Second Provisional Ball then found the first

[DavidEJM]

Been struggling to find the answer to this. I played my drive and the ball skirted along the edge of a wood fringed with long grass. A good distance for me, but I knew a chance it would not be found so took a provisional. I hooked it badly and it skewed towards a thick clump of bushes. Again, a good chance it would not be found. I played a second provisional and this went straight down the middle of the fairway. So, 5 off the tee, and my companion and I walked towards the first provisional, the closest, but could not find it in the bushes. The next closest ball location was my original drive that skirted the wood, so headed for that, and after a minute found it in the grass. So my understanding was I could play that. So I hit my second shot back onto the fairway and then picked up the second provisional. Was that right? Can you hit 2 or even more provisional balls, but if you find the first none of that counts against you?

 

[rulefan]

Providing you found the first ball within 3 minutes of starting your search that is correct.

 

[doublebogey7]

Just to add to Rulefans post, that's within three minutes of starting to search for the first provisional.

 

[Neilds]

Just to add to Rulefans post, that's within three minutes of starting to search for the first provisional.

Is this true? I thought the time reset but may be wrong

 

[doublebogey7]

I don't understand your post.
The OP was looking for his original tee shot, so he has 3 mins to find that.

Yes sorry you are right, got mixed up. So to be clear you have three minutes search time for each potentially lost ball, unless those balls are thought to be located in the same search area.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Been struggling to find the answer to this. I played my drive and the ball skirted along the edge of a wood fringed with long grass. A good distance for me, but I knew a chance it would not be found so took a provisional. I hooked it badly and it skewed towards a thick clump of bushes. Again, a good chance it would not be found. I played a second provisional and this went straight down the middle of the fairway. So, 5 off the tee, and my companion and I walked towards the first provisional, the closest, but could not find it in the bushes. The next closest ball location was my original drive that skirted the wood, so headed for that, and after a minute found it in the grass. So my understanding was I could play that. So I hit my second shot back onto the fairway and then picked up the second provisional. Was that right? Can you hit 2 or even more provisional balls, but if you find the first none of that counts against you?

There is no limit to the number of provisional balls you can hit providing you have a reasonable reason for doing so.

When playing Royal North Devon in a competition for the first time my fellow competitor hit 5 balls off the tee as the shot over reeds was blind to a post and all were well wide. Having found his original ball he actually scored a birdie! only found 2 of his provisionals.

 

[backwoodsman]

There is no limit to the number of provisional balls you can hit providing you have a reasonable reason for doing so.

When playing Royal North Devon in a competition for the first time my fellow competitor hit 5 balls off the tee as the shot over reeds was blind to a post and all were well wide. Having found his original ball he actually scored a birdie! only found 2 of his provisionals.

Did something similar myself on our par 3 9th. Hooked the tee shot well left. With little prospect of finding it, i promptly put three provisionals into the OOB woods on the right, before getting the fifth ball onto the green (therefore lying nine). Someone playing the 11th said they saw my original ball come down and pointed me in approx location. Found it and a great up & down from within the woods got me my par.