How long do you look for a ball?

[North Butte]

The guys I play with are far too nice to actually complain but on the rare occasions I play a provisional, it clearly is not a popular move. Our usual game only counts (gross) bogeys or better for points. As a double-digit handicapper, if I re-tee and hit three on a 350-yard Par 4 there is about a 0.1% chance of me getting the provisional in play, reaching the green and making a putt for bogey. Yes it could happen but not often enough to be worth the bother.

It's a different matter for guys who make a couple of birdies per round and shoot in the 70's. The really ought to get a provisional ball in play and if they don't find the first one they might still save a bogey.

[MaineMariner]

I've literally never played a casual round in my life in which a golfer actually treated a lost ball correctly under the rules. Every casual golfer just drops a ball near-ish where they thought the ball was lost and takes a one stroke penalty. It's exceedingly rare for me to see a provisional shot hit. I hit one this weekend and caught my regular group off guard! My tee shot went into the driving range adjacent to the hole and I knew I would never be able to find it. One guy asked why I didn't just go drop a ball next to the range instead of hitting three off the tee.

Of course it's wrong, but it's done for pace of play and blood pressure regulating reasons. Ever seen a bad golfer hit their tee shot AND their provisional in the woods? That's not fun for anyone.

Are their scores or handicap legitimate? Nah, but I think the person who's just dropping willy nilly probably isn't using their handicap for competitions/betting anyways. I'd guess that the majority of golfers with a handicap just use it as a measure of their game.

Personally, I've taken to using the new two-stroke-penalty drop in the fairway rule whenever possible, because that keeps the round moving.

[Newby]

What a difference an ocean makes

[Nels55]

I look for a ball that I feel should not be lost for the full three minutes. The new local rule for ob and lost balls is in place at my course so if the ball is not found then another is dropped at the proper distance from the pin two club lengths in the fairway adding two strokes and carry on. I do hit provisional balls when it seems necessary.

I have some lower handicap friends who refuse to use the new local rule but for my regular group it is a big time saver.

There are times in the winter when it is really soggy where our tournament rules allow a free drop if the group agrees that the ball was obviously augured in to deep to be found. I do find balls with just the top showing in the dry season after the rough dies out. Sometimes I even dig them out if it is a slow day...

[parforme]

Three minutes and done. In casual rounds our club uses the new rule allowing a drop in the fairway no closer to the hole with a 2 stroke penalty. In all official club events, either a provisional or go back to the spot where the lost ball was original hit from.

[llewol007]

I fall into the 3 minute club. I use that time getting to my ball to assess the likely hood of finding it. Sometimes I don’t even put the effort to look for it especially when I see a reveene or some thick shrubs that I know will probably not give up my ball. I think it’s a good rule change. I see players with their ball retrievers coming out with half a dozen or more and I’m shaking my head. Good to promote keeping a better pace to the round.

[4x4GGG]

Time spent looking for a ball really vary on the shot that makes me look for it.

-Snap hook off the Tee into knee high weeds in the middle of the jungle with a lava core coming straight from the bowls of hell? Not looking for that. Hit 3 off the tee and try not to over compensate.

-Playing my draw down the right side and it goes straight as arrow over the bunker and you see the last hop right up to the big tree with the split trunk in short cut grass? After 2-3 minutes I'm dropping 3 hitting 4 in line with the drive.

-170 out and I back off my 64* wedge and bounce it off the back of the the green with nothing but trimmed grass behind it. I'm taking my 3 minutes. I know where that ball should be and it's not there. If this was the PGA tour there would be people pointing at it. I'll line up my ball mark (repair it!) and drop 3 behind the green and hit 4 up and into the cup for a birdie.

 

And yes, I keep a handicap for my own stats, and the $$ games I play with people who have no interest in me padding my scores.

 

[TerpFangolfer]

agree 100% - also depends on if it is a tournament/serious round, or just a casual/practice round...I normally hit a prov if any doubt, but of course we've all had those shots that we know were "perfect" and yet, we get out there and somehow the ball has disappeared. No chance I go back to the tee unless it is a tournament round. Just FYI - in my recent US Am Tour event (the tour that replaced the GC tour) we were playing the modified OB local rule.