Basic penalty
"Unless otherwise provided, the penalty for breach of a rule in stroke play is two strokes."²
According to the official rules of golf, the basic penalty for a breach of a golf rule in stroke play is the loss of a hole. If you are not always sure whether the penalty for a counting game is 1 or 2 strokes, remember the following rule of thumb. In the case of a golf rule violation, you will generally receive 2 penalty strokes and in the case of a game violation, you will generally only receive 1 penalty stroke. For example, if you hit the ball out of bounds or if you hit a golf ball that has been declared unplayable. Deviations from this golf rule penalty are set out in the official golf rules of the DGV and the "Rules and Decisions" from the golf Mecca of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Status: 2018
