Last week I wrote about the Out of Bounds Rule. This week I’m going to explain what happens if your ball ends up in the penalty areas.  Penalty areas are defined by yellow and red stakes or lines and can also include any body of water on the course. 

When you take relief from a penalty area you get one penalty stroke. For the Yellow penalty area you have two relief options. For Red penalty areas you have three options. Same two as yellow and a additional option.

Yellow  Option 1- you may take relief by dropping into the relief area using the spot at which your last stroke was made under stroke and distance rule. Rule 17 in the rules book

Yellow  Option 2- go back on the line relief procedure. Rule 17. You can drop your ball on a line between the flagstick and the point where the ball last crossed into the penalty area. You can drop as far back on the line as you want, but must keep the penalty area between you and the hole.

Red Option 3. If you find yourself in a red penalty you make take relief by taking two club lengths away from the line no closer to the hole. Also a one shot penalty.

Keep in mind if your ball is in a penalty area you may still hit it out if possible without taking a penalty stroke. 

Today at the Villa Roma golf course, the biggest tournament of the year starts at 8am. 64 teams of two will qualify into 8 flights of 8 teams in the Sullivan County Democrat Golf Tournament. 

Once again we have the best players in our area competing for the title. Back to defend are Mike Decker and Mike Scuderi. There are plenty of teams who have a chance to win this event including Former champions Sean Semenetz and Joe Winski. Blake Kilcoin and Mike Cardo, who made a nice run, will be back. 

Kort Wheeler and Walter Herzog former Champs will certainly be in the mix as will past champs Jared Kubenik and Gregg Semenetz Jr. The course is very lush right now and players will be firing right at the flags. 

My prediction is that Semenetz and Winski will battle it out in the end with Decker and Scuderi if they don’t meet in earlier rounds. I think Sean and Joe get back the title. If it’s not those two I’ll go with Wheeler and Herzog. Herzog, being a Villa Roma member this year, really got to know the course. Could be a difference maker. Tee it up boys.