5 Minute Search

[bkuehn1952]

The consensus seems to be that most of us never time our own search or the search of a competitor or opponent, with a few exceptions (good for you!). The consensus also seems to be that most searches are much less than 5 minutes, which is my experience, but this conclusion is based on our estimates of elapsed time, not an actual measurement.  We all know how imprecise our estimates can be at times; just ask someone how far they think that drive  went!

My solution is going to be having my watch more handy if a provisional has not been played.  It seems the most protracted searches occur when the two options are either search for 5 minutes or return to the tee.

[Rulesman]

In my experience when refereeing, most players seem to give up after about 3 minutes.

[Fourputt]

In my experience when refereeing, most players seem to give up after about 3 minutes.

For me even 3 minutes is long, unless I have to wait on the group ahead, or I have a particularly good round going and don't want to give it up without a fight.  I've learned that one absolute about the game of golf is that you are going to lose balls, and in some locations, taking the full 5 minutes won't give you any better chance of finding the ball, or making a stroke at it if you do find it.  Might as well just keep moving with your provisional ball.

[rkim291968]

All the searching makes sense in a tournament round.

But ... once I had an interesting encounter with a front group who were looking for a lost ball.  We were all weekend warrior golfers - no tournament plays. When one of my group got impatient and started to yell (weekend, jam packed tee time, 5+ hour round), a guy yelled back saying he has 5 minutes to search for his ball.   We all looked at each other and rolled our eyes.   More shouting ensued and they abandoned their search and moved on.

[Lihu]

All the searching makes sense in a tournament round.

But ... once I had an interesting encounter with a front group who were looking for a lost ball.  We were all weekend warrior golfers - no tournament plays. When one of my group got impatient and started to yell (weekend, jam packed tee time, 5+ hour round), a guy yelled back saying he has 5 minutes to search for his ball.   We all looked at each other and rolled our eyes.   More shouting ensued and they abandoned their search and moved on.

More than likely $10 skins were at stake, I hate being behind gamblers too. . .

[turtleback]

Why is it that some guys know that they are allowed 5 minutes to search but do not know that they are supposed to wave the following group through if they are holding up play with their search?

[frohlic]

For me personal i never search the full 5 minutes for one ball maybe when me and my playingpartner each lose one we need 5 minutes. But as soon as we hold up the following group through.

I played a tournament last weekend and the group in front searched on 16/17 and 18 and we have already waited on every teebox since hole 12 (started our round at 10). When they finaly waved us through on 18 they had a gap of a little more than two holes in front of them...Thats how it works and i hate those golfers. You need to take your time to search for a lost ball, especially on tournaments, but let ohters play through!!

[ghalfaire]

I try to always hit a provisional ball if I have any reason to think the first ball might be lost.  But in those cases where I did not anticipate the ball would be difficult to find I normally won't look more than a couple of minutes before concluding the ball is lost.  In a tournament with significant entry fees I'll take the entire 5 minutes.

[DrvFrShow]

Yeah, I hit a provisional yesterday off the tee and topped the shot. Picked up the provisional and fortunately found my ball.

[ColinL]

Yeah, I hit a provisional yesterday off the tee and topped the shot. Picked up the provisional and fortunately found my ball.

Why didn't you play the provisional ball again rather than pick it up?   I assume it wasn't nearer the hole than where your original was likely to be and if you hadn't found your original, you would have had to come back and play it anyway - with an extra penalty stroke for having lifted it.

[turtleback]

Yeah, I hit a provisional yesterday off the tee and topped the shot. Picked up the provisional and fortunately found my ball.

It would have been better to hit the provisional again,  You are entitled to continue to play the provisional until you reach the place where your original shot is expected to be.  As it is, if you had not found your original ball you would have had to go back and re-hit or fudge the rules.  Rather you should have continued to play the provisional.  Then IF you find the original ball in bounds you abandon the provisional even though you may have hit it a couple of times.  But if you do NOT find the original ball you have a valid provisional in play and do not have to fudge the rules or go back and re-hit.

[DrvFrShow]

Given the lie of my provisional, I would have ended up with an 8 on the hole. When your back is killing you, hitting out of 6" tall wet grass is no fun. Taking an unplayable with S&D; would have had me hitting 6. If i didn't find my ball I was just going to walk to 17 and mark 8 for the hole, my ESC number.

[ColinL]

The situation and the feeling are recognisable.  A wise decision to pick up the provisional then.

[turtleback]

Given the lie of my provisional, I would have ended up with an 8 on the hole. When your back is killing you, hitting out of 6" tall wet grass is no fun. Taking an unplayable with S&D; would have had me hitting 6. If i didn't find my ball I was just going to walk to 17 and mark 8 for the hole, my ESC number.

OK, just wanted to make sure you knew you had that option - perhaps on another occasion it might come into play.

[DrvFrShow]

During league play, I'd have to hit that provisional - probably should ask my pro which iron to use in that situation - I'd guess my 8 iron, and play that and pray that I found my original.

[fr0sty]

Taking an unplayable with S&D; would have had me hitting 6.

Hitting 5, actually. One lost, two back to the tee, three topped, four back

[Perfect Slicer]

Yeah, I hit a provisional yesterday off the tee and topped the shot. Picked up the provisional and fortunately found my ball.

I was beginning to think that I was the only one who could hit a provisional worse than the original shot.

[dkolo]

I was beginning to think that I was the only one who could hit a provisional worse than the original shot.

Nope. That's the reason I wound up playing my first ball from near a green two holes over; the provisional got pull hooked into the woods. The most public yet of my many humiliations.