Provisional ball facts : Know the rules so you can take advantage. Did you know that:
1) You can hit a ball as a provisional, if you feel that the original is not in a good place,
and ask other players ( even your opponent) not to look for the original
2) Other players nevertheless may still conduct a search for that ball, so long as it
does not unreasonably delay play
3) A player may make numerous strokes at the provisional without it becoming the ball
in play until ....
4) another stroke has been made at the provisional from a spot nearer the hole than
where the original was estimated to be, the provisional only then becomes the ball
in play
5) Once the provisional becomes the ball in play ( either after more than three minutes
has been spent looking for the original, or it has been played from the closer spot), it
does not matter if the ball is then found( even within the search time limit)
6) If the original is actually played when found, but after the provisional becomes the
ball in play, then the wrong ball penalty is incurred.
