Must Search for a Lost Ball?

[iacas]

  On 6/30/2023 at 3:26 AM, pganapathy said:

I am just curious.  What happens if you play the provisional from a spot further than where the original ball is assumed to be.  When will it become the ball in play.  After looking for and not finding in 3 minutes the original ball.  What happens if you don't search for the original ball?

Expand  

Did you read the rule?

• You’re allowed to hit your provisional as many times as you can until it’s at a spot closer to where you think your original is.
• When you make a stroke from closer or 3:00 of searching passes or you find it OB.
• Nothing.

[DaveP043]

  On 6/30/2023 at 12:58 AM, StuM said:

Ok, still a little confused.  If he considers the ball unplayable what is stopping him from taking S&D and playing his provisional?

Expand  

For an Unplayable Ball, you have 3 options, S&D, Lateral Relief, and Back on the Line.  When you know the result of one of those options (i.e. a Provisional being played as S&D relief), that knowledge may give you a reason to choose which type of relief you want.  A good provisional will be attractive, compared to the unknown results of the other two options.  But if you've hit the Provisional OB, you're more likely to choose BOTL or Lateral.  So the Rules require you to choose among your 3 options without knowing the results of any of them.

[StuM]

  On 6/30/2023 at 1:36 PM, DaveP043 said:

For an Unplayable Ball, you have 3 options, S&D, Lateral Relief, and Back on the Line.  When you know the result of one of those options (i.e. a Provisional being played as S&D relief), that knowledge may give you a reason to choose which type of relief you want.  A good provisional will be attractive, compared to the unknown results of the other two options.  But if you've hit the Provisional OB, you're more likely to choose BOTL or Lateral.  So the Rules require you to choose among your 3 options without knowing the results of any of them.

Expand  

Got it, Thanks.

It makes sense but one of the ideas behind hitting a provisional is to eliminate the wasted time of going back to the tee box after moving down the fairway.  It seems that this only works with a truly "Lost Ball" that is never found (or you rush to your provisional & hit it quickly). In the case above, hitting the provisional actually wasted time and if he had chosen to go back to the tee and re-hit for the S&D then even more time gets wasted.

[DaveP043]

  On 6/30/2023 at 6:04 PM, StuM said:

Got it, Thanks.

It makes sense but one of the ideas behind hitting a provisional is to eliminate the wasted time of going back to the tee box after moving down the fairway.  It seems that this only works with a truly "Lost Ball" that is never found (or you rush to your provisional & hit it quickly). In the case above, hitting the provisional actually wasted time and if he had chosen to go back to the tee and re-hit for the S&D then even more time gets wasted.

Expand  

Yeah, I can see positives and negatives both ways.  In this case the principle of not allowing a choice between one option with a known result and other options with unknown results overrides the convenience and time savings, at least in my opinion.  Really, how often does it happen that the best choice for unplayable is S&D?

[iacas]

  On 6/30/2023 at 6:38 PM, DaveP043 said:

Really, how often does it happen that the best choice for unplayable is S&D?

Expand  

Yes. Most often if you hit a provisional it’s lost, out of bounds, or you found it and choose to play it. Or, you use one of the other two options that isn’t stroke snd distance. So that’s five things versus one thing.

[reidsou]

Check out rule 18.1 - "Relief Under Penalty of Stroke and Distance Allowed at Any Time." The player in this situation of hitting into woods where he doesn't want to play from can take stroke and distance and hit again. No need to hit a provisional. And no risk of an "impolite" opponent finding the first ball.  

[DaveP043]

  On 7/1/2023 at 5:06 AM, reidsou said:

Check out rule 18.1 - "Relief Under Penalty of Stroke and Distance Allowed at Any Time." The player in this situation of hitting into woods where he doesn't want to play from can take stroke and distance and hit again. No need to hit a provisional. And no risk of an "impolite" opponent finding the first ball.  

Expand  

But most players want to retain the option of playing the original, saving a stroke or more.  They also don't want to be required to play that second ball, in case they hit it even further into the junk.  Then when they hit a perfect provisional and only then want to continue without looking for the original.