Returning to play a provisional ball

[Martyn W]

6 hours ago, awmgolfer said:

We had an interesting one come up last year. We have a short par 4, very easy to drive the green for a little above average player. The guy in the group hit is tee shot and the group went to their next shot, they could not find one of the balls anywhere. He finally declared it lost and went back to the tee to hit again and since there was another smaller group waiting he hit his 3rd shot from the tee and they let the group play through. When the group playing through reached the green they discovered the guy's ball in the hole. We finally figured it out in the decisions that once the ball is holed out the hole is done, no matter what else happens after so he go the hole in one. It was an interesting one I had never come across before!

Yep:

1-1/2

 

Player Unaware He has Holed Out Puts Another Ball into Play

Q.A player, unable to find his ball, puts another ball into play. He then discovers that his original ball is in the hole. What is the ruling?

A.The score with the original ball counts. The play of the hole was completed when the player holed that ball.

[WUTiger]

Those of you who play the local tournament circuit, make sure you know the ins and outs of this rule.

Last year, I was playing a uphill par 4. I failed to notice the tee blocks were set 20 yards forward of normal position, and I knocked my drive through the landing area and into the rough. We walked up to the top of the hill, looked for my ball for five minutes, and couldn't find it. I declared a lost ball, went back and reteed it, and got a similar trajectory. My playing partners saw my second ball land, and then discovered my first ball 10 feet away in a little trough in the rough.

I had declared lost ball, so I couldn't play the first one - the roving rules official clarified this to us. (I then put a 7 iron shot on the green,  and two-putted for a regulation {??} double bogie).

[Grinde6]

30 minutes ago, WUTiger said:

Those of you who play the local tournament circuit, make sure you know the ins and outs of this rule.

Last year, I was playing a uphill par 4. I failed to notice the tee blocks were set 20 yards forward of normal position, and I knocked my drive through the landing area and into the rough. We walked up to the top of the hill, looked for my ball for five minutes, and couldn't find it. I declared a lost ball, went back and reteed it, and got a similar trajectory. My playing partners saw my second ball land, and then discovered my first ball 10 feet away in a little trough in the rough.

I had declared lost ball, so I couldn't play the first one - the roving rules official clarified this to us. (I then put a 7 iron shot on the green,  and two-putted for a regulation {??} double bogie).

You didn't have to declare it a lost ball...by searching for 5 minutes and coming up empty, it is declared lost.  Also, by you heading back to the tee and hitting another ball, the first one is now declared lost.  You did all you could by searching for 5 minutes.  It didn't matter if you found it before you re-hit, once the 5 minutes expired it is a lost ball.

[Martyn W]

50 minutes ago, WUTiger said:

I had declared lost ball, so I couldn't play the first one - the roving rules official clarified this to us.

The roving Rules Official was wrong. You cannot declare a ball lost:

27/16

 

Ball Declared Lost Is Found Before Another Ball Put into Play

Q.A player searched for his ball for two minutes, declared it lost and started back to play another ball at the spot from which the original ball was played. Before he put another ball into play, his original ball was found within the five-minute period allowed for search. What is the ruling?

A.A player cannot render a ball lost by a declaration - see Definition of "Lost Ball." The original ball remained in play - see Definition of "Ball in Play."

 

A ball is lost only by definition, not declaration. In your case the ball was lost because it was not found and identified within 5 minutes, not because you declared it lost.