Water hazard: dropped a ball then found the first?

[DrvFrShow]

@krupa, If you're playing alone, it doesn't matter. Your score doesn't count. It's a practice round. Do what you want.

According to 26-1 (i) it would be impracticable to determine whether the ball is in the hazard or to do so would unduly delay play

And if the shape of the hazard made it impossible for you to determine with 100% certainty that it wasn't in the hazard (such is a problem when playing alone), but you were say 95% sure it was - you take a guess as to where it went in, drop a ball in the appropriate place and play on with that ball. If you find your other ball further down in an area where the hazard has an indentation pick it up and put it in your bag. I don't see a need to take two additional strokes because at the time you dropped the ball you were virtually certain the ball was in the hazard. Virtual certainty is 95% sure. It just turned out it was that 5% that it wasn't because you didn't have a forecaddy.

 

[Rulesman]

In the OP the dropped ball was almost certainly played from a wrong place.

[Dick Kusleika]

On 4/21/2017 at 3:05 PM, iacas said:

 

And, all the Local Rule basically does is let you play under stroke-and-distance OR play the original ball. So it's pretty strict - you don't get to play under any of the other water hazard rules

You can't play the original under 26-1 options, but you can play the provisional under those options, right? So it's not stroke-and-distance only for the provisional. You could, for instance, drop within two club lengths of a red-staked margin and call that provisional.

[krupa]

Thanks for all the input.  Next time (depending on how busy the course is) I'll look for the ball first before dropping.

For the people who commented on the fact that I was alone... I do not have an official GHIN and almost always play by myself so the rules are pretty much what I feel like making them.  That said, I "feel" like playing as close to the rules as possible; my score doesn't mean much to me if I'm making up my own rules.

 

[Missouri Swede]

17 minutes ago, Dick Kusleika said:

You could, for instance, drop within two club lengths of a red-staked margin and call that provisional.

Only if that's the spot you hit the original shot from.  You don't get to walk forward to another area to play a provisional ball (27-2).

[Dick Kusleika]

2 hours ago, Missouri Swede said:

Only if that's the spot you hit the original shot from.  You don't get to walk forward to another area to play a provisional ball (27-2).

From the local rule: "The ball is played provisionally under any of the applicable options under Rule 26-1 "

Why does the local rule say "any of the applicable options" if it's only option a? Do you think 27-2 would override the local rule and limit the options available? I've never interpreted it that way, but they do seem to contradict each other.

[Missouri Swede]

3 hours ago, Dick Kusleika said:

From the local rule: "The ball is played provisionally under any of the applicable options under Rule 26-1 "

Why does the local rule say "any of the applicable options" if it's only option a? Do you think 27-2 would override the local rule and limit the options available? I've never interpreted it that way, but they do seem to contradict each other.

Hmm. I see your point.