A provisional ball is a second ball played in golf when the first ball might be lost or hit out of bounds. You must announce clearly before you hit that you are playing a provisional ball. This saves time if the first ball is unplayable.
Deciphering the Provisional Ball Rule in Golf
Golf is a game of precision and adherence to rules. Sometimes, things go wrong. A tee shot might hook wildly toward dense trees or sail far toward the lake. If you are unsure where that first ball landed, waiting to search for it can slow down the entire course. This is where the provisional ball steps in as a time-saving device.
The provisional ball definition is simple: it is an extra ball played from the same spot as the previous stroke because the first ball might be lost, out of bounds, or otherwise unplayable under the Rules of Golf.
This concept is governed by the rules set forth by the USGA (United States Golf Association) and The R&A. Knowing when and how to declare one correctly is vital, especially in competition golf temporary scores. Misusing the privilege can lead to penalties.
Why Use a Provisional Ball?
The main reason for using a provisional ball is pace of play. Slow play is discouraged in golf. If you hit a drive into an area where searching could take five minutes or more, declaring a provisional allows you to continue while others search for the first ball.
Key Benefits:
- Saves Time: Keeps the game moving for you and the groups behind you.
- Avoids Penalty Strokes (Sometimes): If your first ball is lost, you avoid taking stroke-and-distance penalties immediately by playing a second ball under the provisional rule.
- Maintains Score Integrity: It helps ensure that if you must take a penalty, you do so after confirming the status of the first ball.
The Core Requirement: Announcement
The most crucial step in playing a provisional ball is making a clear announcement. This step cannot be skipped.
The Announcement Process:
- Announce Clearly: Before you make your stroke, you must tell your playing partners (or the marker, if in a competition) clearly that you are playing a provisional ball.
- State the Reason: It is best practice to state why you are playing it (e.g., “I am playing a provisional because that drive might be in the woods.”).
- Where You Are Hitting From: You must state that you are hitting from the same place as the last stroke (e.g., “This is my provisional from the tee.”).
If you fail to announce it, the second ball you hit is not a provisional ball. It becomes the ball in play immediately, and you face penalties if the first ball is found later.
Step-by-Step Guide to Playing a Provisional Ball
Navigating the provisional ball situation involves a clear sequence of actions based on where the first ball ends up. This procedure adheres to USGA rule 14-3 guidance regarding play with temporary equipment or procedures, though the provisional rule itself has specific clauses.
Step 1: The Initial Stroke and Announcement
You are on the tee box (or hitting your second shot from the fairway). You hit your ball, and it flies toward heavy rough near the boundary fence.
- Action: Stop, look at your partners, and say loudly: “I believe that ball might be lost out of bounds. I am playing a provisional ball from here.”
- Result: Your first ball is now the “original ball.” The second ball you are about to hit is the “provisional ball.”
Step 2: Playing the Provisional Ball
You now play the second ball exactly as you would any normal shot, using the same club and hitting from the same spot.
- Action: Proceed to hit your second ball.
- Result: This ball must be clearly marked (usually with a different colored ball or a distinct mark) to avoid confusion with the original ball if both are later found near each other.
Step 3: Determining the Status of the Original Ball
After you have hit the provisional ball, you must find the original ball or confirm its status before playing the next shot.
Scenario A: Original Ball Found in Bounds or Playable
If you or your partners quickly locate the original ball in the fairway, or if it is clearly in bounds (not lost or out of bounds):
- Action: You must abandon the provisional ball.
- Result: You continue play using the original ball. The stroke made with the provisional ball does not count. You proceed from where the original ball lies. The provisional stroke was essentially wasted practice.
Scenario B: Original Ball Found Out of Bounds (O.B.)
If the original ball is definitively located outside the course boundary:
- Action: You must take stroke-and-distance relief for the original shot.
- Result: The provisional ball now becomes the ball in play. You add one penalty stroke to the score for the shot you just played (the provisional shot). You would be hitting your fourth shot from where you hit your provisional ball (which was your intended third shot).
Scenario C: Original Ball Not Found (Lost)
If you search for the required time (usually five minutes under the rules) and cannot find the original ball:
- Action: The original ball is declared lost.
- Result: The provisional ball becomes the ball in play. You apply the stroke-and-distance penalty. If you hit your provisional as your second shot, you are now playing your fourth shot from where the provisional lies.
Scenario D: Original Ball Found Unplayable
If the original ball is found, but it is in a spot where you cannot play it (e.g., deep in thorns, under a root, or in an area where you cannot take proper stance), and you decide to take relief under the Unplayable Ball Rule (Rule 19):
- Action: You must take relief from the original ball location under Rule 19 options.
- Result: The provisional ball is abandoned. You proceed from the original ball’s spot, incurring the one-stroke penalty associated with taking unplayable relief.
Summary Table of Provisional Ball Outcomes
| Original Ball Found Status | Provisional Ball Status | Strokes Counted | Next Shot Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Found in Bounds/Playable | Abandoned (No Penalty) | Original stroke only | Where the original ball lies |
| Found Out of Bounds | Becomes Ball in Play | Provisional stroke + 1 Penalty | Where the provisional ball lies |
| Lost (Not Found) | Becomes Ball in Play | Provisional stroke + 1 Penalty | Where the provisional ball lies |
| Found Unplayable | Abandoned (Penalty taken under Rule 19) | Original stroke + 1 Penalty | Relief spot chosen under Rule 19 |
Advanced Situations and Golf Rule Interpretations
The provisional ball rule seems straightforward, but complexity arises when other rules interact with it, particularly during stroke play or when pre-handicap golf scores are being established before official reporting.
Provisional Ball When Hitting the Second Shot
What if you hit your second shot (say, from the fairway) and declare it provisional because you think it might be lost in the woods, but you haven’t searched for your tee shot yet?
Rule Interpretation: You can only declare a provisional ball when you are unsure about the previous stroke’s ball.
If you are on the fairway and unsure about your tee shot, you must go back and search for the tee shot first. If, after searching for the allotted time, the tee shot is lost, then you can proceed by declaring a provisional for your second shot (which is now your third stroke).
If you hit your second shot provisionally, and that second shot is lost, you still have to deal with the first shot (the tee shot). If the first shot is eventually found, you follow Scenario A above. If the first shot is lost, you must go back to the teeing area and hit your third shot provisionally (as your fourth stroke overall). This quickly becomes complicated, highlighting why searching immediately is usually safer unless the area is huge.
The Provisional Ball and Stroke Play Handicapping
For those tracking their game using the USGA handicap system, how provisional balls affect your calculated golf score differential is important.
When a provisional ball becomes the ball in play (because the original was lost or O.B.), the score you record for that hole accurately reflects the penalty strokes taken.
- Original Shot (Stroke 1): Played.
- Provisional Shot (Stroke 2): Played.
- Penalty Applied: 1 stroke added for being lost/O.B. (Total 3 strokes used so far).
- Play Continues: You hole out with the provisional ball (e.g., took 2 more strokes).
- Final Score: 5 strokes for the hole.
This score (5) is a temporary golf score until it is officially posted, but it accurately reflects the penalties incurred under the Rules of Golf. If you are setting pre-handicap golf scores during casual rounds, using provisional balls correctly ensures your practice scores are based on proper procedure. Improper procedure could lead to incorrect golf handicap adjustments later if you try to submit that score officially.
Using a Provisional When Relief Might Be Needed
A common confusion involves declaring a provisional ball when the first ball might simply require taking relief (e.g., it lands near casual water or an abnormal course condition).
If your first ball is in casual water, and you are unsure if you want to take free relief or play it as it lies, you should declare a provisional.
- If you find the first ball in casual water, you can choose to take free relief from the casual water. You abandon the provisional.
- If you cannot find the first ball (it’s lost), the provisional becomes the ball in play, and you accept the score associated with it, including the implied stroke-and-distance penalty, rather than the penalty for an unplayable ball where it might have settled near the casual water.
If you do not declare a provisional, and you search for the first ball, find it in casual water, and then declare it unplayable or take relief from the casual water, the rules follow those specific relief procedures, which might differ from the stroke-and-distance consequence of a lost ball.
Provisional Balls and Practice
Can you use a provisional ball during casual play just because you want a second chance? No.
A provisional ball is only allowed when the location of the previous ball is in doubt due to it being potentially lost or out of bounds. If you hit a perfect drive, but you just want to hit another one “just in case,” you cannot declare a provisional. If you hit a second ball without declaring it provisional, the second ball is the ball in play, and the first one (if found) must be abandoned. This is a standard way to correct a mistake when no uncertainty exists about the prior shot’s location.
Fathoming the Distinction: Provisional vs. Second Ball
It is crucial to differentiate between a provisional ball and simply hitting a second ball after realizing the first shot was poor, but not lost or O.B.
| Feature | Provisional Ball | Second Ball (No Announcement) |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement | Must announce intent before the stroke. | No announcement needed (or allowed if the first ball is clearly playable). |
| Original Ball Found | Original ball is played; provisional stroke does not count. | Original ball is played; the second stroke counts as a penalty stroke if it was taken under uncertainty of finding the first. |
| Original Ball Lost/O.B. | Provisional becomes ball in play (penalty applied). | If the first ball is lost, the second shot is treated as the third shot, incurring stroke-and-distance. |
| Rule Context | Used specifically under uncertainty (Rule 18.6). | Used to correct an error or when proceeding without declaring provisional status. |
If you hit your first shot, and it is clearly visible 10 feet from the hole, but you feel you should have used a different club, you cannot play a provisional. You must play the first ball. If you hit a second ball, that second ball is the ball in play, and the first ball is abandoned. This is treated as a correction of an error, not a provisional situation.
The Importance of Markings
When playing provisionals, use different golf balls or mark them uniquely. If both the original and the provisional ball end up close together—say, the original lands in the deep rough 10 feet from the fairway, and the provisional lands in the fairway—you must know which is which.
If you cannot determine which ball is which, Rule 18.3c states that if you cannot tell the balls apart, the ball played first (the original) is deemed to be the ball in play. If you cannot tell which one was played first, you must take the result that gives the player the worst score, or you can take the procedure that makes both balls the same (e.g., if both are lost, both are lost). This is why clear marking is paramount when employing the provisional ball rule.
Provisional Balls and Local Rules
While the general rule regarding provisional balls is standard worldwide (Rule 18.6 in the 2023 Rules of Golf), sometimes local committees in stroke play competitions might simplify the process to speed up play further.
Local Rule Example: A committee might institute a local rule allowing players to play a second ball if the first is lost or O.B., without the requirement of announcing it provisionally. However, this is rare and usually only seen in very high-volume charity events or informal competitions, not under the USGA rule 14-3 guidelines for serious competition. Always check the posted local rules before starting a competition round where competition golf temporary scores are being recorded.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Provisional Balls
Q1: If I declare a provisional ball, but then play the original ball instead, what happens?
If you declare a provisional, but then decide to search and play the original ball, the provisional ball is abandoned. The original ball becomes the ball in play. This is permissible because you followed the proper procedure by announcing the provisional first. If you later discover the provisional ball was actually better positioned, you must continue with the original ball you chose to play.
Q2: Can I declare a provisional ball for my third shot?
Yes. The rule applies to any stroke where there is uncertainty about the previous ball. If you hit your second shot (from the fairway) provisionally, and then you cannot find that provisional ball, your next stroke (your fourth stroke) can also be declared provisional if you are unsure about the location of the second (provisional) ball.
Q3: Does using a provisional ball affect my lie?
No. If the provisional ball becomes the ball in play, you play it from where it lies. You do not get to go back and choose a better lie based on where the original ball might have been. The provisional procedure replaces the need to search for the original ball by accepting the consequences of the provisional shot.
Q4: Is there a time limit for searching before I can declare a provisional?
The search time limit is usually governed by the general search rule (five minutes). However, you must declare the provisional before you hit the second ball. If you hit the second ball without declaring it provisional, and then search for the first ball for five minutes and fail to find it, the second ball you hit becomes the ball in play, and you incur stroke-and-distance relief from where you hit the second ball (which is now your third stroke).
Q5: If I announce I’m hitting a provisional, but I was never really worried about the first ball, can my playing partners call me out?
Yes. If the first ball is clearly visible and in a perfect lie, and you announce a provisional without any reasonable doubt that the ball is lost or O.B., your playing partners can hold you accountable. In match play, they can claim you breached the rule. In stroke play, if an official hears the situation, you could be disqualified or penalized for breaching the rules by incorrectly using the provisional mechanism. Uncertainty must be reasonable, based on the shot trajectory or location.