RULES OF GOLF You can re-tee your ball if it lands back in the teeing ground

The rules of golf around the teeing ground changed at the start of the year, and this is one alteration that we missed.

It turns out that if your golf ball ends up behind where you just played from, you get to tee it up again and your playing two. Yep, two. No penalty applies.

Check out this explanation from Golf Australia’s Rules manager David Blake:

While an unlikely scenario, it’s not outside the realms of possibility for some golfers.

And the details are all contained in the interpretation of Rule 6, specifically 6.2b(6)/1 which says:

Ball That Comes to Rest in Teeing Area Does Not Have to Be Played as it Lies

Any time a player’s ball is inside the teeing area, the player may move the ball to another spot within the teeing area, and may play it from a tee without penalty.

For example, a player makes his or her first stroke from the teeing area, barely making contact with the ball, and the ball either comes to rest on the ground within the teeing area or remains on the tee.

Since the ball is in the teeing area, the player may play the ball as it lies or, even though the ball is in play, may move the ball to any other spot within the teeing area and play from there without penalty. The player may also place the ball on a tee or adjust the height of the tee the ball is resting on.

So there you go.

And and Scott Wagstaff at Carbrook Golf Club told me, this would’ve helped John Senden at the Australian PGA Championship last year!