It’s a relatively bland term for what is a significant shot sanction. If you’ve watched or read enough about golf, you will have heard the term ‘general penalty’ used when a player has been handed a penalty for a rules breach.
But what does the term actually mean? Where does it apply and why is the penalty at the level it is?
What is the general penalty?
It’s the penalty given for certain breaches of the Rules of Golf. It is defined as a two-shot penalty in stroke play and loss of hole in match play.
There are various levels of penalties within the rules, and these are laid out in Rule 1.3c. A one-stroke penalty, for example, is given where the “potential advantage from a breach is minor” or when a player takes penalty relief.
Rule 1.3c (2) says the general penalty applies to the breach of most rules, where the “potential advantage is more significant than where only one penalty stroke applies”.
You’ll most commonly encounter it in instances where you have played a wrong ball, have played from the wrong place, or have taken actions that are not allowed which have improved conditions affecting the stroke.
The only more serious level of penalty in the Rules is disqualification.
Got a question for our expert?
Despite the changes to the Rules of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. I’ll try to help by featuring the best of your queries in this column.
What do you think of the general penalty in golf? Let me know by leaving a comment below, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or get in touch on X.
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