Lost Ball Rule is Stupid

[dkolo]

Isn't that kind of against the principles of the game?  Seems to be a lot of extra practice during a round...

I meant the time it takes to walk between the two balls.  I highly doubt its within a minute walk of each, including time to look for the first.

It's not against the principles, and I don't view it as practice. It's a permitted protocol under the rules.

You're coming up with weird ways to make this harder. Say you hit a shot 200 yards in the rough on the left. You reach into your pocket as you're declaring "I'm gonna hit a provish, just to be safe." You hit a provisional and it goes 210, middle of the fairway. You joke about how "Isn't it funny how the second one is always perfect?" You go look for your first ball. Two things can happen.

1) Hey! You found it! Rejoice and hit your ball. Then as the next guy is hitting his ball or you're walking to your next shot, you pick yours up or, if you shank your second shot and it goes skittering off, you ask your buddy to grab your provisional. You're playing by the rules and you haven't lost any time.

2) Damn! You can't find your first ball. You've killed 5 minutes like you would under the made up "Drop it where you divine it should be" rule and you walk over to your provisional. But you're playing by the rules and you haven't lost any time.

[pumaAttack]

It's not against the principles, and I don't view it as practice. It's a permitted protocol under the rules.

You're coming up with weird ways to make this harder. Say you hit a shot 200 yards in the rough on the left. You reach into your pocket as you're declaring "I'm gonna hit a provish, just to be safe." You hit a provisional and it goes 210, middle of the fairway. You joke about how "Isn't it funny how the second one is always perfect?" You go look for your first ball. Two things can happen.

1) Hey! You found it! Rejoice and hit your ball. Then as the next guy is hitting his ball or you're walking to your next shot, you pick yours up or, if you shank your second shot and it goes skittering off, you ask your buddy to grab your provisional. You're playing by the rules and you haven't lost any time.

2) Damn! You can't find your first ball. You've killed 5 minutes like you would under the made up "Drop it where you divine it should be" rule and you walk over to your provisional. But you're playing by the rules and you haven't lost any time.

Your playing partners love to watch you hit provisionals for a drive right off the fairway?

And thats fine and dandy when you are playing with someone else, but I am not always doing that.  I am walking the course by myself.

[dkolo]

Your playing partners love to watch you hit provisionals for a drive right off the fairway?

And thats fine and dandy when you are playing with someone else, but I am not always doing that.  I am walking the course by myself.

If I don't see it land or it's somewhere where there's trouble, I'm hitting a provisional, even off of the fairway. They do the same thing because that's how you play golf. I also walk the course and I never have any issues with provisional balls hurting my pace. In any event, this is the procedure and it isn't a burden like you make it out to be. If you're worried about losing balls, hit provisionals. It's simple and quick.

[pumaAttack]

If I don't see it land or it's somewhere where there's trouble, I'm hitting a provisional, even off of the fairway. They do the same thing because that's how you play golf. I also walk the course and I never have any issues with provisional balls hurting my pace. In any event, this is the procedure and it isn't a burden like you make it out to be. If you're worried about losing balls, hit provisionals. It's simple and quick.

I am sorry but that is not how you play golf....  And if your group does that it, it would explain the incredibly long rounds on public courses.

[dkolo]

I am sorry but that is not how you play golf....  And if your group does that it, it would explain the incredibly long rounds on public courses.

I accept your apology. Cheers.

[pumaAttack]

So a quick poll:

Do people think that the rule is meant to apply evenly to both a ball that is incredibly miss-hit and flies 100 yards off course as well as a ball that is hit pure but hard to visually find?

That is the core of my problem.  You are being penalized for a well hit shot the same as a slice.  To me that is against the principles of the rule.

[Asheville]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkolo

It's not against the principles, and I don't view it as practice. It's a permitted protocol under the rules.

You're coming up with weird ways to make this harder. Say you hit a shot 200 yards in the rough on the left. You reach into your pocket as you're declaring "I'm gonna hit a provish, just to be safe." You hit a provisional and it goes 210, middle of the fairway. You joke about how "Isn't it funny how the second one is always perfect?" You go look for your first ball. Two things can happen.

1) Hey! You found it! Rejoice and hit your ball. Then as the next guy is hitting his ball or you're walking to your next shot, you pick yours up or, if you shank your second shot and it goes skittering off, you ask your buddy to grab your provisional. You're playing by the rules and you haven't lost any time.

2) Damn! You can't find your first ball. You've killed 5 minutes like you would under the made up "Drop it where you divine it should be" rule and you walk over to your provisional. But you're playing by the rules and you haven't lost any time.

Your playing partners love to watch you hit provisionals for a drive right off the fairway?

And thats fine and dandy when you are playing with someone else, but I am not always doing that.  I am walking the course by myself.

You've never hit a provisional ball have you? You don't know how, do you? Is it because reading Rule 27-2 is too strenuous? You seem to know nothing about this time-saving procedure.

[Asheville]

So a quick poll:

Do people think that the rule is meant to apply evenly to both a ball that is incredibly miss-hit and flies 100 yards off course as well as a ball that is hit pure but hard to visually find?

That is the core of my problem.  You are being penalized for a well hit shot the same as a slice.  To me that is against the principles of the rule.

Read this and get back to us about The Principles.

[malincanada]

I clearly need more work to do as I've actually sat and read through this whole thread! I also now need plugs after having pulled out a substantial amount of hair!

Anyway, I am amazed at the one glaring omission from this thread:

At every point a provisional ball has been mentioned it has been assumed that the provisional tee-shot will be perfect and in the middle of the fairway (and not under any of the leaves that have afflicted the first one!)

Surely some of you here have experienced the joy of hitting your regular 50yd slice into the thick stuff on the right, declaring a provisional and re-teeing, aiming thirty yards left to account for the slice, and sending a magnificent pull hook into the crap on the left!!

[Mac62]

So a quick poll:

Do people think that the rule is meant to apply evenly to both a ball that is incredibly miss-hit and flies 100 yards off course as well as a ball that is hit pure but hard to visually find?

That is the core of my problem.  You are being penalized for a well hit shot the same as a slice.  To me that is against the principles of the rule.

Unless you can find an exception elsewhere in the Rules or decisions, then yes, that's exactly what it means.

You're either trolling or arguing just for the sake of arguing now.

[pumaAttack]

Unless you can find an exception elsewhere in the Rules or decisions, then yes, that's exactly what it means.

You're either trolling or arguing just for the sake of arguing now.

Have you ever heard of amending a rule?

or do you just blindly follow everything that is passed down to you?  Is a forum not a place for discussion?

Also, were you one of the contributing writers to the rule or just using your own interpretation as fact?  Hard to say exactly why the rule was written as it was back then.

[pumaAttack]

You've never hit a provisional ball have you? You don't know how, do you? Is it because reading Rule 27-2 is too strenuous? You seem to know nothing about this time-saving procedure.

I have hit plenty of provisionals... when it is clear the ball is close to out of bounds or in the woods, etc.

I don't hit provisions for tee shots down the middle of the fairway...

[malincanada]

So a quick poll:

Do people think that the rule is meant to apply evenly to both a ball that is incredibly miss-hit and flies 100 yards off course as well as a ball that is hit pure but hard to visually find?

That is the core of my problem.  You are being penalized for a well hit shot the same as a slice.  To me that is against the principles of the rule.

I'm not sure if your 'poll' was meant as a joke but I will answer:

YES. I do think that the rule was meant to apply to both of the shots that you describe.

[pumaAttack]

I'm not sure if your 'poll' was meant as a joke but I will answer:

YES. I do think that the rule was meant to apply to both of the shots that you describe.

So if yes.

What exactly is the penalty for?

"Lost" is such a vague term its odd to have one rule cover all conditions perfectly.

[malincanada]

So if yes.

What exactly is the penalty for?

Losing the ball. I thought that was in the title of the thread.

[pumaAttack]

Losing the ball. I thought that was in the title of the thread.

If you double hit a sand shot, you get a penalty for the ball making contact with the club twice.

What exactly was the penalty for when a ball is lost?  A poor strike of the ball or having bad vision?

[malincanada]

If you double hit a sand shot, you get a penalty for the ball making contact with the club twice.

What exactly was the penalty for when a ball is lost?  A poor strike of the ball or having bad vision?

Sorry. I missed the part when the ball was in the bunker. But I still think that the rule applies regardless of whether your bunker shot is shanked 50yds right or hit pure. If you can't find it, there is a penalty. The penalty is for losing the ball.

[pumaAttack]

Sorry. I missed the part when the ball was in the bunker. But I still think that the rule applies regardless of whether your bunker shot is shanked 50yds right or hit pure. If you can't find it, there is a penalty. The penalty is for losing the ball.

No I am saying there is normally a clear cut instance for what the penalty is.  In my case, it was for double contact.

In a lost ball, there is no clear cut case for what happened.  But yet the rule is the same for everything.