Would you like to go back to five minutes to look for your ball?

[The Fader]

For those maths to work that assumes that no ball is found or not found untill the end of the fifth minute. How often does a four ball lose 12 balls in a round that are fully searched for?

Which is why I qualified it with the word "potentially"

Worst case scenario in this example but I've played when we've searching for balls almost every hole.

The point about slow play still stands

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Would like to see the onus of responsibility to find the ball to fall on the player and others not joining the search. Give the player 3 minutes and then move to the provisional ball. The others will then be in position already and getting ready to play their shots.

 

[Backsticks]

Would like to see the onus of responsibility to find the ball to fall on the player and others not joining the search. Give the player 3 minutes and then move to the provisional ball. The others will then be in position already and getting ready to play their shots.

I like that in a way, but what about spectators, caddies, greenstaff helpfully pointing your towards the right tree, etc. What if one of the players with eagle eyes did see it - were they looking, or not. Would a penalty apply ? Etc. Oh the tortuous rules of golf !

 

[Foxholer]

Simple maths:

A regular 4 ball of mid handicappers - each need 3 searches in a round. Assuming an extra 2 minutes for each of the 12 searches - potentially 24 minutes added to the round.

Slow play is the biggest blight on the game - why go back to something that slows play down?

3 minutes is plenty and I could probably support a further reduction. Might also have the knock on effect of making some golfers play more conservatively and within the boundaries of their abilities which would also help the pace of play!

The implication of the above is that the 2019 change has sped play up by (potentially) 24 minutes! I very much doubt that's been the case. In fact, I don't believe there's been any noticeble reduction in round time at all!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I like that in a way, but what about spectators, caddies, greenstaff helpfully pointing your towards the right tree, etc. What if one of the players with eagle eyes did see it - were they looking, or not. Would a penalty apply ? Etc. Oh the tortuous rules of golf !

Not sure a penalty need apply if its not another PP. That would depend on how the rule was written. I was thinking more the application for club players

 

[Jamesbrown]

No. give it one minute