Ruling when unable to find your ball

[MikeLowry5]

I have been playing for about 8 months now and am at a point where I can hit the ball fairly well and keep it in play for the most part.

I am now trying to keep a more accurate score and am not sure how to play the following:

The courses I play are heavily wooded and if you hook/slice something too bad youre in the woods. Frequently off the tee on some of the more narrow holes I will hit my drive up into the trees or near the trees and am unsure if it fell in play or out. If unable to find my ball what is the correct procedure?

Should I have hit another tee shot and took the penalty stroke? If unable to find the ball do I drop? Where do I drop?

Thanks for the help in advance!

Mike

[iacas]

Stroke and distance. You hit a ball into the woods, you hit a provisional from the tee (announce it as such). If you're unable to find your first one in five minutes from when you start looking, it's lost, and your provisional lay three.

If you didn't hit a provisional, you're technically supposed to go back to the place you hit from, take a penalty stroke, and hit again. Many won't do this in the interest of not walking back to the tee while a foursome behind them waits. Which is why you should get in the habit of hitting provisionals if there's a chance the ball will be lost.

[MikeLowry5]

Does this apply to a second shot say on a par 5 that may be hard to find?

If ubable to find the ball and a provisional is hit I assume you "forefeit" the hole and the max is acessed? What is the correct method for determining the maximum amount of strokes in this case?

Thanks!

Mike

[saltman]

Does this apply to a second shot say on a par 5 that may be hard to find?

Yes.

Stroke and distance, it sucks, but thems the rules. As iacas said, get in the habit of hitting a provisional.

[Shindig]

Does this apply to a second shot say on a par 5 that may be hard to find?

If you don't know where your second shot ended up, hit a provisional from where you hit the second shot from. If you find your original, pick up the provisional. Otherwise, you hit the ball that was the provisional (from where it is) as your 5th shot (first shot, second shot, stroke + distance penalty for lost ball)

In short, the rule is that if you lose a ball, go back to where you last hit from; this is a stroke and distance penalty. However, for pace of play purposes, if you believe you might have lost a ball, you can, for free, hit a provisional. If you did lose the first one, you can just go find the provisional as if you had had it after declaring the first one lost. If the first one is found, the provisional is treated as if it weren't hit at all.

If ubable to find the ball and a provisional is hit I assume you "forefeit" the hole and the max is acessed? What is the correct method for determining the maximum amount of strokes in this case?

No, you just go back to where you hit the provisional from and hit again. Let's say you hit a tee shot and aren't sure where it is. You hit a provisional. You head out and can't find either. Go back to the tee and hit again: this is now your 5th shot.

Strictly speaking, there is no "maximum strokes" in the rules. However, after some number of shots, you should pick up and move on if it's a casual round. When you post for your handicap, you have to lower your score on the hole to some value, based on your existing handicap.

[J_Bone]

However, for pace of play purposes, if you believe you might have lost a ball, you can, for free, hit a provisional. If you did lose the first one, you can just go find the provisional as if you had had it after declaring the first one lost. If the first one is found, the provisional is treated as if it weren't hit at all.

Your saying that if you find your first one after hitting a provisional, you can play the first ball and pick up the provisional with no penalty? right?

[Shindig]

Your saying that if you find your first one after hitting a provisional, you can play the first ball and pick up the provisional with no penalty? right?

Yes. The provisional rule is in place to help pace of play. You aren't penalized for playing a provisional (other than the penalty for lost ball if you have to actually use the provisional).

Note that you must positively identify the ball you're playing as the right one (down to distinguishing the original vs provisional). So if you hit an unmarked Titleist 3, then hit a Titleist 3 provisional, and they're near one another, you can't claim one is the original unless it is marked. Yet another reason to make sure you have at least one sharpie in your bag, or balls of different numbers, or different logo balls. In fact, I'm looking for a distinguished color sharpie to keep in my bag solely for provisionals.

[Aetsh]

Yes. The provisional rule is in place to help pace of play. You aren't penalized for playing a provisional (other than the penalty for lost ball if you have to actually use the provisional).

Wow..I did not know this was legal..Happened to me several times playing alone, and I thought I was cheating...Felt like it for sure

[J_Bone]

Yes. The provisional rule is in place to help pace of play. You aren't penalized for playing a provisional (other than the penalty for lost ball if you have to actually use the provisional).

Thanks, that's what I thought......and my balls are marked with a Green sharpie line.

[maelkoth]

So if you lost your original ball, and you didn't hit a provisional, can you drop a ball where you think you may have lost the original?

[Shindig]

Wow..I did not know this was legal..Happened to me several times playing alone, and I thought I was cheating...Felt like it for sure

Not cheating. Used correctly, it is just saving time for everyone. If you use the free swing afforded to you by the provisional to find out what went wrong in a swing, more power to you.

Thanks, that's what I thought......and my balls are marked with a Green sharpie line.

Yep. I actually have four sharpie colors in my bag. I just don't have a dedicated provisional color.

So if you lost your original ball, and you didn't hit a provisional, can you drop a ball where you think you may have lost the original?

Not if you care about following the rules. In a casual round, or if your group doesn't play strict rules, or if you're behind already, or whatever, go ahead. I can't tell you which shot number you're hitting when you hit the dropped ball, though.

Now, you'll see people do this all the time. The rules don't actually allow for it, but I'm not going to stop someone from doing it if we aren't playing with any stakes. If it's a friend, I'll let him know probably after the round (so as to not interfere with his mental state) that the rules don't actually allow that. It's up there with treating O.B. as a lateral hazard as one of the most common things you see people do that the rules don't actually allow.

[NotAStick]

So if you lost your original ball, and you didn't hit a provisional, can you drop a ball where you think you may have lost the original?

Just to clarify and reiterate. There is no dropping the ball unless you can positively identify it in a hazard and/or are certain you know where it crossed the hazard line.

OB and lost balls are not hazards and both have to be re-played from the tee. A provisional for any ball that is very far off the tee is a good idea. An added bonus is that you don't have to leave the hole with a poor stroke in your mind. even if you find your original, you get a second try to hit the fairway and bolster your confidence. Note, there is a stipulation stating that you can't "abuse" the provisional (by hitting one every hole, for example), but it's loosely enforced. Some tight courses have strict rules in the mens club where any ball that "may be off the fairway" requires at least one provisional to be hit off the tee to help pace of play.

[Shindig]

OB and lost balls are not hazards and both have to be re-played from the tee.

From where the last stroke was played. This is the tee if it's a tee shot. If your tee shot is fine, but you lose your second shot, you play from where the second shot was from.