Rules question

[Mathlete1123]

My home course has some very thick rough, when I spray one out into the deep stuff I've been hitting a provisional in case I can't find my first drive. Today I did this and I found my first drive in an unplayable lie under a pine tree. I decided it would be better to take the full relief instead of dropping within two club lengths and trying hack it back towards the fairway. I just played out the hole with my provisional ball adding a two stroke penalty. My question is was it legal for me to play my provisional or should I pick the provisional and hit another from the tee box in this situation?

[ddebart2]

Not positive but I would say that would not be legal in tournament conditions. I believe the provisional becomes not an option as soon as your original is found so technically if you didn't want to take the 2 club lengths you would have to go back to the tee box and hit a 3rd ball. For the sake of fast play though playing the provisional makes sense.

[ryanf]

A rules expert needs to weigh in here but I'm almost positive the your provisional cannot be played once your ball is found, whether you want to play it or not. But, for non-tournament play on a weekend round I think playing the provisional is a much better solution then going back to the tee just for the sake of pace of play.

[Ed_Bighead]

A rules expert needs to weigh in here but I'm almost positive the your provisional cannot be played once your ball is found, whether you want to play it or not. But, for non-tournament play on a weekend round I think playing the provisional is a much better solution then going back to the tee just for the sake of pace of play.

I agree. You hit your first ball. Afraid it's OB, you hit a provisional. You find your first ball, so you have to abandon the provisional (

27-2.c ). You then decide that the ball is unplayable, so you have to go back to the tee to hit another ( 28.a ).

[alf174]

I agree. You hit your first ball. Afraid it's OB, you hit a provisional. You find your first ball, so you have to abandon the provisional (

Using your link to 28.a, he has other options B & C when he calls the original unplayable. He doesn't

HAVE to use option A.

[Ed_Bighead]

His question was "was it legal for me to play my provisional or should I pick the provisional and hit another from the tee box in this situation?" which suggested that he wanted to do option A, and not the other two. But no, he does not HAVE to go back to the tee.

[iacas]

Once it's found the provisional is abandoned. You then have any option under "unplayable ball" that you'd like.