Below is an explanation of the Provisional Ball the Rules Committee has approved.
Please read and if you have any questions you can either email them to me,
or bring them up at our next monthly meeting on the 17th.
"Rule of thumb", if you hit a ball into the Desert and it is not marked a Laterial Hazard,
you must hit a Provisional ball to speed up play.
See Below:
PROVISIONAL BALL Rule: 27-2
If a Player hits his ball into an area that is thought to be either “Out of Bounds” or “Lost”,
outside of a Water Hazard, he may hit a “Provisional Ball”.
However, he must clearly announce that he is “hitting a Provisional Ball”.
The following statements do not satisfy the requirement of announcing a Provisional Ball.
“That might be lost. I am going to re-load”
“That might be out of here”
“I’d better hit another one”
“I will never find that one. I’ll play another”
If the player hits another ball without announcing he is hitting a Provisional, then that Ball becomes the ball in play,
regardless if the original ball is found. The original Ball is deemed to be Lost or Out of Bounds. Rule: 27-2a/4
If a player has announced and hits a “Provisional Ball” he must make an attempt to locate the original ball within a five minute time frame.
If he cannot find the ball then the Provisional Ball becomes the ball in play.
If he finds the original ball then the original ball is still in play and the Provisional Ball is not in play.
If the original ball is deemed to be “Unplayable” then he can either
drop another ball within “Two clubs” of the balls location, no closer to the hole, or
keep the spot of the ball in line with the Pin and go back as far as he wants and drop another ball. Or
go back to the original spot and re-hit another ball.
All of these options have a one stroke penalty.
A “Provisional Ball” can be hit any number of times as long as it is located farther from the hole than the spot where the original ball is thought to be Lost or Out of Bounds. Once the Provisional Ball is played from a spot closer to the hole than where the original ball is thought to be, then the Provisional ball is the ball in play, regardless if the original ball is then found.
Rule: 27-2b/5
