Final answer:
In stroke play, playing a ball from outside the teeing area results in a two-stroke penalty and the player must then play a ball from the correct teeing area.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a player in stroke play starts a hole by playing a ball from outside the teeing area, the rule is quite specific. The correct answer to the question is: (c) Two-stroke penalty, and the player must play a ball from within the teeing area.
According to the Rules of Golf, if the player makes a stroke at a ball that was played from outside the teeing area, they are penalized two strokes.
They must then play a ball from within the correct teeing area. This is a crucial rule to prevent players from gaining an unfair advantage by teeing off from the wrong place.