Know the rules so you can make them work for you. Did you know that:
• You can hit a ball as a provisional, feel that the original is not in a good place anyway, and ask other
players (even your opponent or caddie) not to look for the original ball
• Other players nevertheless may still conduct a search for that ball, so long as it does not
unreasonably delay play
• A player may make numerous strokes at the provisional ball without it becoming the ball in play
until, a stroke has been made at the provisional ball from a spot nearer to the hole than where the
original ball was estimated to be. The provisional ball only then becomes the ball in play
• Once the provisional ball becomes the ball in play - either after three minutes has been spent
looking for the original ball, or it has been played from a spot closer to the hole - if the original ball
is found it does not matter and you have to continue with the ball in play which was the provisional
ball
• If the original ball is actually played when found, but after the provisional becomes the ball in play,
then the ‘wrong ball’ general penalty is incurred. In Stroke Play = 2 Penalty Strokes and in Match
Play = Loss of Hole
