Declaring a ball OOB

[bobmac]

Apologies if I hijacked the thread slightly.
I was just trying to clear up any confusion for anyone reading this who is new to golf.

I know there are some who think there are only 2 options

1. Hit your first ball, find it and hit it again
2. Hit your first ball and if your not sure where it is, hit a provisional.

If they have been told they can't declare a ball lost, they may think there is no third option and he must look for his first ball.
I know that's the case because in the past we've had had people on here asking that very question.

I was pointing out that even though they may have been told they can't declare a ball lost, they do have the third option of hitting another ball without claiming it as a provisional or claiming it as not a provisional meaning the second ball is in play and the first ball is indeed lost so you don't have to go and look for the first ball.

Hope that helps any confused newcomers.

 

[Foxholer]

Apologies if I hijacked the thread slightly.
I was just trying to clear up any confusion for anyone reading this who is new to golf.

I know there are some who think there are only 2 options

1. Hit your first ball, find it and hit it again
2. Hit your first ball and if your not sure where it is, hit a provisional.

If they have been told they can't declare a ball lost, they may think there is no third option and he must look for his first ball.
I know that's the case because in the past we've had had people on here asking that very question.

I was pointing out that even though they may have been told they can't declare a ball lost, they do have the third option of hitting another ball without claiming it as a provisional or claiming it as not a provisional meaning the second ball is in play and the first ball is indeed lost so you don't have to go and look for the first ball.

Hope that helps any confused newcomers.

Correct - well almost as 'declaring it as not a provisional' has no real meaning in Rules of Golf. Though the clarification it provides is never a bad thing!

Why not simply use the words used in the book and be done with it?

Now that's far too much like 'common sense'!

 

[shortgame]

Apologies if I hijacked the thread slightly.
I was just trying to clear up any confusion for anyone reading this who is new to golf.

I know there are some who think there are only 2 options

1. Hit your first ball, find it and hit it again
2. Hit your first ball and if your not sure where it is, hit a provisional.

If they have been told they can't declare a ball lost, they may think there is no third option and he must look for his first ball.
I know that's the case because in the past we've had had people on here asking that very question.

I was pointing out that even though they may have been told they can't declare a ball lost, they do have the third option of hitting another ball without claiming it as a provisional or claiming it as not a provisional meaning the second ball is in play and the first ball is indeed lost so you don't have to go and look for the first ball.

Hope that helps any confused newcomers.

Thanks Bob, it's certainly one of the most common misunderstood areas of the rules and not just by newbies

Cheers all 👍

 

[rulefan]

The problem is that you could declare you ball lost until very recently.

Edit.

Hang on, it was 54 years ago

 

[bobmac]

Thanks Bob, it's certainly one of the most common misunderstood areas of the rules and not just by newbies

Cheers all 

Glad it helped Shortgame.

 

[bobmac]

The problem is that you could declare you ball lost until very recently.

Edit.

Hang on, it was 54 years ago

Out of interest, why did they change the rule please?
(And this time I don't know the answer)

 

[rulefan]

Out of interest, why did they change the rule please?
(And this time I don't know the answer)

Nor do I but I suspect it was because of difficulties with the form and timing of the declaration.
The facility to declare a ball lost was only introduced 8 years previously.

 

[duncan mackie]

Nor do I but I suspect it was because of difficulties with the form and timing of the declaration.
The facility to declare a ball lost was only introduced 8 years previously.

If you look at the associated changes to rule 30 I think you get a clue as to the thinking.

Previously you were able to elect which ball to continue with when you had played a provisional. 1964 saw a rationalisation of such elections and associated options (it also saw a split between the R&A and USGA rules that took decades to be reversed!)

 

[jim8flog]

deleted due to reading later threads

 

[atticusfinch]

They need to understand what it means "to declare" something. I think your idea, though correct, is more confusing if you don't correct them for saying "it's lost." As I read your post you would actually confirm to them what they said was correct, when it is based on a clever use of the rule.