Whatever the situation, a potentially lost ball can quickly become one of the biggest threats to pace of play and put a group behind schedule.
So, what should golfers do when a ball goes missing?
AZ GOLF’s Head of Rules & Competitions, Logan Rasmussen, sat down to explain the rules and proper etiquette to follow when balls are sliced into the desert.
Unsure? Hit a Provisional
If there is any uncertainty that a ball will be found, always hit a provisional.
Think of it as insurance.
If the original ball is found and playable, great. The provisional goes away. If the original ball cannot be found within the allotted search time, the provisional can save a golfer from having to walk or drive all the way back to where the previous shot was played.
Rasmussen recommends making sure the original ball and provisional have different identifying marks. If a golfer hits their first ball to the left and then hits a provisional that follows a similar path, it can become difficult to determine which one is which without differing marks.
Under the Rules of Golf, if the balls cannot be distinguished, the ball found is treated as the provisional.
In tournament play, golfers should also clearly announce that they are playing a provisional and identify its markings to their playing partners.
Once the search for the ball begins, etiquette is just as important as the rules. Every player, caddie, spectator and official should partake.
But there is a limit. Under the Rules of Golf, a ball search can only last three minutes.
The clock starts when the player or their caddie begins searching in the vicinity of where the ball is believed to be.
If a Rules Official is present, the process is more formal. The official will wait until the player indicates that they want to search, then ask which player hit the potentially lost ball and what identifying marks it has. The official will then start a stopwatch.
Typically, the official will announce when one minute remains and again when 30 seconds remain. Once the three minutes expire, they will announce that time is up and the ball is lost.
If someone finds the ball before the three minutes expire, it is found. But if the ball is found even one second after the three-minute period ends, it is lost and the provisional becomes the ball in play.
What Happens If You Find It?
Finding your ball doesn't necessarily mean you have to play it.
If the ball is found, the golfer can either play it as it lies or take an unplayable-ball penalty.
Under the Rules of Golf, there are three relief options for an unplayable ball:
- Stroke and distance — Return to the spot of the previous stroke and play again with a one-stroke penalty.
- Back-on-the-line relief — Take relief on a line extending from the hole through the spot where the ball lies.
- Two club-length relief — Drop within two club-lengths of where the ball lies, no closer to the hole.
There is an important distinction when a provisional has already been played.
Once the original ball is found, it is the ball in play. The golfer cannot simply choose to play the provisional under stroke and distance after discovering the original ball.
The reason is that a player should not get the advantage of seeing where the provisional ended up before deciding to take stroke-and-distance relief.
This is why golfers may opt to ask everyone not to search for their original ball. Perhaps the provisional landed in a perfect position, while the original is likely buried somewhere in the desert.
But once someone finds the original ball during the search period, the golfer is required to identify it and proceed under the Rules of Golf.
Golfers should use their best judgment in these situations. The goal is to keep play moving while still following the rules.
Sometimes the best option is to have one player get dropped off near the likely location of the ball while the other players continue playing their own balls. In another situation, it might make more sense for everyone to search first, particularly if the errant ball is likely to be short of the other players' positions.
If a player accidentally moves their ball while searching, there is no penalty. The ball should simply be replaced in its original spot.
If a ball is found but cannot be identified without lifting it, the player may mark and lift the ball to determine whether it is theirs.
Errant shots are part of golf. An understanding of the rules and etiquette after they happen will keep your next round moving with the pace of play.