Hit Through a Water Hazard and Abandoned My Ball. Did I Make the Right Choice?

**billchao** · June 9, 2015

Today I hit a monster push-slice on the 8th hole that carried over a water hazard (I believe it's actually considered a lateral water hazard) and landed on the 7th tee. It's unclear whether the ball stopped or rolled through, back into said hazard at a different point. I then hit a provisional that caromed off a tree and landed in the fairway. I chose to keep playing the hole with my provisional ball for logistical reasons and abandoned my original tee shot.

I have two questions: Was this a legal play, and did I make the right choice?

Here is a picture of the situation:

My first tee shot clearly landed on the ground of the 7th tee box as I saw it off the tee, but I didn't think it was feasible to walk back over there to look for it without causing undue delay to my playing partner. I also didn't think it was a good idea to walk through the 6th green and circle around back to the 7th tee and possibly interrupt other people playing.

I think there's a chance that I could have found my ball or been virtually certain that it rolled into the lake on the other side, in which case I could have dropped somewhere on the 7th tee and played on, saving at least a stroke. Is that the right assessment?

**wadesworld** · June 9, 2015

You had 3 choices:

1) Hit a provisional and then go find your original ball and play it if found (or taken relief from the water hazard if you were in it).

2) Don't declare your second ball as a provisional, just put a second ball into play. That would become your ball in-play and you would be laying 3 in the fairway.

3) Keep playing your provisional until you get to a spot at or closer to the hole where your original ball is likely to be. Once you play a stroke with the provisional from that point it becomes your ball in play. This is the option you took and it was perfectly legal.

Quote:

I think there's a chance that I could have found my ball or been virtually certain that it rolled into the lake on the other side, in which case I could have dropped somewhere on the 7th tee and played on, saving at least a stroke. Is that the right assessment?

These two statements don't really jibe however. You can't "either find your ball" (outside the hazard) or be "virtually certain" it's in the hazard. If you could have been virtually certain your ball was in the hazard, you would not have been able to hit a provisional. If there was a chance it could have been outside the hazard, then it didn't meet the standard for virtual certainty (and thus made your provisional permissible).

**turtleback** · June 13, 2015

Today I hit a monster push-slice on the 8th hole that carried over a water hazard (I believe it's actually considered a lateral water hazard) and landed on the 7th tee. It's unclear whether the ball stopped or rolled through, back into said hazard at a different point. I then hit a provisional that caromed off a tree and landed in the fairway. I chose to keep playing the hole with my provisional ball for logistical reasons and abandoned my original tee shot.

I have two questions: Was this a legal play, and did I make the right choice?

Here is a picture of the situation:

My first tee shot clearly landed on the ground of the 7th tee box as I saw it off the tee, but I didn't think it was feasible to walk back over there to look for it without causing undue delay to my playing partner. I also didn't think it was a good idea to walk through the 6th green and circle around back to the 7th tee and possibly interrupt other people playing.

I think there's a chance that I could have found my ball or been virtually certain that it rolled into the lake on the other side, in which case I could have dropped somewhere on the 7th tee and played on, saving at least a stroke. Is that the right assessment?

I do not understand your basis for hitting a provisional.

You saw the ball hit, and given that you state that either the ball would be found or you would be virtually certain it was lost in the hazard. So you neither thought the ball was OB nor did you think it was lost outside a hazard.

IMO, based on your description you had no basis for hitting a provisional and therefore your second tee shot was the ball in play and you lie 3 in the fairway. So you ended up in the right place, but, IMO, for the wrong reasons.

**billchao** · June 13, 2015

You had 3 choices:

1) Hit a provisional and then go find your original ball and play it if found (or taken relief from the water hazard if you were in it).

2) Don't declare your second ball as a provisional, just put a second ball into play. That would become your ball in-play and you would be laying 3 in the fairway.

3) Keep playing your provisional until you get to a spot at or closer to the hole where your original ball is likely to be. Once you play a stroke with the provisional from that point it becomes your ball in play. This is the option you took and it was perfectly legal.

I think technically speaking, I took option 2. I never declared my ball a provisional, I just re-teed and hit another. I guess because I did that, it's a good thing I decided to abandon the original ball, because if I found it and tried to play it or took a drop at the water I definitely would have been in breach of the rules.

These two statements don't really jibe however. You can't "either find your ball" (outside the hazard) or be "virtually certain" it's in the hazard. If you could have been virtually certain your ball was in the hazard, you would not have been able to hit a provisional. If there was a chance it could have been outside the hazard, then it didn't meet the standard for virtual certainty (and thus made your provisional permissible).

All I meant was that I knew the ball could only be on or near the 7th tee box or it re-entered the water hazard. It wasn't feasible to find out either way so I just hit another ball.

I do not understand your basis for hitting a provisional.

You saw the ball hit, and given that you state that either the ball would be found or you would be virtually certain it was lost in the hazard. So you neither thought the ball was OB nor did you think it was lost outside a hazard.

IMO, based on your description you had no basis for hitting a provisional and therefore your second tee shot was the ball in play and you lie 3 in the fairway. So you ended up in the right place, but, IMO, for the wrong reasons.

Thanks, I understand better now. Fortunately I stumbled into the right action and now I know why it was right. The lesson here is, never hit your ball 80 yards offline

**wadesworld** · June 13, 2015

I think technically speaking, I took option 2. I never declared my ball a provisional, I just re-teed and hit another. I guess because I did that, it's a good thing I decided to abandon the original ball, because if I found it and tried to play it or took a drop at the water I definitely would have been in breach of the rules.

All I meant was that I knew the ball could only be on or near the 7th tee box or it re-entered the water hazard. It wasn't feasible to find out either way so I just hit another ball.

Thanks, I understand better now. Fortunately I stumbled into the right action and now I know why it was right. The lesson here is, never hit your ball 80 yards offline

Yep, had you hit the original ball, you would have been guilty of playing a wrong ball. Or had you taken a drop you would have been guilty of playing from a wrong place.

Just for next time, since you didn't know whether your ball was in the hazard or not, it could have been lost outside the hazard and you would have been justified in hitting a provisional. Of course if it's so far away you're not going to go over there and play it even if you find it outside the hazard, then just putting another ball into play is fine.

**billchao** · June 13, 2015

Yep, had you hit the original ball, you would have been guilty of playing a wrong ball. Or had you taken a drop you would have been guilty of playing from a wrong place.

Just for next time, since you didn't know whether your ball was in the hazard or not, it could have been lost outside the hazard and you would have been justified in hitting a provisional. Of course if it's so far away you're not going to go over there and play it even if you find it outside the hazard, then just putting another ball into play is fine.

I think I get it now, thanks for the clarification.

**turtleback** · June 14, 2015

Thanks, I understand better now. Fortunately I stumbled into the right action and now I know why it was right. The lesson here is, never hit your ball 80 yards offline

That is a much harder lesson for most of us than anything the rules might throw at us.

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