Rule/Procedure for lost ball (in rough)

[Maverick]

When my buddies and I play and we can't find a ball that might've went astray in the rough we just take a drop in the approximate area and count a stroke penalty. Is this correct?

We didn't hit a provisional because the ball landed on the fairway but just trickled off into the deep rough.

What's the ruling/procedure here?

[gripitandripit]

I think ,by rule, you must go back and hit another ball if you didn't hit a provisional.

[NCGolfer]

I think ,by rule, you must go back and hit another ball if you didn't hit a provisional.

Indeed. The lost ball is one stroke. Teeing up another is two and the following drive will be laying 3 in the fairway (hopefully).

And Maverick, for the sake of time, it is fine to drop a ball if you don't want to hold things up and run back to the tee...but you should take one stroke for the drop and one stroke for the distance. So wherever you drop you will be laying 3 and hitting 4. I know a lot of people that only take one stroke (as you do) because it seems stiff to take two for a crappy break. If you bomb one in the trees though, two seems right. If it trickles off the fairway, well, then that's up to you.

[farce]

Mav, just hire a gallery of fans to follow your round and they'll find every ball you hit. =)

[Maverick]

And Maverick, for the sake of time, it is fine to drop a ball if you don't want to hold things up and run back to the tee...but you should take one stroke for the drop and one stroke for the distance. So wherever you drop you will be

this is a USGA ruling? whoa..that is harsh.

[NCGolfer]

this is a USGA ruling? whoa..that is harsh.

It's the same if you hit it OB.

Rule 27-1.

27-1. Ball Lost or Out of Bounds If a ball is lost or is out of bounds, the player must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke, as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5).

So you hit a ball and lose it. Take one stroke penalty and

play another ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played . It does suck and is probably the rule most often broken on a day-to-day basis on the golf course.

[Maverick]

I read that section but didn't find anything saying it's another stroke for distance..so you mean instead of going back assume that I would hit it as far..thus the other stroke?

[LarryK]

...but you should take one stroke for the drop and one stroke for the distance. So wherever you drop you will be laying 3 and hitting 4.

Well, now. Don't I feel like the village idiot. It isn't enough that I've been invoking the rule incorrectly. What's worse is that I only do it wrong about every other time! Like Maverick, if I lose the ball in the rough, I drop and count a stroke. That's two. I haven't been counting the distance not because the penalty is too harsh (although it really is) but because.....I just.....haven't....uh.....thought of it.

On the other hand, if I hit one from the tee OB or in weeds where I know it is lost then I re-tee (that's two) and hit again (that's three). I can't believe I've been screwing this up from sheer ignorance and overlooking the obvious. Of course , there's an additional stroke for the distance. DUUUUHHHHH. In case you haven't guessed, I don't play much tournament golf.

[Maverick]

Well, now. Don't I feel like the village idiot. It isn't enough that I've been invoking the rule incorrectly. What's worse is that I only do it wrong about every other time! Like Maverick, if I lose the ball in the rough, I drop and count a stroke. That's two. I haven't been counting the distance not because the penalty is too harsh (although it really is) but because.....I just.....haven't....uh.....thought of it.

Me too..I just never thought of it that way but it makes sense. My buddies are gonna hate me when I tell them this one..lol

[xian]

I read that section but didn't find anything saying it's another stroke for distance..so you mean instead of going back assume that I would hit it as far..thus the other stroke?

You didn't read about another stroke for distance because there is no allowance for dropping in the fairway after a lost tee shot. After losing a ball you must return to the point from which you last hit. Dropping near where you thought your ball went is not legal under the rules, but is often done to keep from slowing the course to a grinding halt.

[NCGolfer]

You didn't read about another stroke for distance because there is no allowance for dropping in the fairway after a lost tee shot. After losing a ball you must return to the point from which you last hit. Dropping near where you thought your ball went is not legal under the rules, but is often done to keep from slowing the course to a grinding halt.

Correct.

Maverick, just look at it this way. You CAN'T just drop a ball in the fairway or rough after losing one. It has to be treated like you hit it OB. Thus: Stroke 1: Drive off the tee Stroke 2: Penalty shot Stroke 3: 2nd Drive off the tee You are laying 3 and hitting 4 wherever your 2nd drive ends up. This is why they allow for a provisional ball if you think it went OB...so you don't have to make that crappy walk back to the tee with nothing but a ball, tee and driver with you and waste time.

[cold]

nvm


this is just another reason why i think driving is even more important to work on then putting

[thehillgolfer]

my advice would be to hit a provisional ball if theres question as to whether you can find your ball or not....i make great use of this in tournaments when my driving is out of whack, b/c i get to hit an extra drive and also because there is nothign more humiliating than not finding your ball and having to walk all the way back to the tee to hit another....especially when the group behind you as already started teeing off

[LarryK]

my advice would be to hit a provisional ball if theres question as to whether you can find your ball or not

But in Maverick's defense (and not-so-conicidentally my own as well) in many cases there is NOT an obvious "question" as to whether the ball is lost. In fact, as you watch it roll through the fairway into the rough, the assumption is that you will find it. But, as it turns out, you don't. In these cases, as contrasted with-the-did-it-or-didn't-it question for balls landing near boundary markers (which would clearly suggest the wisdom of hitting a provisional), a drop in the immediate area seems thoroughly reasonable.

But as Dave's whack upside the head also makes clear, it is also reasonable (if you want to at least adhere to the spirit of the rule) to pretend that your drop was hit to that position from the tee as required by rule. And that's an additional stroke.

[sioutdoors]

of course you can play a provisonal ball, which means if you think the first is lost tee another one up while you are there, still take a penalty for the second if the first is not found. Also saves time versus going back to the tee http://www.usga.org/questions/faqs/rules_search.asp

[HanesOnU]

*I DIDN'T READ THIS THREAD, I DIDN'T READ THIS THREAD*

ok, now I don't have to count the distance penalty. man, that was close. lol

[Maverick]

But in Maverick's defense (and not-so-conicidentally my own as well) in many cases there is NOT an obvious "question" as to whether the ball is lost.

..yeah, what LarryK said..

[LarryK]

Had to invoke the damn rule today and I'm still pissed.

349-yard, uphill par four. So-so drive into the right rough leaves me about 125 yards out with a decent lie.

Green is partially obstructed on the right by a large blue spruce, which is also where you want to hit due to the severe right to left slope of the green.

So I hit a 9-iron over the spruce, but never really see it land. It could be in or just beyond the bunker on the other side of the spruce, or it could have hit one of the other two or three trees in that area and gone........anywhere.

But it was a 9-iron fer crissakes! It's not like I smoked it! And despite the trees, the ground here is fairly open. If I find it, I'll probably have a reasonable chip at the pin.

But no dice. Moderately deep rough is hiding this sucker somewhere. So I drop, but instead of lying 3, I am (thanks entirely to Dave Koster) lying FOUR !!

So a coulda/shoulda par or at worst bogey turns into a triple 7.

Thanks, Dave I think I liked ignorance better.