"Declaring" a ball as lost.

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Why do you have to see it when you can declare a ball unplayable in the middle of a fairway with a perfect lie (why would you though!)

You don't - you can declare a ball unplayable whenever you want even if it is sitting on the most beautiful piece of August-like fairway. But I'm pretty sure that you can't play a provisional if you can see your ball. Note that f you could and your game was a mess, you could hit as many 'provisionals' as you wanted (practicing) - at risk of being in breach of delaying play or deemed to be practicing.

 

[rulefan]

You can declare a ball unplayable if you can't see it. But unless you can see it before you play another ball, the second ball has to be played under stroke and distance (ie from where the original was played). If, after declaring it unplayable, you subsequently can see it, then you may play the second ball under the other two options of rule 28.

If you don't want to play the ball you hit in to the quarry, just hit another ball. Providing you don't say anything, that becomes the ball in play. The first is dead.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

You can declare a ball unplayable if you can't see it. But unless you can see it before you play another ball, the second ball has to be played under stroke and distance (ie from where the original was played). If, after declaring it unplayable, you subsequently can see it, then you may play the second ball under the other two options of rule 28.

If you don't want to play the ball you hit in to the quarry, just hit another ball. Providing you don't say anything, that becomes the ball in play. The first is dead.

In scenario OP paints I would almost certainly just take my punishment and do this.