golf ruling?

Question

i thought i lost my golf ball and hit another, after i hit it i found my original ball, i then played it and made a par. the playing partner said i couldnt do that . i dont know the rule oln that, maybe you could help?

Answer 1

The first ball is lost, sorry. You can play a provisional ball for ball that may be lost anywhere on the course (Not just from the tee) and you can play the provisional up until you get to the spot where the first ball should be. You then have 5 minutes to find the first ball. If you can't find the first ball in this time it is lost and you have to continue with your provisional (obviously adding the penalties). If you play the provisional ball from a spot further along than the first ball may be you are deemed to have declared the first ball lost.

You also must declare the second ball "a provisional ball in case the first one is lost". Otherwise you are deemed to have declared the first ball lost.

Rules can be complicated and if you are just having a hit with your mates just do what is fair :)

If you need any more help with rules, just email me.

Answer 2

You can play a provisional ball any time you think your ball might be lost (not in a hazard) or out of bounds. This applies on ANY shot, not just the tee shot.

BUT.... you have to declare it a provisional before you hit. You have to say out loud to your opponent or playing partner "This is a provisional ball", or words to that effect.

If you don't declare that you're playing a provisional, your second shot becomes your ball in play and you need to play it for the rest of the hole.

If you declare it as a provisional, you can continue to play it until you come to the place where you first ball is likely to be. If you find your original ball in bounds, you can play the first ball. So, if it was from the tee, you would be hitting your second shot.

(For example, if you hit your first drive 250, but flub your provisional, you can hit the provisional until you pass 250 yards.)

You get FIVE minutes to search for your lost ball (not two minutes). If you don't find it, then the first ball is lost.

Answer 3

If you hit the first ball of the tee and you think it is lost than you declare you are hitting a provisional while you are still on the tee. If you go to look for it and then go back to hit another one and then find it later it doesn't matter. Once you went back to the tee you declared it lost and you must take 2 strokes.

Answer 4

Hi.

(1)
if you DECLARED the second ball to be a provisional ball, thinking the first ball might not be found you can then hit the provisional ball as many times as it takes to get within the area where the first ball might be,if the original ball IS found then it MUST be played, and all shots with the provisional ball are discounted,
if the first ball is not found within a 5 minutes search,or the player declares he is giving up the search before the 5 minutes are up,then the provisional is the ball in play and all shots with it and the original ball are counted, PLUS ONE PENALTY STROKE.
(this is termed a stroke and distance penalty)

(2)
But if you simply went straight to where you thought your first ball was before hitting another one and could not find it, to continue the hole you MUST then go back to approx. where your first ball was hit from,drop another ball and adding one penalty stroke to the number of times the original ball was hit, eg. if you had played one stroke with the first ball you are now playing your third with the second ball, the second ball is now the ball in play,if you then take eg. another two shots to hole out you have scored 5
(as in (1) above, the penalty is stroke and distance)

(3)
A player cannot just drop a ball approx.where they think the first was lost,
if the player wants to continue playing the hole they are on, then they must go back as near as possible to where the lost ball was hit from and hit another ball under the (Stroke and distance penalty rule)
once they have taken this action and the second ball is hit, it is the ball in play,and the first ball is discounted,even if it is eventually found.

(4)
If you do not go back, when playing Match play, you lose that hole.
If you are playing stroke play, you are disqualified

I hope this answer is helpful
Best Regards
David B

Answer 5

Once you put the second ball (I don't think we're talking provisional ball here) in play you have abandoned the first ball. In an informal round, 99% of players would insist that you play the original ball as if you hadn't lost it. In a tournament or otherwise serious competition you would have to consider the original ball lost.

Answer 6

just call everything a provisional. If your buddies are the ones who are doing this to you, you need to find new friends cause they are lame.

People in this thread you can only play a provisional of the tee is completely false. You "Technically" can play a provisional anywhere on the golf course.

Answer 7

hitting another ball after hitting a "lost ball" which you believe to be lost from the tee is called hitting a provisional...if you can't find the first ball you hit, then you play the provisional ball where it lies as your "third stroke" but what you did was correct, and you get par for the hole! your partner didn't know what he/she was talking about (who'm i kidding, he).

Answer 8

If it was off the tee you can hit a provisional ball if you find your other ball inbounds you can carry on as normal however if you hit you provisional ball again before you find your original ball you have to carry on as though you lost your original ball.

Answer 9

I think you should be able to do that. It's not like you were playing the Masters grand slam event. You shouldn't have to get so technical about a ruling, but who knows?...

Answer 10

you are allowed to play your first ball if you found it in bounds in less than 5 minutes of looking for it. the 2nd ball you hit would be your provisional, and would only be needed if your original ball was OB or lost