Provisional/Lost Ball Rules

[3offTheTee]

Had a 'discussion' with a colleague yesterday on 18th when a lad with a great score froze and hit his ball 10 yards in some awful rough.

I thought his options were to play a provisional ball declaring it provisional OR play a ball WITHOUT declaring it provisional and this then becomes his ball in play. If he then hits the ball out of bounds he would then need to play 5 off the tee.

Also undersood that you cannot deem a ball lost although you may go there and take a cursory glance and then declare it lost. However if your partner keeps looking within 5 minutes and it is found is it necessary to play the first ball.

Comments appreciated

 

[mboy1980]

There is nothing to comment on.

You have just described the rules of golf.

 

[muttleee]

Also undersood that you cannot deem a ball lost although you may go there and take a cursory glance and then declare it lost. However if your partner keeps looking within 5 minutes and it is found is it necessary to play the first ball.

You should have stopped after saying "you cannot deem a ball lost", because you can't.

 

[USER1999]

You don't have to look for a ball, but if you do, and you find it, it can't be lost, and hence is the ball in play. You can then declare it unplayable if you want, and go back to the tee under penalty.

It would be silly to say you have to look for it, as you could just waste 5 minutes deliberately looking in the wrong place.

 

[Tommo21]

I like this one about deeming it lost. After all it’s just a name we use, maybe not in the book but we use it. Situation…..hit the ball into heavy long rough, tee up another, not a provisional, and hit it into play. So, it’s just a figure of speech when we say that’s lost and hit another.

How many times have you played a provisional ball, went to look for the original, see the rough is thick and waist height, look for a couple of minuets and say forget it and go play the provisional.

That’s where the term “deeming the ball lost” comes from. Not the rule book but just in general talk.