Rules · Lesson
Lost Ball, Out of Bounds and the Provisional
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If your ball might be lost or out of bounds, save time with a provisional ball. Say clearly that it's a provisional. Then hit it from the same spot. You have three minutes to look for the first ball. If you find it in bounds, play it and pick up the provisional. If you don't, or it's out of bounds, the provisional is now in play. That comes with stroke and distance. Some courses use a Local Rule with another option.
Step by step
- Announce a provisional.
- Hit it from the same spot.
- Search for up to three minutes.
- Found in bounds? Play it.
- If not, continue with the provisional.
Why it works
A ball that is lost or out of bounds costs you a penalty stroke and you must replay from where you last hit. If you walk forward to look and then have to go back, you waste time and hold up the group. Hitting a provisional before you leave the spot lets you replay at once, so you only walk the course one time. Announcing it clearly keeps the ball from being mistaken for your ball in play.
Common mistakes
- You say something vague like "I'll hit another one" without using the word provisional.Say "I'm hitting a provisional ball" out loud so the people you play with hear it.
- You walk forward to look first and only then decide to go back and hit again.Decide while you are still on the tee or in the spot you played from, and hit the provisional before anyone moves forward.
- You keep searching past three minutes because you think the ball is close.Start a timer when the search begins and stop at three minutes, then play the provisional.
How you'll know it's working
- You say the word provisional before you swing, every time.
- Your group knows which ball is the provisional and which is the original.
- You start and stop the search by the clock, and you play on without a debate.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practise the wording and the order of steps on a quiet hole with a friend who plays the role of the marker, before you do it in a round.
Harder: Add a case where the original ball is found out of bounds or after the three minutes, and state out loud what your next shot is and what your score so far is.
Common questions
Can I hit a provisional if my ball might be in a water hazard?
No. A provisional is only for a ball that may be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. If the ball may be in a penalty area, you use the relief options for that area instead.
What happens if I find my original ball after I have played the provisional from a spot farther up?
Once you play the provisional from a spot nearer the hole than where the original is likely to be, the provisional becomes the ball in play. The original is then out of play, even if you find it.
