Parts of a Golf Course: Hole Layout and 5 Rule Areas

Parts of a golf course? Each hole has a teeing area, a fairway framed by rough, often bunkers and water hazards, and a putting green with the hole and flagstick. Under the Rules of Golf, the whole course is divided into five defined areas: the general area, the teeing area, penalty areas, bunkers and the putting green. Anything beyond them is out of bounds.

This beginner guide walks through each part of a golf course in the order you play a hole, then explains the five rule areas so you know what you're allowed to do wherever your ball ends up. Getting ready for your first round? See our best-selling golf shirts.

Parts of a golf course hole by hole

Teeing area (tee box)

Where every hole begins. Most holes have several sets of tee markers at different distances. Beginners often play forward tees; see what is par in golf for how hole length affects par.

Fairway

The short, mown grass between the tee and the green. It's the target for most tee shots on par 4s and par 5s.

Rough

Longer grass along both sides of the fairway. It's harder to control the ball from here.

Bunkers

Sand-filled hollows near fairways (fairway bunkers) and around greens (greenside bunkers).

Water and other hazards

Ponds, lakes, streams and other areas the course marks with red or yellow stakes or lines. In the rules these are called penalty areas.

Green, fringe and hole

The putting green is the very short grass around the hole and flagstick. The slightly longer strip around it is called the fringe or collar.

Out of bounds

Boundaries, usually marked with white stakes, outside which the ball cannot be played.

What are the five areas of a golf course?

The Arizona Golf Association explains that since the USGA updated the Rules of Golf in 2019, the course is divided into five areas: "General Area, Teeing Area, Penalty Area, Bunkers and Putting Green." The official rules are at usga.org/rules.

Area	What it includes
General area	Everything except the other four: fairways, rough, collars of the green, other holes' tees and greens
Teeing area	A rectangle two club-lengths deep behind the front of the tee markers you're playing
Penalty areas	Usually water, plus other areas the course marks; red or yellow
Bunkers	Prepared sand areas (not grass faces or natural sandy ground)
Putting green	The prepared surface around the hole you're playing

What can you do in each area?

• General area: play the ball as it lies unless a rule gives relief. A wrong green counts as general area.
• Teeing area: only the tee markers you're playing count; you may tee the ball up anywhere inside the rectangle.
• Penalty areas: you may play the ball as it lies, or take relief for one penalty stroke. Red areas add a lateral relief option; an unmarked penalty area is treated as red.
• Bunkers: the AGA notes you "cannot ground your club, touch the sand with a practice swing, or touch the sand on your back swing."
• Putting green: you can mark, lift and clean your ball and repair damage. Read more in golf rules for beginners.

Golf course etiquette by area

Rake bunkers after you play, fix ball marks on the green, replace divots in the fairway and keep carts away from greens and tees. Our golf etiquette rules guide covers the rest.

Dress for the course

Most courses expect a collared shirt. Our best-selling golf shirts include polos you can personalize with your name, in several styles depending on the design. Check our golf dress code guide before you go.

FAQ

What are the sections of a golf course called?

Teeing area (tee box), fairway, rough, bunkers, penalty areas such as water, and the putting green with the fringe and hole. Beyond the boundaries is out of bounds.

What are the five areas of a golf course?

Under the Rules of Golf: the general area, the teeing area, penalty areas, bunkers and the putting green.

Is the fairway part of the general area?

Yes. Fairways, rough and the collar around the green are all part of the general area.

What do the red and yellow stakes mean?

They mark penalty areas. Both allow one-stroke relief options; red penalty areas also allow lateral relief.