Provisional ball ruling

[Charliegolf]

So some friends were arguing over a ruling on the brabazon yesterday. 6th hole water left (in sight) water right (out of sight). My friend hits the ball right and is not 100% sure if the ball is lost or in the lakeas they have never played there before there are also trees and bunkers blocking sight. He plays a provisional ball and hits that in the left lake.. Splash! As its stableford they walk up the hole and my friend says i will drop one out of the hazard and play 3 from there, assuming it did go in the lake despite them not being 100% sure. The argument was if he has played a provisional then that counts as a drop  from the lake but he was playing a provisional on the basis that the ball was lost as he didnt know there was water right as it was hidden by trees and bunkers. 

 

What would be the ruling on this what are you supposed to do if you think the ball is lost or wet?

[iacas]

I'd actually say the first ball was lost. This meant the provisional was in play laying three. As it was in the left lake he could drop there for his fourth and hit his fifth.

Sounds like nobody was virtually certain his ball was in the right lake.

And you can't use a provisional for a ball thought to be in water only.

[Rulesman]

1)  Plays original towards RH water and trouble. Ball may or may not be in water hazard.

2 & 3) Legitimately plays provisional into LH water.

4 & 5) Takes a drop under LWH rule and plays it

 

The question is now. Was that ball dropped and played from a place nearer the hole than where he thought his original might lie?

If so, that ball now becomes the ball in play lying 5. If not, the original is still the ball in play until he does play the dropped ball from a place nearer the hole than the estimated position of the first.

If the first is found before that, it is the ball in play and the provisional (ie the one dropped earlier) is dead and he lies 2 with his original.

 

[Fourputt]

If it was thought possible that the ball could be lost outside of the hazard on the right, then playing the provisional was the correct way to go.  Subsequent play depends on what they found when they approached the area where the first ball was thought to be.  If the ball was not found outside of the hazard, and if there was no way to be virtually certain that the ball was in the hazard, then by rule the ball was lost and the provisional ball became the ball in play under Rule 27.   If virtual certainty was met after examining the area, then the player would proceed under Rule 26-1.

If it was known on the tee that there was no possible way for the first ball to be lost outside of the hazard, then the provisional ball was in play under stroke and distance, lying 3 in the left hazard.