What happens when a golf ball goes out of bounds?
B · Beginner · Lost balls, out of bounds and penalty relief · 8 of 13A ball is out of bounds only when all of it lies outside the boundary of the course, which is usually marked by white stakes or lines. The player must add one penalty stroke and play again from where the last stroke was made. There is no other option under the Rules.
How it works
- Stakes or a fence: the boundary is the line between the course-side points of the stakes or posts at ground level. The stakes themselves are out of bounds.
- A painted line: the boundary is the course-side edge of the line. The line itself is out of bounds.
- A ball is in bounds if any part of it touches the course or is above it.
- The boundary runs straight up and down, so a ball lodged in a tree is judged the same way.
- A player may stand out of bounds to play a ball that is in bounds.
- Boundary stakes, fences and walls are boundary objects. There is no free relief from them and they must not be moved.
- The penalty is stroke and distance: one penalty stroke, and the next stroke from the spot of the last one.
Tricky cases
A ball is touching the white line but part of it hangs over the course side. Is it out?
No. A ball is out of bounds only when all of it is outside the boundary edge.
Can a player pull out a white stake that is in the way of the swing?
No. A boundary object is treated as immovable, and moving it to improve the swing is the general penalty.
Can a player stand out of bounds to hit a ball that is in play?
Yes.
Why the rule exists
The Rules explain that when a ball leaves the course, "the required progression of playing from the teeing area to the hole is broken", and the player must resume it from the last place it was intact.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rules of Golf | As above | G 18.2; G Definitions (Out of bounds) |
| Clubs using an optional Local Rule | A drop near where the ball went out, for two penalty strokes, in place of going back | C (Model Local Rule, not saved) |
From the rule book
The R&A and USGA Rules of Golf, Rules 2.1, 8.1a and 18.2, and the Definitions of boundary object and out of bounds. Effective January 2023. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: Rules of Golf (PDF).