In which situation is a stroke and distance penalty the only option for a player?

A stroke and distance penalty is applied when a player must return to their original spot and hit another shot after a specific incident occurs during play. One of the most common situations where this applies is when a ball is declared out of bounds. When a ball is hit out of bounds, the player must return to the tee or the nearest spot where the last shot was played to strike another ball. This scenario mandates that the player incurs a stroke (for the additional shot) along with the distance penalty, as they effectively lose the previous stroke for hitting the ball out of bounds.

In contrast, if a ball is in a water hazard, the player has an option to either play the ball as it lies or take a drop nearby with a penalty, which does not necessarily involve returning to the original spot. When a ball is lost, players can also resolve the issue by dropping a new ball at the last known position with a stroke penalty, rather than returning to the original spot. Similarly, being in the rough does not incur a stroke and distance penalty as the player can simply play the ball from that location without such restrictions.

This understanding of the rules makes it clear that encountering a situation involving the ball going out of bounds is unique in that it strictly requires a