If you’ve been playing golf for a while, you probably are used to referring to this area of the course as a water hazard. But, in 2019, the name of this area of the course changed to Penalty Areas. Previous to 2019, you were not allowed to ground your club, or take a practice swing in a penalty area, but now you can. You can also remove loose impediments with no penalty. But, be sure that doing so doesn’t cause your ball to move or you will incur a penalty for that.
Penalty Areas Rule 17, You can remove loose impediments with no penalty (Rule 15.1b)… if doing so causes your ball to move, one stroke penalty.
Now, let’s dive into your options if your ball lands in a penalty area.
Option 1: Play it as it lies
First of all, you always have the option of playing it as it lies. And, since you can take a practice swing, it might give you a little more confidence to go ahead and hit out of the penalty area.
In addition to playing the ball as it lies, you have two more options. And, each costs a one stroke penalty,