Who is right here ??

Dublin Spur

Odd situation occured on Sunday.

Monthly Medal competition.

11th hole - par 3 - bit of a bottle neck part of the course - the group behind arrived at the tee and watched our shots.

Anyway, I teed off - bad shot - towards trees to the left of the green.

We spent about 3/4 mins looking for the ball without finding it.
One of my playing partners told me to go back and play a provisional and if he finds it in the meantime he would give me a shout.

Anyway, I ran back to the tee, and apologised to the lads behind who I was delaying. I was about to play my 2nd ball when my playing partner waved back to me that he had found the ball.

I went to pick up my ball from the tee, but one of the players from the group behind told me that I had to play the 2nd ball as I had come all the way back to the tee and in doing do had "declared the ball as being lost".

Anyway I played the 2nd ball and picked up my 1st ball. I wasn't in contention and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

The 2 chaps I was playing with (not friends by the way) thought this was way out of order and that I should be able to play the original ball.

Any opinions ???

Blunder

I think the guys on the tee are correct. As far as I know once you spend time looking for a ball and go back to play another you have declared it lost. Similar situation happened to me playing a match years ago and at the time we stood on the Fairway til one of the caddies went back to the pro shop to check.

Trampas

I think what you could have done is played out both balls and get an official ruling after the round.

Sandwich

Think the guys on the tee were wrong. Unless the 5mins had elapsed since u started to look for th ball then it is not lost.You cannot 'declare' a ball lost - it either is or isnt.

copacetic

sounds like the 5 mins would have elapsed by the time you got back to the tee anyway. Probably should have called that group through instead of keeping them waiting also.

PhilipMarlowe

Sir! Sir!
I know this one...

You can go forward to look for your ball and assuming you don't find it, go back while others keep looking. You have 5 minutes from when you begin to look.*
BUT, there are a few very important considerations;

You played a shot from a tee. You can go back, once you are within the 5 minutes, place your ball on a tee and if the original is found (within time) you may play the original - the act of the ball being on the tee is important here because it is not put into play until you make a stroke at it.
If you elected to drop the 2nd ball or assuming you were re-hitting from the fairway, once the 2nd ball is dropped and hits the ground it is the ball in play regardless of whether the original is found before you make a stroke at it.

The main morals are - play a provisional before you walk forward because you can't go back and play a provisional. In going back and playing a 2nd ball, it becomes the ball in play.

* the only time that a ball can be found after 5 minutes is up is if it was in the hole

PhilipMarlowe

This rule has changed recently enough too as far as I know...

PhilipMarlowe

Looked it up on the decisions just to be sure to be sure

27-1/1 Original Ball Found Within Five-Minute Search Period
Q.
A player plays from the teeing ground, searches briefly for his ball and then goes back and tees another ball. Before he plays the teed ball, and within the five-minute search period, the original ball is found. May the player abandon the teed ball and play the original ball?

A.
Yes. The teed ball was not in play since the player had not yet made a stroke at it – see Definition of “Ball in Play” – and the original ball was not lost – see Definition of “Lost Ball”. (Revised)

PhilipMarlowe

27-1/2 Original Ball Found Within Five-Minute Search Period After Another Ball Dropped

Q.
A player plays his second shot, searches for his ball briefly and then goes back and drops another ball under Rule 27-1. Before he plays the dropped ball, and within the five-minute search period, the original ball is found. Is the player required to continue with the dropped ball?

A.
Yes. When the player put the substituted ball into play at the spot of the previous stroke with the intent to play a ball under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1), the original ball was lost (see Definition of “Lost Ball”). Therefore, Rule 20-6 does not apply, and he must continue with the substituted ball. (Revised)

Dublin Spur

Licksy wrote: »

Looked it up on the decisions just to be sure to be sure

27-1/1 Original Ball Found Within Five-Minute Search Period
Q.
A player plays from the teeing ground, searches briefly for his ball and then goes back and tees another ball. Before he plays the teed ball, and within the five-minute search period, the original ball is found. May the player abandon the teed ball and play the original ball?

A.
Yes. The teed ball was not in play since the player had not yet made a stroke at it – see Definition of “Ball in Play” – and the original ball was not lost – see Definition of “Lost Ball”. (Revised)

thanks Licksy, I think that clears up the matter.
had I been doing well, I would have made an issue of it at the time.
glad I let it go, but I won't if it happens again.

Blunder

That sounds right now actually. I had played the 2nd ball when the other ball had been found within the time meaning i had to continue with it.

One Cold Hand

Another important thing to remember when playing a provisional, is to declare 'this is a provisional.' Otherwise you are effectively declaring that your first ball lost