Do words remain important? We’re constantly told a picture is worth a thousand of them. And the joys of literature are now under constant bombardment in a visual age.
But are there are still times when what you say really matters? Check out this poser:
“I was playing in a Stableford comp, when my opponent topped his tee-shot into what he thought was a lot of heather that was immediately in front of the elevated tee-box.
“Neither of us were able to see where his ball came to rest as it disappeared off the front of the tee-box. He proceeded to hit another tee-shot, which flew 250 yards down the middle of the fairway. The important bit here is I can’t recall if he said he was playing a provisional or not?
“As we walked off the tee-box towards the fairway, I noted his original ball was sitting up nicely a couple of yards in front of the tee-box in the middle of an area that had absolutely no heather in or around it.
“I pointed out to him that his ball is in clear sight and that he could hit it no problem, but he ignored it and said his second ball was now the ball now in play, which seems ridiculous as his first ball was not lost and he was able to hit it, but he opted to play his second ball instead.
“I assume the answer lies in whether he stated he was playing a provisional or not whilst on the tee?”
Did the player announce a provisional ball?
You know you can play a provisional to save time if a ball might be lost outside of a penalty area or may be out of bounds. You also know you need to announce a provisional. What does that mean?
Is it ok to basically whisper to yourself that you’re going to play a prov or do you need to announce it with a loudhailer?
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Rule 18.3b says that before the stroke is made, “the player must announce to someone that they are going to play a provisional ball”.
That’s more than saying, ‘I’m playing again’. The Rule says the player must use the word ‘provisional’, or “otherwise clearly indicate that they are playing the ball provisionally under Rule 18.3”.
Now, I’ve gone into the types of verbiage that is deemed acceptable before.
But if the player doesn’t announce to someone, “even if they intended to play a provisional”, and plays a ball from “where the previous stroke was made, that ball is the player’s ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance”.
What if there was no one nearby to hear their call? “The player may play the provisional ball and then inform someone of their actions when possible to do so”.
So, as our questioner correctly assumes, the key is: did the player announce they were playing a provisional ball or not?
If they did, they’ve found the original ball and the provisional must be abandoned. If they didn’t, their subsequent tee shot is the ball in play under penalty of stroke-and-distance.
Got a question for our expert?
Despite the changes to the Rules of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. I’ll try to help by featuring the best of your queries in this column.
What do you think of this provisional ball rule? Let me know by leaving a comment below, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or get in touch on X.
