Hi Linda
I am a new golfer and in a recent stroke play competition one of my fellow competitors teed off and the ball landed at the edge of the practice ground - still in play. She elected not to play a provisional ball as she said she should be able to find it.
After 5 minutes looking for it, it was still not found. She did not return to the tee to play another ball but dropped a ball where she thought the first one had landed. I asked her if she should really go back to the tee but she said she would take 2 penalty shots instead as that is what she would have incurred had she gone back to the tee. I asked her if she was sure and she said yes. As a new golfer I did not know if this was right or wrong so I let it lie. She continued to play and complete her round. Having read the rules I am certain she was wrong to do this and as she did not correct it I would have thought she should have been disqualified. What is the correct ruling?
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
You seem to be more savvy about the rules than your more experienced fellow competitor.
When a ball is not found within five minutes, it is deemed to be lost. Since the player did not hit a provisional ball, she must return to the tee to put another ball into play. She will incur a one-stroke penalty for the lost ball [Rule 27-1].
Since she did not return to the tee, she played from a wrong place. The penalty for this is two strokes. However, this player has committed what is known as a serious breach, since the wrong place she hit that second shot from was considerably closer to the hole than the tee. If she becomes aware that she may have committed a serious breach, she has the option to return to the tee to play out a second ball in accordance with the Rules. This must be done prior to teeing off on the next hole. She will report the facts to the Committee at the end of the round. They would rule that play with the second ball stands.
Since this player did not play a second ball from the tee, she will be disqualified for gaining a significant advantage when she played from the wrong place.
In a casual round of golf among friends, players have been known to follow the procedure that your fellow competitor did in the tournament (hitting another ball, adding two penalty strokes, and skipping the return trip to the tee). While this procedure is incorrect, it is appreciated by both her friends (who will not have to wait for her to walk back to the tee) and the following golfers (who will not have their play of the hole delayed).
The best solution is to hit a provisional ball whenever you suspect your ball may be lost or out of bounds. Provisional balls save everyone time and enable the player to correctly follow the Rules.
Linda
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