Provisional or not a provisional?

Eddie

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Morning folks...Im back again. Thanks to all for your replys.
To clear up a couple of things maybe lost in the mist of replys.

I hit the ball towards the pond ( a hazard as its called these days), it was 50/50 wether it was in or not as there's a bank that gathers the ball in front of it. To save time and walking back to hit another I hit a 'provisional'.
Ok, ok ! ....I hear you all shouting " you cant do that if the balls in a "penalty area" (the pond) .....I didnt know this so sorry to everyone ? . BUT ....the next shot I hit wether I knew it or not was then my ball in play?? The fact I didnt know the rule or the fact it was hit to an inch from the hole shouldnt matter should it.
Thats my whole dilemma really.
I think my knowing the rule was incorrect (now after your lovely comments) but my actions were correct? .......then theres the whole part of my mate actually finding my ball in the water?

Dont you love golf ??.?
 

Swango1980

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Morning folks...Im back again. Thanks to all for your replys.
To clear up a couple of things maybe lost in the mist of replys.

I hit the ball towards the pond ( a hazard as its called these days), it was 50/50 wether it was in or not as there's a bank that gathers the ball in front of it. To save time and walking back to hit another I hit a 'provisional'.
Ok, ok ! ....I hear you all shouting " you cant do that if the balls in a "penalty area" (the pond) .....I didnt know this so sorry to everyone ? . BUT ....the next shot I hit wether I knew it or not was then my ball in play?? The fact I didnt know the rule or the fact it was hit to an inch from the hole shouldnt matter should it.
Thats my whole dilemma really.
I think my knowing the rule was incorrect (now after your lovely comments) but my actions were correct? .......then theres the whole part of my mate actually finding my ball in the water?

Dont you love golf ??.?
I think your conclusion was correct, just for the wrong reasons :)
 

salfordlad

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Morning folks...Im back again. Thanks to all for your replys.
To clear up a couple of things maybe lost in the mist of replys.

I hit the ball towards the pond ( a hazard as its called these days), it was 50/50 wether it was in or not as there's a bank that gathers the ball in front of it. To save time and walking back to hit another I hit a 'provisional'.
Ok, ok ! ....I hear you all shouting " you cant do that if the balls in a "penalty area" (the pond) .....I didnt know this so sorry to everyone ? . BUT ....the next shot I hit wether I knew it or not was then my ball in play?? The fact I didnt know the rule or the fact it was hit to an inch from the hole shouldnt matter should it.
Thats my whole dilemma really.
I think my knowing the rule was incorrect (now after your lovely comments) but my actions were correct? .......then theres the whole part of my mate actually finding my ball in the water?

Dont you love golf ??.?
Yet again, you haven't answered the critical question. When you were on the tee and declared a provisional, what is the answer to this question: COULD THE ORIGINAL BALL HAVE BEEN LOST OUTSIDE THE PENALTY AREA?
 

Colin L

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Good morning Eddie.
When you hit your ball towards the pond (penalty area as it's called these days ;)) you didn't know for sure that it ended up in the penalty area and so you were ok to play a provisional ball provided it met the general requirements for playing one - that your original ball might be lost outside a penalty area or be out of bounds [18.3a] and you announced that your ball was a provisional before playing it [18.3b]. Did it?
 
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Swango1980

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Yet again, you haven't answered the critical question. When you were on the tee and declared a provisional, what is the answer to this question: COULD THE ORIGINAL BALL HAVE BEEN LOST OUTSIDE THE PENALTY AREA?
It is a fun game. Can we do a side bet?

My bet is that he didn't feel it could be lost anywhere else but the PA, if the ball was not found. None of his posts indicate any sort of shrubbery or trees in the area he thought it could be lost, and keeps solely referencing the PA. His last post also said "I hear you all shouting " you cant do that if the balls in a "penalty area"". Again, it is all about how we interpret that phrase, but if I assume he has read through all the posts on this thread, it appears he might now realise he wasn't permitted to play a provisional and thus admitting he was wrong to do so.

I won't say I am right with virtual certainty. But, I'd say I'm 81% certain that the OP did not think the ball was out of bounds or lost outside a PA.
 

salfordlad

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It is a fun game. Can we do a side bet?

My bet is that he didn't feel it could be lost anywhere else but the PA, if the ball was not found. None of his posts indicate any sort of shrubbery or trees in the area he thought it could be lost, and keeps solely referencing the PA. His last post also said "I hear you all shouting " you cant do that if the balls in a "penalty area"". Again, it is all about how we interpret that phrase, but if I assume he has read through all the posts on this thread, it appears he might now realise he wasn't permitted to play a provisional and thus admitting he was wrong to do so.

I won't say I am right with virtual certainty. But, I'd say I'm 81% certain that the OP did not think the ball was out of bounds or lost outside a PA.
Are you a part-timer at Ladbroke's between golf rules discussions?
 

salfordlad

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I don't think it would work well, it appears like a few of the threads struggle to quickly get to a definitive answer these days :)
That's for the simple reason that, in a range of situations, a "definitive answer" is not a possibility. Qualifications, exceptions and sometimes unavoidable judgements are par for the rules course.
 

rulie

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That's for the simple reason that, in a range of situations, a "definitive answer" is not a possibility. Qualifications, exceptions and sometimes unavoidable judgements are par for the rules course.
And then there are each individual's understanding (or misunderstanding) and/or opinions on what the current Rules say and/or mean.
 
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