How Golf Provisional Balls Work Explainer
A provisional ball saves time when a golfer’s original ball might be lost outside a penalty area or might be out of bounds. Instead of walking forward, failing to find it, and returning to replay the shot, the golfer can play another ball provisionally under stroke-and-distance procedure.
Before making the stroke, the player must clearly announce the intention to play a provisional ball. Using the word “provisional” is the safest method. Simply saying “I’ll hit another” may put the new ball into play immediately rather than preserve the status of the original.
The player may continue hitting the provisional until reaching the area where the original is estimated to be. If the original is found in bounds within the three-minute search time, the provisional must be abandoned. If the original is lost or out of bounds, the provisional becomes the ball in play with the stroke-and-distance penalty.
A provisional is not allowed when the original is known or virtually certain to be only in a penalty area. In that case, the penalty-area relief options govern. The rule is about uncertainty between a possible lost or out-of-bounds result and a ball that may still be playable.
When the original might be lost outside a penalty area or might be out of bounds.
Yes. The player must make clear before the stroke that the second ball is provisional.
If found within the search time, the original remains the ball in play and the provisional is abandoned.
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