One of the best-known and most popular maxims in golf is that we must play the course as it is found and the ball as it lies, except when the Rules require or permit us to play a ball from another place on the course, or to lift it and subsequently replace it on its original place of rest.

So far, the premise seems reasonable and easy to understand.

We must be aware that the Course or Tournament Committee may designate certain areas of the course as Prohibited Play Zones (PTZs). According to the Rules of Golf, these PTZs must be part of an abnormal course condition or a penalty area.

ZJPs are areas of the field where playing is strictly prohibited. Reasons for establishing them by a Committee include, but are not limited to:

. Protect wildlife and animal habitats in environmentally sensitive areas.

. Avoid damage to sensitive elements of the field such as young trees, flowerbeds, turf nurseries or reseeded areas.

. Safeguarding the safety of players in potentially dangerous areas.

The ZJPs should normally be marked with stakes, usually blue, red, or yellow with a green band at the top. They should also be detailed by the Committee in the additional local rules written for that course or for that particular event.

Procedure in case of interference with a ZJP

When a ball lies in a ZJP or when a ZJP interferes with the player's stance or intended swing area under certain conditions, the procedure must be followed according to Rule 16.1 or Rule 17.1. 

This implies taking mandatory relief without penalty in case of interference within a ZJP in an abnormal course condition or with penalty if the ball is in a penalty area.

To take relief, we must identify the nearest point of full relief outside the PTZ and drop the ball within a relief area defined by the length of one club, without moving near the hole. If the PTZ is within a penalty area, we must take relief with a one-stroke penalty under the options in Rule 17.1.

Situations in which penalty-free relief is not applicable

It is important to keep in mind that it could also be the case that we have interference from a ZJP defined as an abnormal field condition, but that the ball is lying in a situation where it is clearly unreasonable to play the ball for something other than the ZJP.

In this case, relief without penalty would not be permitted, and we would be required to take relief with a penalty. This procedure would also apply when our ball is in a penalty area and outside a ZJP, but a ZJP interferes with the intended stance or intended swing area.

Nor would relief without penalty be allowed when interference exists simply because we choose a club, stance, or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable in those circumstances. 

Failure to comply with these rules will result in the general penalty (two strokes in stroke play or loss of the hole in match play). Therefore, it is essential to be aware of the status of the ZJPs and the available relief options to avoid unnecessary infractions, as well as to respect the integrity of the course.

By Vicente J. Olmos

Member of the Technical Committee for Rules and International Judge-Referee of the RFEG