for hitting outside of the tee box?  In stroke play it’s two-strokes and you must replay the shot from the tee box (USGA rules #11-4).  Any other shots aren’t counted.

Stroke Play

If a competitor, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing ground, he incurs a penalty of two strokes and must then play a ball from within the teeing ground.

If the competitor makes a stroke from the next teeing ground without first correcting his mistake or, in the case of the last hole of the round, leaves the putting green without first declaring his intention to correct his mistake, he is disqualified.

The stroke from outside the teeing ground and any subsequent strokes by the competitor on the hole prior to his correction of the mistake do not count in his score.

NOTE this penalty can ALSO be applied if you hit too far back from the tee markers.

The tee box is only two clubs in depth, width is set by the tee box markers – making a rectangle (thus the name tee BOX).

And if you don’t correct this before you finish the hole there’s a disqualification penalty.

Even the pros make mistakes!  Usually someone points it out before the swing though.

This rule is covered in my first book where my dad landed his tee shot on the green of a par 3.  I made him hit again and assessed the two strokes.

Photo by rioncm on Flickr