Time looking for a ball

[Swango1980]

If both balls are in the same area, then you don’t get to choose which ball you are looking for, you get a single 3 minute search time.

That wasn't the point that was being made above though. I think everyone is aware of that, hence what was being said, in terms of a scenario you could get an extra 3 minutes

That was, spend 3 minutes looking for one ball, and after that spend another 3 minutes looking for the other, in a search area 15 yards away (which to some, might be considered the same approximate area)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

If I didn't find either within three minutes, I'd simply walk about 15 yards away from that spot and start looking again. Hey presto, another three minutes to look.

Fine unless after 3mins you then also continue to look - albeit casually perhaps, in the original area and found either of your 1st or 2nd balls in that area - too late. If you find your 1st ball in the additional 15yds forward area - also too late. If you found your provisional then debateable. I’d always start my search saying I was looking for my 1st ball…not be looking for my 2nd. If I find my provisional then great, but 3min clock is still I ticking on the original. Of course if both balls were seen to go to the same pretty defined area then one 3mins.

 

[Swango1980]

Probably not a particular issue to worry too much about anyway. If someone is the type to try and bend the rules to give themselves another 3 minutes, they are probably the type to just not care about the 3 minutes anyway. They'll just give themselves as long as they think is reasonable in their own head to find the ball, which could be 5, 6, 7, 8, etc minutes. And, even if they don't find it in that time, if the ball happens to be discovered after that (perhaps where they were not looking), then they'd simply call "found it" and then play on. From my experience, that seems to be what most golfers seem to think they can do. It is rare I see a golfer say "found it, but my 3 minutes were up so I can't play it anymore"