Playing a Provisional

[Jefferey13]

So weird question here, it was something my group was discussing on my tournament on Friday. We were playing a par 5 where you can't see the ball after you hit the tee shot. There are lots of big groups of trees and balls often get lost so people hit provisionals so they don't have to walk back.

So in this situation a guy hits a tee shot that's could possibly be found or not. The player is confident in his head he will find the golf ball but announces he will take a provisional. The group thinks nothing of it. Knowing the following hole is a short par 3, he then proceeds to get out his PW and and practice PW shots down the fairway until he gets to his original.

What's the call?

[Johanna]

Did he use a ball to practise his wedge shots, or just swing the club ?

More information is needed to give you a correct answer.

[Jefferey13]

Originally Posted by Johanna

Did he use a ball to practise his wedge shots, or just swing the club ?

More information is needed to give you a correct answer.

He hits his provisional with the wedge

[Shorty]

[INDENT][/INDENT]I would say that he is using the rules to his advantage to the absolute extreme. His actions speak volumes about his character. He is cheating but will be able to tell himself otherwise. These are the types to avoid in golf and in life.

[iacas]

He can be DQed for gross violations such as this.

[Golfingdad]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but once he hit that provisional a second time with his PW isn't that ball automatically in play and the original is history, regardless of whether or not you find it?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Correct me if I'm wrong, but once he hit that provisional a second time with his PW isn't that ball automatically in play and the original is history, regardless of whether or not you find it?

No. You can play your provisional up to the point where your original ball is likely to lie. You can't hit a provisional past that though or it automatically becomes the ball in play.

[Johanna]

He may hit his provisional with whatever club he likes, but not until he hits it from a spot at least as far, or closer to the hole  from the spot where his original may lie, does the provisional ball become the ball in play.

If he does not find his original ball, the clever Alec has to add all the strokes he's made with his provisional ball to his score for the hole.

[Jefferey13]

Originally Posted by iacas

He can be DQed for gross violations such as this.

How so? What would the ruling be when he was DQed?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Jefferey13

How so? What would the ruling be when he was DQed?

I'm not saying this case comes close to rising to the level, but a player that constantly abuses the rules can be DQed (just as a player who constantly breaches etiquette can be DQed). See 33-7:

If a Committee considers that a player is guilty of a serious breach of etiquette, it may impose a penalty of disqualification under this Rule.

And there's always this:

27-2a/3

Play of Provisional Ball in Absence of Reasonable Possibility Original Ball Is Lost or Out of Bounds

Q. In the absence of reasonable possibility that a ball is lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, may the player play a provisional ball?

A. No. If a player plays a ball under such circumstances, the ball is not a provisional ball but the ball in play - see Decision 27-2a/2 .

Personally, I think it'd just be hilarious if his original ball was lost. He'd probably lie 5 or so.

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by iacas

He can be DQed for gross violations such as this.

But as Johanna says all the strokes with the PW and the penalty count.

27-2a/3

Play of Provisional Ball in Absence of Reasonable Possibility Original Ball Is Lost or Out of Bounds

Q. In the absence of reasonable possibility that a ball is lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, may the player play a provisional ball?

A. No. If a player plays a ball under such circumstances, the ball is not a provisional ball but the ball in play.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Rulesman

But as Johanna says all the strokes with the PW and the penalty count.

That's only applicable if it's not a "reasonable possibility" the ball is lost. The OP says the player is "certain in his head" it is not (how would he know what's in another player's head???) but says the player hit it in an area where the ball may or may not be found.

If his original ball was lost that's why it'd be funny: he'd be lying 5 or so where he could be lying 3 if he'd hit driver with his provisional.

[Dormie1360]

Originally Posted by Jefferey13

So weird question here, it was something my group was discussing on my tournament on Friday. We were playing a par 5 where you can't see the ball after you hit the tee shot. There are lots of big groups of trees and balls often get lost so people hit provisionals so they don't have to walk back.

So in this situation a guy hits a tee shot that's could possibly be found or not. The player is confident in his head he will find the golf ball but announces he will take a provisional. The group thinks nothing of it. Knowing the following hole is a short par 3, he then proceeds to get out his PW and and practice PW shots down the fairway until he gets to his original.

What's the call?

Given what jefferey13 wrote, sounds to me like the guy could play a provisional.  Given what I highlighted in red, it doesn't sound like 27-2a/3 would be applicable.  I think I would have to rule based on that, not what I think is in the guys head.

There is nothing in the rules that require a player to play his provisional with the same club.  Also, as has been mentioned, a player may continue to hit his provisional until the provisional reaches a spot where the original is likely to be... before the provisional has to start counting.

Not sure I can find a rules violation........but the player is taking a risk if his original ball is in fact lost.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Dormie1360

Given what jefferey13 wrote, sounds to me like the guy could play a provisional.  Given what I highlighted in red, it doesn't sound like 27-2a/3 would be applicable.  I think I would have to rule based on that, not what I think is in the guys head.

There is nothing in the rules that require a player to play his provisional with the same club.  Also, as has been mentioned, a player may continue to hit his provisional until the provisional reaches a spot where the original is likely to be... before the provisional has to start counting.

Not sure I can find a rules violation........but the player is taking a risk if his original ball is in fact lost.

Correct. We agree.

There's a course in Florida where two holes go over a little ridge. A player was DQed in a local amateur event when I was living down there because after he hit three balls (two provisionals) into the fairway, he hit two more on the later hole when there was no real possibility his balls were lost (they were in the fairway). He was well known for taking advantage of the rules and his playing partners disagreed with him hitting ANY of those provisionals. He was hitting the extras as practice, something he (again) had a reputation for doing.

Now, that may have been a bit too much, but the guy played in and placed well in a lot of the amateur events, so I think they figured they'd send him a message and he wouldn't do it anymore.