When does five minutes start?

[backwoodsman]

When playing in threeballs, I find that I'm generally quicker getting off the tee and walk quicker than than my FCs. If one of them puts a shot into a "losable area", I tend to be there and ready to start looking before he is. He is not my partner, and has neither asked me to look nor not to look. So when does the five minutes start: when I start looking or when he arrives and starts? If I start looking, is it tacit agreement on his part if he doesn't say something like "don't start yet"? Am I doing him a disservice by start to look ahead of him?

 

[ManinBlack]

Definition in "Rules of Golf"" ( you really should get a copy, they're free!) The 5 minutes starts when "the player's side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it"

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Definition in "Rules of Golf"" ( you really should get a copy, they're free!) The 5 minutes starts when "the player's side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it"

Otherwise - if you think about it - player hits ball off tee into cabbage and starts walk to ball. It's a long walk and will take him more than 5 minutes to get there. But a player in the group ahead spotted where he thought the guys ball went so starts looking for it. When the player arrives he looks in slightly different place and finds his ball straight away - but his 5 minutes is up...no obviously that can't be the case.

But - and it occurs to me - what if the player in the group ahead is a team-mate playing in the game ahead in a match. hmmm.

 

[backwoodsman]

I know what the rule book says. I was really thinking as to whether there was any relevance to me searching with his authority, or searching without it. Or, whether me searching is totally irrelevant in all circumstances. As appears to be the case from both the rules and the answers so far. But if for some reason he said something like "you go and start looking, I'll be along in a minute", would that make any difference?

 

[Spuddy]

I know what the rule book says. I was really thinking as to whether there was any relevance to me searching with his authority, or searching without it. Or, whether me searching is totally irrelevant in all circumstances. As appears to be the case from both the rules and the answers so far. But if for some reason he said something like "you go and start looking, I'll be along in a minute", would that make any difference?

No difference whatsover. It's when you, your caddy, your partner, or his caddy start looking. The rules are designed to be taken literally so if you could authorise an opponent to look for it which would start the clock ticking then it would say so.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

No difference whatsover. It's when you, your caddy, your partner, or his caddy start looking. The rules are designed to be taken literally so if you could authorise an opponent to look for it which would start the clock ticking then it would say so.

OK - so 'team-mate' is not interpreted to be any member of your 'team' outside of your playing group.

 

[Spuddy]

OK - so 'team-mate' is not interpreted to be any member of your 'team' outside of your playing group.

The term used is 'side' rather than 'team' and is defined as....

"A side is a player, or two or more players who are partners." Players in other matches who may be on your 'team' are not your partner.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The term used is 'side' rather than 'team' and is defined as....

"A side is a player, or two or more players who are partners." Players in other matches who may be on your 'team' are not your partner.

Check.