TheRULES
Provision With A Purpose
Understanding how and when to proceed properly under the provisional ball Rule
can be an asset to you during a round | by ELISE KAIN
ball, you must return to the spot where you
previously played.
In order to correctly play a provisional
ball, you must do two things: First, announce
to someone in your group that the ball you
are about to play is a provisional ball, and
secondly, play the provisional ball before you
go forward to search for your original ball
(Decision 27-2a/1.5).
Again, in the interest of saving time, you
are allowed to play your provisional ball
until you reach the place where your original
ball is likely to be. Your provisional ball will
become your ball in play if any one of three
things happen: you make a stroke at your
provisional ball from where the original ball
is likely to be or nearer the hole than that
place; the original ball is out of bounds; or the
original ball is lost anywhere on the course
except in a water hazard (Rule 27-2b).
If you find your original ball within five
minutes of starting your search and it is not
out of bounds nor in a water hazard, you
must continue with your original ball and
abandon your provisional ball. If you then
elect to proceed under stroke and distance
(e.g. because you consider your found original
ball to be unplayable), you must return to the
location of your previous stroke. You must
In order to save time,
Rule 27-2 allows you to
play a provisional ball
when the ball might be
out of bounds or lost
outside a water hazard.
also abandon the provisional ball if there
is virtual certainty or it is known that your
original ball is in a water hazard. Continuing
play with your provisional ball in either of
those circumstances would mean you had
played a wrong ball (Rule 27-2c).
Take advantage of the provisional ball
Rule to save both time and frustration. Used
correctly, it is risk-free and proves beneficial
to improving pace of play.
Author Elise Kain is a Rules of Golf associate
with the United States Golf Association.
What You Need to
Know About Rule 27-2
THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS
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