Where do you have to tee off from in golf?
I · Intermediate · Starting and playing a hole · 4 of 16Each hole starts from the teeing area: a rectangle two club-lengths deep, with its front and sides set by two tee-markers. The ball must be inside it, though the player may stand outside. Starting from outside costs two strokes in stroke play. In match play the opponent may cancel the stroke.
How it works
- The front edge is the line between the front points of the two tee-markers. The sides run back from their outside points.
- A ball is in the teeing area when any part of it touches or is above any part of the area.
- The ball may be played from a tee or from the ground. A tee may be no longer than 4 inches (101.6 mm).
- The ball is not in play until a stroke is made at it. If it falls off the tee, or is knocked off before the stroke, it is re-teed without penalty.
- Before the stroke a player may press down the ground, break or bend grass and remove dew, frost and water in the teeing area. This is allowed nowhere else.
- The tee-markers must not be moved to make the stroke easier: general penalty.
Starting from outside the teeing area, which includes the wrong set of markers:
- Stroke play: two penalty strokes, and the mistake must be corrected by playing from inside. The strokes made from outside do not count. A player who does not correct it before starting the next hole is disqualified.
- Match play: no penalty, but the opponent may cancel the stroke at once and have it played again.
Tricky cases
Can a player stand outside the teeing area to hit a ball that is inside it?
Yes. Only the ball has to be in the teeing area.
The ball fell off the tee as the player got ready. Is that a stroke?
No. The ball was not yet in play and may be re-teed without penalty.
A player swung and missed, and the ball stayed on the tee. Can it be moved?
Yes. The stroke counts, but a ball in play that is still in the teeing area may be lifted and played from anywhere in it, from a tee or the ground, without penalty.
Why the rule exists
Everyone must play the hole from the same starting point for the scores to be comparable. The two club-lengths of depth let a player choose a level spot.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rules of Golf | As above | G 6.1; G 6.2 |
From the rule book
The R&A and USGA Rules of Golf, Rules 6.1 and 6.2, and the Definitions of tee and teeing area. Effective January 2023. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: Rules of Golf (PDF).