Looking for lost ball

[sawtooth]

Is it true that the only person who can positively ID his ball is the player himself?

If that's true what if the player then says "sorry but that's not my ball, its close but its not the same markings as mine" and carries on with the provisional?

I'm not suggesting anyone should do this by the way because its tantamount to cheating.

 

[chris661]

Correct. The other option is that one of your playing partners asks you if you are playing a provisional (before you hit it) and you answer or indicate in the affirmative. That satisfies the Rules of Golf.

I thought (from here) that the player had to declare a provisional and even if asked and answered "yeah" or whatever (affirmative) it wasn't sufficient. Happy to be wrong though, just wanting to clarify for myself is all.

 

[backwoodsman]

Correct. The other option is that one of your playing partners asks you if you are playing a provisional (before you hit it) and you answer or indicate in the affirmative. That satisfies the Rules of Golf.

The requirement is to make an unequivocal statement that it's a provisional ball. So, Q. "Are you playing a provisional?" A. "yes" - is ok. Whereas "Oh shice, I'd best play another " isn't - as "another" could be a prov or you may be putting another ball into play.

As to original post. It's safer to declare the second as a prov - just in case it ends up worse than the first. If it's a cracker and you don't want to find your first then definitely no requirement to look for it. But if your fellow competitors are the sorts who are likely to do the dirty on you, you have to leg it down the fairway and give the prov another smack before they find it. (i'm assuming that as the first was in the crap and the prov was a cracker, then the prov is already further down the fairway).

 

[chrisd]

(i'm assuming that as the first was in the crap and the prov was a cracker, then the prov is already further down the fairway).

It was a purely hypothetical question which had led to a (good humoured) argument and a bet of £20




Chris

 

[backwoodsman]

It was a purely hypothetical question which had led to a (good humoured) argument and a bet of £20




Chris

Yep - I was hypothetically assuming too.

Ps: the £20 ain't going to go far when you share it out amongst those who've given advice on here

 

[ADB]

Sorry to labour this one, but what happens if you play a very good prov but your opponents decide to look for your first ball even if you dont want it found. Do you have to give them time to look or can you race down and smack the prov even if they have only been looking for, say, 1 minute thus making the prov now in play? Could it be seen as bad form although the quickening of pace down the hole from all parties would be welcomed!

 

[JustOne]

Sorry to labour this one, but what happens if you play a very good prov but your opponents decide to look for your first ball even if you dont want it found. Do you have to give them time to look or can you race down and smack the prov even if they have only been looking for, say, 1 minute thus making the prov now in play? Could it be seen as bad form although the quickening of pace down the hole from all parties would be welcomed!

LOL... I did think it would be funny to see someone race down the fairway just to whack their provisional

I guess as long as they are not playing out of turn that would be OK, probably bad ettiquette at the least. In terms of the original post you are allowed UP TO 5 minutes to look for your ball... it's not written anywhere that you need to take it though. I sometimes go looking as I'm walking past... if you are going to do that ALWAYS ask what ball they are playing before you head in there, that way if you DO find a ball and it's actually sitting OK they still might not be able to play it


I think Murph's approach of looking in the bundu for all of his playing partners balls is one of the reasons he's so slow!


:rofl::rofl:

 

[backwoodsman]

Sorry to labour this one, but what happens if you play a very good prov but your opponents decide to look for your first ball even if you dont want it found. Do you have to give them time to look or can you race down and smack the prov even if they have only been looking for, say, 1 minute thus making the prov now in play? Could it be seen as bad form although the quickening of pace down the hole from all parties would be welcomed!

You don't have to give them any time at all. Just play the prov and it's in play- (provided it was nearer the hole than the lost ball that is. (I suppose there's some complication when you have to consider whose turn to play and all that though?). Not sure it would count as bad form in taking a shot at the provisional - at least, no more than than someone looking for your ball when you've already made it plain you don't wish it to be found.

 

[chrisd]

Yep - I was hypothetically assuming too.

Ps: the £20 ain't going to go far when you share it out amongst those who've given advice on here

Hang on a dawgone second, I was right from the first posting as to the rules! there has been nothing said that has been new!

Sorry to labour this one, but what happens if you play a very good prov but your opponents decide to look for your first ball even if you dont want it found. Do you have to give them time to look or can you race down and smack the prov even if they have only been looking for, say, 1 minute thus making the prov now in play? Could it be seen as bad form although the quickening of pace down the hole from all parties would be welcomed!

Generally you would say "dont bother looking I'm going to play this one" and if you see Murph striding towards the bundu then you play asap!


Chris

 

[bobmac]

So, in other words, hit a provisional further than your first ball but not as far as your playing partners

 

[sona]

If you have not played your provo from nearer the hole, and your original ball is found in play within 5 minutes, then the provo must be picked up and you must play the original. It doesn't matter who finds it, or whether you wanted it found or not.

I am sorry if I am thick but what exactly is ment by " from nearer the hole" does is this in relation to the ball judged to be lost ? or other.

 

[chrisd]

I am sorry if I am thick but what exactly is ment by " from nearer the hole" does is this in relation to the ball judged to be lost ? or other.

Not thick at all and your pretty well right. If your provisional doesn't go as far as your first ball then you can play the prov until you reach where you think the other ball is. It makes sense as you could nut the fist ball 250 yards and then top your prov 3 times.


Chris

 

[bobmac]

It makes sense as you could nut the fist ball 150 yards and then top your prov 3 times.

Speak for yourself

 

[chrisd]

Speak for yourself

I would top the first ball 3 times - it's easier!



Chris

 

[bobmac]

I would top the first ball 3 times - it's easier!



Chris

I told you to leave that Sclaf & Top alone but would you listen?

 

[chrisd]

I told you to leave that Sclaf & Top alone but would you listen?

But you just wrote S & T and I didn't realise, I thought it meant Slap and Tickle, got excited and couldn't hit for love nor money!


Chris

 

[sona]

Not thick at all and your pretty well right. If your provisional doesn't go as far as your first ball then you can play the prov until you reach where you think the other ball is. It makes sense as you could nut the fist ball 250 yards and then top your prov 3 times.


Chris[/QUOTE

Thanks Chris that is very helpful

 

[Val]

If you have not played your provo from nearer the hole, and your original ball is found in play within 5 minutes, then the provo must be picked up and you must play the original. It doesn't matter who finds it, or whether you wanted it found or not.

This is correct however if you say that your provisional is now the ball in play and declare your other ball lost then your partners should not be looking for your ball, if they still look for it after you declare your provisional the ball in play then i'd say this is rude more than anything.

You could always play your provisional again the minute it becomes nearer the hole than the "lost" ball therefore becoming the ball in play regardless.

 

[Region3]

This is correct however if you say that your provisional is now the ball in play and declare your other ball lost then your partners should not be looking for your ball, if they still look for it after you declare your provisional the ball in play then i'd say this is rude more than anything.

You could always play your provisional again the minute it becomes nearer the hole than the "lost" ball therefore becoming the ball in play regardless.

You can't specifically declare a ball lost. If you don't want it to be the ball in play you either hit another without declaring it provisional, or hit your provisional from closer to the hole than where you original ball is estimated to be.

You can't hit your provisional then say it is the ball in play just because it was a good shot.

 

[Val]

You can't specifically declare a ball lost. If you don't want it to be the ball in play you either hit another without declaring it provisional, or hit your provisional from closer to the hole than where you original ball is estimated to be.

You can't hit your provisional then say it is the ball in play just because it was a good shot.

But you can have a quick 30 sec shifty and see then say "eff it it's a goner" then go play your now ball in play.