What Is a Drop Zone in Golf?

What is a drop zone in golf? A drop zone is an essential piece to the puzzle of the rules of golf, and whether you’re a veteran tournament golfer or a newbie to the game, learning about a dropping zone and how it pertains to the penalty area is crucial to playing by the rules and, ultimately, saving strokes on your round.

What the Rules State

Every golfer knows that golf is a game of rules, and as much as it is fun, it is also frustrating sometimes. There is no such thing as a golfer who goes an entire career without hitting their ball in a hazard, out of bounds, or some other form of painfully punishing obstacle, because golf is also a game of misses, and sometimes that means taking a drop.

The rules of golf, written, governed, and enforced by the United States Golf Association (USGA), use the following description for the use of a dropping zone:

“A dropping zone is a special form of relief area that may be adopted by the Committee. When taking relief in a dropping zone, the player must drop the ball in and have it come to rest in the dropping zone.”

The USGA lists several different occasions when a dropping zone may be needed, including:

• Penalty areas
• Dangerous Animal Condition
• Wrong Green

The Local Committee

A committee enforces local rules that apply to particular golf course situations. For instance, during a tournament at a course, a local committee in charge of overseeing the tournament and its rules may elect to define a drop zone as an extra point of relief for players; however, the committee may also decide to make the drop zone the only point of relief for players for the hole. In this case, it is the committee’s responsibility to make players aware of the drop zone and its use as the only relief for that hole.

Placement is Key

The USGA recommends placing a drop zone where the original layout of the hole is not altered in a way that makes it less challenging and is usually no closer to the hole than where a player would drop if following the regular rules of dropping in and around penalty areas.

What a Drop Zone Looks Like

Drop zones can be marked by several different means: paint, tee markers, stakes, a sign, etc., and can be in any shape; however, from my experience over the years, many drop zones are usually marked with paint and are circular in shape. Dropping zones are typically used for complete relief after hitting a shot in a spot where standard relief under the rules would not be enough.

Informing Players

Although drop zones are usually obvious when playing a hole in a tournament, the rules committee or tournament organizers will usually go over any drop zones on the course before play and will also most likely supply players with a list of local rules that are in addition to the rules and regulations set by the USGA.

Why Drop Zones are Important

Although drop zones are frequently used in tournament play, many players need to be made aware of why they are designed and used in the first place.

Drop zones are essential to enforcing the rules of golf while keeping the player’s best interest in mind. It is the job of any local committee to enforce the rules of golf but do so in a way that is fair and plain to understand for golfers.

Using a Drop Zone

Drop zones give players an alternative option when choosing where to drop and take their next stroke; however, as previously stated, sometimes a drop zone is the only option for a player in certain situations, in which case the player must drop and make a stroke within the designated drop zone. A dropped ball is considered one stroke so that it will be added to a player’s total score for the hole.

Like all the rules in golf, drop zones are an essential piece of the puzzle when learning how to play the game correctly and are vital knowledge for those golfers who are or plan on engaging in tournament play. 

Keep Learning

For more information on golf rules, instruction, and general golf information, check other articles to help you continue improving and learning more about the game. 

References:

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/committee-procedures/rule-8.html#_452955cb-0ddb-40a7-a92a-5aa731896060

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/committee-procedures/rule-1.html