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Rule 18.3

Provisional ball

Also searched as: provisional, second ball, hitting another, reload

A ball you play when your first ball might be lost or out of bounds. It saves you walking back if you cannot find the first one.

An example: your tee shot heads for the woods. You announce a provisional ball and play it from the tee. If you cannot find the first ball, the provisional counts with stroke one, one penalty stroke and the provisional stroke itself: your next stroke is your fourth.

You may play the provisional ball more than once. But if you play it from a spot nearer the hole than where the first ball is estimated to be, it becomes your ball in play, and the first ball is out of play even if it turns up.

Step by step

  1. 1Announce it. Say clearly ‘provisional ball’. ‘I’ll hit another’ is not enough.
  2. 2Play it straight away. Before you go forward to search for the first ball.
  3. 3Search for three minutes. If you find the first ball in bounds, play it and pick up the provisional ball.
  4. 4Otherwise the provisional counts. If the first ball is lost or out of bounds, the provisional ball is your ball in play, with one penalty stroke.