( atc )
The Rules
4 Things to Know on
the Teeing Ground
by AMANDA BRAUN
First off, it is important to know
where you are permitted to play the
ball from within the teeing ground. While
many golf courses have large areas that are
maintained for potential teeing ground
locations, the rules do not permit you to
pick just any spot behind the tee markers
to tee off. The Rules of Golf defines the
teeing ground as a rectangular area two
club-lengths in depth, the front and the
sides of which are defined by the outside
limit of two tee-markers. Only a part of the
ball needs to be within the teeing ground,
and a player may stand completely outside
the teeing ground to play the ball.
1
12
Another special thing about the
teeing ground: Players may create
or eliminate irregularities of surface to
give themselves the best lie possible.
Players may play the ball off the ground,
tee the ball up on a conforming tee, or use
a natural-made tee. Laura Davies is one
golfer who comes to mind when talking
about natural-made tees. She uses a club
to create a pile of grass and dirt and uses
that as the tee for her ball. Also unique to
th is part of the course, players are able to
remove loose impediments as well as dew,
frost, or water from anywhere within the
teeing ground.
2
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 8
Players must be certain they are
playing from the correct teeing
ground. If someone isn’t paying attention,
they could easily tee off from the wrong
place and would need to know how to
correct the mistake in order to avoid
disqualification. In stroke play, the player
receives a two-stroke penalty and must
play a ball from within the correct teeing
ground. The player must rectify the mistake
before making a stroke from the next teeing
ground or, if on the last hole of the round,
must declare their intention to correct the
mistake before leaving the putting green.
If the mistake is not corrected within
this time frame, the player is disqualified.
Match play is a little simpler: If a player tees
off from outside the teeing ground, there is
no penalty. However, the opponent may
require the player to cancel the stroke and
play a ball from within the teeing ground.
3
vsga.org
SPRING IS IN THE AIR, and for most, this marks the beginning of golf season. It
only seems fitting to discuss the area where play begins on each hole: the teeing ground.
Most courses have several sets of tees to accommodate different types of golfers.
But no matter which set you choose to play from, there are some important things
to keep in mind.