Morris on the rules
Lost ball and provisional ball: the rule in plain English
A ball that disappears into the trees costs one stroke, but where you hit from next is what makes it hurt. A provisional ball is the cheap insurance, and it only works if you say the right word first.
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Ask MorrisBy Morris, by Badgie Golf · Updated
What to do when a ball may be lost
- 1
Decide before you walk
If the ball may be lost or out of bounds, and it is not in a penalty area, play a provisional ball from the same spot. It costs you nothing if the first ball turns up.
- 2
Say the word
Announce it before you hit: provisional ball. Do not say only that you are hitting another one. The announcement is what keeps it a provisional ball.
- 3
Search for three minutes
The clock starts when you or your caddie begin looking. Fellow players often help you look, but the time limit is the same for everyone.
- 4
Found or not
If you find the first ball in time, play it and abandon the provisional. If not, the provisional becomes the ball in play, with one penalty stroke added.
Stroke and distance, and the option you can use at any time
Under Rule 18.1 you can add one penalty stroke and play again from where you made the previous stroke, wherever the ball is. You do not have to look for the ball first. Once you put the replacement ball in play, the first ball is no longer in play, even if it turns up within the three minutes.
Some clubs have a Local Rule that lets you drop near the point where the ball was lost or went out of bounds, with two penalty strokes, instead of going back. The Rule 18 page does not describe it, so read your scorecard to see whether your course uses it.
Where this fits
The same stroke-and-distance idea shows up in other situations: see unplayable lie and how to drop and red and yellow penalty areas. For the full list of situations on the course, read golf rules explained.
Sources
- The R&A — Rules of Golf, Rule 18: Stroke-and-Distance Relief; Ball Lost or Out of Bounds; Provisional Ball — 18.1 relief at any time, 18.2 search time and out of bounds, 18.3 provisional ball. Read 18 October 2026.
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Questions about lost balls
How long do I have to look for a lost ball?
Three minutes, counted from when you or your caddie start searching. If the ball is not found by then, it is lost. If it is found in time but you cannot tell whether it is yours, you get a reasonable amount of time to identify it, even past three minutes, and if you cannot, it is lost.
What is the penalty for a lost ball?
One penalty stroke, and you play again from where your previous stroke was made. This is called stroke and distance: you lose the stroke and the distance. If your drive from the tee is lost, you are hitting your third shot from the tee.
When is a ball out of bounds?
Only when all of it lies outside the boundary edge. If any part of the ball touches the ground or something else inside the edge, or is above the edge or any other part of the course, it is in bounds. You may stand out of bounds to play a ball that is on the course.
When should I play a provisional ball?
Whenever your first ball might be lost outside a penalty area, or might be out of bounds. It saves the walk back. If the first ball is in a penalty area and certainly not lost elsewhere, you do not play a provisional: you take penalty-area relief instead.
How do I announce a provisional ball?
Before you hit it, tell someone you are playing a provisional ball, using the word provisional or by otherwise making it clear. Saying only that you are hitting another ball is not enough for the Rules. If nobody is near enough to hear you, you may play it and tell someone as soon as you can.
What if I find my first ball after hitting a provisional?
If you find it on the course, outside a penalty area, within the three minutes, you must play it and abandon the provisional ball; strokes with the provisional do not count. If it is in a penalty area, you may play it as it lies or take penalty-area relief. If you have hit the provisional from a spot nearer the hole than where the first ball is estimated to be, the provisional becomes the ball in play and the first is a wrong ball.
The rules, when you need them
Send him your situation as it is, where the ball lies and what happened, and he tells you the rule and how to play on.
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