We all play golf for enjoyment. However, not knowing the rules can slow down play, cause embarrassment, and take away much of that enjoyment.

Each issue of Golf Capewide will feature a rules scenario explaining in simple terms how to proceed under the applicable rule or rules. This issue focusses on Rule 27: Ball Lost or Out of Bounds. Here is the scenario:

You hit your tee shot deep into the woods. You have five minutes to find your ball once you arrive at the location where your ball is likely to be. The other players may aide in the search, although they are not required to under the rules. Most do so, however, mainly to speed up play but also realize there is a good chance they will need your help before the round is over.

OK, so now your time is up. What do you do?
Well, there is only one option at this point. You must go back to where you played your last shot. In your case, it was a tee shot, so you can re-tee the ball anywhere within the margin of the teeing ground you played your first shot from. Now under the penalty of stroke and distance, you’re playing your third shot.

If the ball lost or out of bounds was played from outside the teeing ground, it must be dropped as near as possible to the original spot. Now here is where knowing the rules could have come in handy. If, after striking your original ball, you believe it may be lost outside a water hazard, or out of bounds, you have the option to play a provisional ball.

Here is the procedure:
Since you were on the teeing ground, you must wait for any remaining players to play their tee shots. You must then formally announce that you are playing a provisional ball. Hopefully you hit this one down the middle. It is noted in Rule 27-2 Provisional Ball, that if another provisional ball is played, it bears the same relationship to the previous provisional ball as the first provisional ball bears to the original ball.

So, you hit your provisional ball down the middle. You may now play as many shots as it takes to reach the point where your original ball is likely to be but be careful not to strike a shot once you have passed that point or you no longer have the option to play your original ball.

To keep it simple, let’s say you hit your provisional ball well past where your original ball is likely to be. If your original ball is found during the five minute search period, the provisional ball must be abandoned and no penalty is incurred. If the original ball is not found, your provisional ball is now the ball in play and you lie three. The original shot counts as one stroke, the penalty of stroke and distance counts as one stroke and the provisional ball counts as one stroke. If you had hit your ball out of bounds, you would proceed the same way, except you do not have the option to play a ball that lies out of bounds.

We will go into further detail on course boundaries, markings, stakes, etc. in our next issue. In the meantime, study hard... and play harder. ~GCW


So while you are waiting for our next issue to come out and see what rule we will be address, how about taking this:

Interactive Rules Quiz!