rules question

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
At the weekend my mate his a tee shot that was blind up one side with a red hazard the ball kicked towards the hazard and we all thought it had gone in after a quick search he droped a ball and played on from where we thought it went in he walked another 50 yards up the fairway and spotted his ball not in the hazard. we all thought that the second ball was in play because he hit the first and didn't declare it a provisional were we correct.
Mike

 

[Twire]

If he didn't declare "provisional" then that ball will be in play.

As regards droping, you realy need to have a better idea where it last crossed the hazzard, you should be droping where it crossed, not 50 yards away. If your not sure where it crossed he should have played another off the tee.

 

[bobmac]

26-1. Relief for Ball in Water Hazard
It is a question of fact whether a ball that has not been found after
having been struck toward a water hazard is in the hazard. In order to
apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in
the hazard. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player
must proceed under Rule 27-1.
27-1 means the ball is treated as lost and MUST go back and replay the tee-shot as 3rd shot

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If it is agreed as defined above that it went into the hazard then a player may proceed under rule 26-1 in three ways.

Under penalty of one stroke they may:
a) Play the ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played

b) Drop a ball behind the water hazard keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped

c) As additional options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club lengths of and not nearer the hole that (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the hazard equidistant from the hole

If the player did not declare the ball played as a provisional (rule 27-1) then it becomes the ball in play irrespective of the original being found.

 

[bobmac]

Your right Homer, those are the rules, but in this instance it was a blind tee shot and they all only THOUGHT it went in, they didnt see it go in. In this case, the player must go back and replay the shot.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I appreciate that Bob. Just lending my knowledge otherwise known as the rule book to the left of the keyboard to general play. If it can't be certain the ball is lost within the hazard confines it has to be played as a lost ball or a provisional declared and played until the point where the original was deemed to have been lost which then becomes the ball in play.

 

[Mike_j_golf]

There was no rough so we presumed it was in the hazard it had just kicked on further than we thought it had gone

 

[Herbie]

Im only pleased someone mentioned the second ball played as it makes all the other rulings irrelevant though it is nice to be reminded of such rulings for other circumstances.