Linda,
Last week I was
playing with a foursome. We came to a long par 4. I hit my drive long, but
wrong toward a wooded area with out of bounds. I declared a provisional ball
and hit it short. When I reached the provisional ball, it was well short of
where my original ball had been hit. I advised my opponents that I intended to hit
the provisional again but reserving my right to play my original ball if it was
found. They said I could not do that, that once I hit the provisional a second
time it was in play and I abandoned my original ball. I disagreed and hit my
provisional. I then moved forward and found my original ball just within
bounds. I proposed to hit it as my second stroke and did but my foursome voted
3 to 1 that I had played a wrong ball. When I got back to my rulebook, I
cited "
Rule 27-2 (b) which reads:
"
The player may play a provisional ball until he reaches the place where the
original ball is likely to be. If he plays a stroke with the provisional ball
from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer
the hole than that place, the original ball is deemed to be lost and the
provisional ball becomes the ball in play...."
I argued that I may hit the provisional ball as many times as I
want until I reach the site of the original ball. At that point, if I find the
original ball, I hit it as my second shot. If I don't find it, the provisional
ball becomes the one in play with as many strokes as it took me to get there.
My
group still disagrees and says once I hit the provisional ball a second time, I
had elected it. Can you settle the dispute?
Lou
Dear
Lou,
The
Rules of Golf are not decided by a majority vote. Golf has a rulebook that
governs play, and all players must abide by those rules.
Your
understanding of the rule regarding provisional balls is correct, Lou. You will
continue hitting your provisional ball until you reach the area where your
original is likely to be. If you drive your original ball 200 yards, you will
hit your provisional as many times as necessary to advance 200 yards. That
might turn out to be one drive that goes 250 yards; or a topped drive, a whiff,
and three flubbed iron shots. When your feet have traveled 200 yards, you now
have five minutes to search for your original ball. If you find it, you must
abandon the provisional and continue with the original. You will now be hitting
your second shot. None of the strokes with the provisional count if you find
your original ball.
You
had your rulebook with you, Lou, and you showed your opponents the pertinent
rule. I’m surprised you read the rule to them and they still insisted that you
were wrong. Did you ask them to show you where it states that a player may only
hit a provisional ball one time? They could have stood there looking until the
cows came home and still not found any evidence in the rulebook to back their
mistaken assertion.
The
next time you play with golfers who are ignorant of the rules and unwilling to
change their minds in the face of clear evidence, you should play by the rules
and confirm the matter with the pro at the end of your round.
I
am puzzled why so many golfers are confused by the rule regarding provisional
balls. I put “provisional ball” into the SEARCH box on my blog, and found that
I have answered 32 questions about this topic! If you would like more evidence
to present to your opponents, skim through the 32 questions and pull out the
pertinent information.
Linda
Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
