Searching for the Provisional first

[Steven Rules]

Just saw salfordlad and Swango's posts but I've put so much into trying to understand the layout that I'll still post my reply anway...

Your description of which ball went further, which ball was closer to the hole, and which ball was logical to play first in order to save time has quite muddled my brain.

But, yes, if your provisional was closer to the hole than where your original was likely to be, then your provional became the ball in play if you played it before your original.

 

[rulefan]

But, yes, if your provisional was closer to the hole than where your original was likely to be, then your provional became the ball in play if you played it before your original.

Surely "if you played it before you found your original"

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Just saw salfordlad and Swango's posts but I've put so much into trying to understand the layout that I'll still post my reply anway...

Your description of which ball went further, which ball was closer to the hole, and which ball was logical to play first in order to save time has quite muddled my brain.

But, yes, if your provisional was closer to the hole than where your original was likely to be, then your provional became the ball in play if you played it before your original.

And as my brain has become befuddled - is this not still the case?

As soon as I play my provisional from a place past where my original is likely to be (so not found) then my provisional is the ball in play.

 

[John Evans 9]

Sorry for any confusion - but it’s obviously possible on a dogleg hole for a short tee shot to be nearer the hole than a longer tee shot on the same line. In my example, going to the original ball first would have meant a trip back towards the tee to pick up the provisional. In my experience, no one would question playing the provisional first as it is clearly the sensible thing to do. However, rules is rules…….

 

[salfordlad]

I'm confused. Maybe I'm not understanding the geography of the hole. You said your provisional was SHORTER than your original ball. Therefore, I would have presumed that your provisional was FURHER away from the hole than you original was likely to be? But, you then go on to say the provisional was CLOSER to the hole?

As salfordlad said, if provisional was closer to the hole, that becomes the ball in play. However, if your post was not worded correctly, and your provisional was further from the hole than the original likely to be, the original would be the ball in play once you found it.

I read it as first ball went right across the fairway way long, so the ball was getting further from the hole the further it went.

 

[John Evans 9]

I read it as first ball went right across the fairway way long, so the ball was getting further from the hole the further it went.

Correct

 

[Swango1980]

I read it as first ball went right across the fairway way long, so the ball was getting further from the hole the further it went.

Yeah, I had no problem if the OP was factually correct (which it was), it just seemed unusual, albeit not impossible. Therefore, I thought I'd ask in my response, as it is not unknown for posters to get one word accidentally incorrect, and completely change the context to the question and the answer.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The precise scenario of my OP was that I was on the tee and waved through by a group 250yds ahead. As I got towards them after teeing off one of the group was walking back. He had been looking for his provisional but had not found it - he had walked straight past where he had dumped his original tee shot deep in trees 50yds off the tee...ignoring it in preference to his 'good' provisional. But as he could not find his provisional and his 3mins searching for it was up, he decided to head back to see - on the off chance - if he could find his original - which as it happens he did within 3mins of starting to look for it. And he played out the hole with his original.

 

[Swango1980]

The precise scenario of my OP was that I was on the tee and waved through by a group 250yds ahead. As I got towards them after teeing off one of the group was walking back. He had been looking for his provisional but had not found it - he had walked straight past where he had dumped his original tee shot deep in trees 50yds off the tee...ignoring it in preference to his 'good' provisional. But as he could not find his provisional and his 3mins searching for it was up, he decided to head back to see - on the off chance - if he could find his original - which as it happens he did within 3mins of starting to look for it. And he played out the hole with his original.

Apologies, when I referenced OP I actually meant Post 18, which was the new scenario posted. As our replies were now based on that, in my head I referred to it as the OP as it seemed right, but it wasn't literally the OP to the entire thread.