Rule regarding provisionals and walks of shame

[SkankyShanky]

well firstly I didn't know the rule but also didn't explain well; my playing partners were looking so I said I'd run back and hit another whilst they carried on. They didn't find it then as we walked to where my 3rd ball now was, we found the original. Anyway all I was trying to say is you have to declare provisional before going forward, which is what you are saying

[AndrewPI]

Of course Nick I got my terminology wrong. What I meant to say was that if you start searching for a ball and then head back to the tee to play another you cannot deem that ball as a provisional in case the original one is found. With my example though I assume that the original cannot be played as going back to the tee was me putting another ball in play.

[SkankyShanky]

You're right andrew, that's the cartoon on that R&A link I posted

[Blofeld]

but what's the rule about playing a provisional? Maybe the above is right, but if you hit a ball and can't find it, then if your only choice is to go back and hit another (i.e. you can't go back and hit a provisional whilst your partners carry on looking) then the first ball becomes lost, even if original subsequently found within 5 mins?

If you go back to the tee and hit another ball, without declaring it a provisional, then it becomes the ball in play and the original ball is "lost" even if it is subsequently found within 5 minutes.

Howver if you go back with the intention of playing another and your original is found within 5 minutes you are allowed time to identify the original ball...even if it takes you 7 or 8 minutes to identify it. Edit....obviously providng you dont hit another ball!!!

[SkankyShanky]

^ that's not what it says on the R&A website. It says you can't go back and hit a provisional. If you declare a provisional and hit it, you have to do that before you go forward and look.

As above, this situation is shown exactly in the cartoon on the link I posted (read what the lady is saying):

[Blofeld]

^ that's not what it says on the R&A website. It says you can't go back and hit a provisional. If you declare a provisional and hit it, you have to do that before you go forward and look.

As above, this situation is shown exactly in the cartoon on the link I posted

Yes thats quite correct....dotn know why I include the guff about declaring it a provisional!!!

[Blofeld]

As I think is clear....walking back to the tee is not the problem.....its actually hitting the ball from the tee that renders the original ball lost. Even actually teeing the ball up is OK....as long as you dont hit it.

However....the scenario is different if you are playing from the fairway.

Lets say you play your second shot from the fairway towards the green. You go forward to search for it but after a short while go back to where you have just played from with the intention of hitting another leaving your caddie, partner etc to look for it. You drop a ball as close as possible to where you just played from. Your original ball that you played towards the green is then found.....within the five minute limit.....and you have not yet hit the ball that you have dropped.

Unlike being on the tee, where you have to hit the ball to put it into play, the act of dropping the ball is considered the act of putting another ball into play. Your original ball has been lost even though it was found within 5 minutes and you havent hit the dropped ball....a subtle but potentially card wrecking difference!