What happens if you lose your provisional ball?

Question

I teed off and then hit a provisional ball because I thought my drive could be lost. I soon realized that I lost both the drive and the provisional ball. I then dropped a ball close to where I lost the first ball. What do I lie for my next shot?

I teed off and then hit a provisional ball because I thought my drive could be lost. I soon realized that I lost both the drive and the provisional ball in a water hazzard. I then dropped a ball close to where I lost the first ball. What do I lie for my next shot?

I lost both balls in a water hazzard.

Answer 1

If you found your first ball in a water hazard you abandon the provisional and take a drop with a penalty stroke, now you are hitting 3.
In this case there must reasonable proof that the ball is in the hazard and then you may take a penalty drop.
The presumption is that both balls were found in the hazard so you can then abandon the provisional.

If you found neither ball then you must return to the point where they were hit from and be hitting 5 from there.

This game can get difficult at times.

Enjoy it

Leon

Answer 2

You teed off. You thought that you lost the ball. The provisional ONLY comes into play after you have determined that the ball was lost. Then you discover that the provisional is also lost. You must go back to the tee, (or wherever you had hit from) and replay the shot. You will be hitting 5.

At no time can you just lay a ball down where you think you lost it.

Now I see that you have lost both balls in a water hazard. Well it depends on the type of hazard. Was it yellow (frontal) or red (lateral)? If it was yellow then your options are to hit another shot from where you played, your original and a provisional then you are hitting 5. You can also move back as far as you want while keeping the spot where your ball (now the provisional) last crossed the hazard, not where the ball landed in the water.

If it was red then you still have the options listed above but you also have the option of dropping a ball outside of the hazard withing two club lengths of the spot where the ball crossed the hazard line, but no closer to the hole. Because you chose to play the provisional ball after the first lost ball if you now chose to drop it wii be your 5th shot.

Also, to the rules of golf a ball lost outside of a hazard is treated totally different that a ball that is lost in the hazard.

I suggest that you buy a rule book. They are really cheap.

Answer 3

You can't hit a provisional ball for a ball that is in a water hazard. You must take a drop if the ball is in the water hazard, according to Rule 26-1:

26-1 Relief for Ball in Water Hazard
It is a question of fact whether a ball lost after having been struck toward a water hazard is lost inside or outside the hazard. In order to treat the ball as lost in the hazard, there must be reasonable evidence that the ball lodged in it. In the absence of such evidence, the ball must be treated as a lost ball and Rule 27 applies.
If a ball is in or is lost in a water hazard (whether the ball lies in water or not), the player may under penalty of one stroke:
(a) Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or(b) Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped; or (c) As additional options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole. The ball may be lifted and cleaned when proceeding under this Rule.

Regarding Provisional Balls:

27-2 Provisional Ball
a. Procedure
If a ball may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds, to save time the player may play another ball provisionally in accordance with Rule 27-1. The player must inform his opponent in match play or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play that he intends to play a provisional ball, and he must play it before he or his partnergoes forward to search for the original ball.
If he fails to do so and plays another ball, that ball is not a provisional ball and becomes the ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1); the original ball is lost.
(Order of play from teeing ground — see Rule 10-3.)
Note: If a provisional ball played under Rule 27-2a might be lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds, the player may play another provisional ball. If another provisional ball is played, it bears the same relationship to the previous provisional ball as the first provisional ballbears to the original.
b. When Provisional Ball Becomes Ball in Play
The player may play a provisional ball until he reaches the place where the original ball is likely to be. If he makes a stroke with the provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place, the original ball is lost and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1).
If the original ball is lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, the provisional ball becomes the ball in play, under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1).
If there is reasonable evidence that the original ball is lost in a water hazard,the player must proceed in accordance with Rule 26-1.
Exception: If there is reasonable evidence that the original ball is lost in an obstruction (Rule 24-3) or an abnormal ground condition (Rule 25-1c) the player may proceed under the applicable Rule.
c. When Provisional Ball to Be Abandoned
If the original ball is neither lost nor out of bounds, the player must abandon the provisional ball and continue playing the original ball. If he makes any further strokes at the provisional ball, he is playing a wrong ball and the provisions of Rule 15 apply.
Note: If a player plays a provisional ball under Rule 27-2a, the strokes made after this Rule has been invoked with a provisional ball abandoned under Rule 27-2c and penalty strokesincurred solely by playing that ball are disregarded.

Answer 4

seeing how the provisional is used most times to help save time, and is not a real rule, by playing the drop of the original ball, you are now addressing your third shot (your tee shot plus penalty of lost ball) Hope that helps.

Answer 5

water is a lateral hazard, you didn't need to hit a second ball, you just need to 1) find the ball you hit and play that or 2) drop at the point of entry of the water and you'll be hitting your 3rd shot.