The Expert’s Guide to the 14th Hole
There have been some changes recently to the 14th hole, which are worthy of some clarification so we have created this Expert’s Guide to the 14th Hole, so you will always be able to play it like a pro.
The scrub land on the right of the hole is designated as a penalty area. Should you put your tee shot in there you have some options under Rule 17.1.
Those options are:
- Play the ball as it lies
- To play, under penalty of one stroke, another ball from the tee.
- Take back-on-the-line relief by taking a straight line from the pin through the point that the ball last entered the penalty area under penalty of one stroke.
Now, there is another option.
Recently a Dropping Zone has been created to the left of the bridge just before the penalty area (see map). For any ball that lands within any of the yellow penalty area, you may now drop, under penalty of one stroke, inside the DZ. That includes the scrubland to the right and the stream. The area in the trees beyond the scrub land and past the fences remain as Out Of Bounds.
Clearly, this should make things simpler and quicker should you be unfortunate enough to put your ball into the penalty area, with more chance of a miraculous par save from the DZ! Even more reason to practice those 60 yard pitches.
Or, you could be like Graham, whom we see here using the DZ to his full advantage after putting his first shot into the penalty area. Here he has correctly dropped – from knee height – inside the DZ, and, as you can tell from the pained expression on his face, has now chunked it straight into the bunker.
And no, those are not two white out of bounds markers, those are Graham’s legs!
Now you are an expert in how to play this tricky hole and you’d like to take it on in person, find out more about becoming a member of Stevenage Golf Club, please click here
