I’ve received a good number of inquiries on which rules warrant a 1 stroke penalty and which get a whopping 2 strokes.  Here are some common 2 stroke penalty situations:

Grounding Your Club in a Hazard

• This includes grounding your club in Water Hazards (yellow lines/stakes), Lateral Water Hazards (red lines/stakes) and Bunkers.
• Striking the hazard through the act of impact is allowed without penalty.

Ball Striking the Flagstick (when the stroke is made from the surface of the green)

• It makes no difference if the flagstick is in the hole or laying on the ground
• If the Flagstick is being attended – as long as the person doesn’t purposefully leave the flagstick in the hole, the 2 stroke penalty would be given to the player making the stroke. If it is ruled the person attending the flagstick left it in on purpose, they would be given a 2 stroke penalty for influencing the movement of the ball.
• Any stroke made from OFF the surface of the green i.e. fringe, rough, fairway, tee box,  which hits the flagstick would receive no penalty.

Playing a Wrong Ball

• Be smart – mark your ball!
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Carrying More Than 14 Clubs

• This is a 2 stroke penalty for each hole at which any breach occurred. The maximum penalty per round – Four strokes (two strokes at each of the first two holes which any breach occurred).

Deliberately Interfering With Any Moving Ball

•  If there is accidental interference this rule usually doesn’t apply.

Playing From Outside the Teeing Area

•  If you play from the incorrect teeing area (from the blues instead of the whites on a hole) or outside the allowable teeing area on the correct tee box you will receive a 2 stroke penalty AND be required to re-play your shot.
• The allowable teeing area is measured from the front and outside edges of the tee markers, up to 2 club lengths back. If you tee your ball up outside of this area the 2 stroke penalty will apply.