Hello rules gurus,

a situation came up recently: I was a fair distance from the green, hit a 3w, it went left into what looked like bushes (hard to tell from pretty far away).

Along most of the left of the hole is a hasard marked by red stakes. It’s a marsh type area.

However, I was unsure as to how far up the hole the stakes extended and if my ball had come to rest in a hasard or if after a while the left marshy area was no longer marked as a hasard, in which case my ball would probably be lost.

Anyway: unsure what to do I hit a provisional (thinking, if no stakes, and ball lost, it will save me a back and forth walk).

I get to where I believe the ball was lost and see that that area is still staked as a hasard . My questions qre qs follows:

1) Does the description above make any kind of sense to anyone?
2) If yes, what can I do in that situation? Can I take relief, one club length fro, where the ball last crossed the hasard line?
3) Should I have played the provisional in the first place?
4) do I have to play my provisional?

I know from posting in this forum that the powers that be are not always very verbose, but if you could provide me just a rule number, it will be more than enough to get me going!

Thanks in advance

Decision 27-2a/2.5
Player Plays Provisional Ball in Belief Original
Might Be Lost Outside Water Hazard Then Discovers There Is No Possibility of Its Being Lost Outside Water Hazard

Q. A player’s tee shot is struck towards an area of trees, bushes and tall grass. Believing his ball might be lost outside a water hazard, the player announces his intention to play a provisional ball and plays a ball from the tee. When he arrives at the area, he finds that the area in question is wetlands that has been defined as a lateral water hazard and that it is known or virtually certain that his ball is in it. What is the ruling?

A. As the player played the second ball from the tee in the belief that his original ball might be lost outside a water hazard, that ball was a provisional ball. The subsequent discovery that the area in question is in fact a lateral water hazard is irrelevant. Therefore, the player must abandon the provisional ball and proceed under Rule 26-1 – see Rule 27-2c.

Max, you may play a provisional ball if you suspect that your ball may have gone out of bounds or is lost outside of a hazard.

As you suspected that the water hazard may not have continued as far as where your ball entered the area, playing a provisional was reasonable. Provided that you were virtually certain that your ball entered the hazard, the provisional cannot be used and your point of reference was where your ball entered the hazard.

Rule 26-1 lists your options for relief.

AAA beat me to it.

I’m no guru. All you need do is read the rule book.

To be fair the answer is in the decisions book.

Thank you all for your answers.

As I suspected I was right to play the provisional, but wrong to continue playing with it (one of my playing partners convinced me that since ball was in hasard and provisional played that automaticly constituted my chosen relief option). Live and learn!

Thanks again to the posters in this Rules forum. Although I know there’s a lot of “read the fucking rule book” brandied about, it has definitely helped my knowledge of the rules and yes even got me to open said rule book on several occasions!

Cheers!

Max, a similar example is where you hit your ball into thick scrub and you know that finding it is doubtful. You play a provisional.

In a cursory look for your first ball, it is found and you deem it unplayable. You decide the best option is to replay the shot (stroke & distance). You cannot use your provisional ball as that ‘replay’. You have to go back and hit again.

If your provisional shot was really good, you may choose to not look for the first ball and discourage others from looking as well. The provisional only becomes the ball in play when the first remains unfound for 5 minutes or you play another shot with the provisional.

It’s worth reading the rules because there are other provisions, such as playing a second shot on your provisional if it has not gone as far as your first ball is likely to be.

Many players seem to think that just using the provisional as the replay is ok, when it’s not.

ob the provisional ball doesn’t become the ball in play with the second shot it only becomes the ball in play when played at a spot nearer the hole than where the first ball is deemed to lie or when the original becomes a lost ball ,e.g. after 5 mins time has elapse , the amount of shots played with the provisional is irrelevant up to the point where the original is deemed to lie

I said that, Deli. More or less.

ob ps congrats on your eagle/hio 2