2 strokes for lost ball

[Big Duffer]

do many guys play that way?.. typically you can't go back to the tee and hit another ( I can just imagine what the group behind you would say if they see you walking back down the fairway to hit another) so it just becomes 2 strokes instead of one? I play that way with certain friends.. its a little frustrating because the rule is you go back to the tee, I haven't read anything about 2 strokes as an option.. if you are going to take a 2 stroke penalty though you feel compelled to look for it and obvioulsy no one wants to wait 10 minutes while you look for it.. but if you are going it get a 2 stroke penalty if you can't find it really sucks.. especially if the ball is just lost in the rough and wasn't a particulary bad shot.. with other friends if the ball is lost, I'll look a minute where I think it went in, if I can't find it I'll drop where it went in and take a one stroke penalty.. which is correct?

[pvs1313]

neither

the only correct way is to go back and hit again. anytime you think it might be lost you chould be hitting a provisional form the tee ( or wherever) just in case.

you are altering the rules of golf if you decide to just "take" 2 strokes in stead of one. you can not make up your own rules.

[AAA]

Why don't you take a provisional if there is chance it is lost. That is exactly why the rule is there. To save time walking back.

[Big Duffer]

thats the answer I was hoping for and its the last time I'll accept a two stroke penalty.. to be considerate to those behind and your group the option is not there to go back to the tee.. from now on it's point of entry and a 1 stroke penalty..

[Big Duffer]

AAA, that's the proper procedure agreed.. but, what if all agree the ball will be found, and then its not found? you still can't walk back.. so whats the penalty

[AAA]

If you have to play by those 'rules' It must be a two stroke penalty.
The real rules say if you don't take a penalty then it costs you strke and distance.
ie 1 off the tee, 2 penalty for lost ball, 3 off the tee again (hopefully on the fairway near where your first was supposed to be). Next stroke 4.
Your way.
1 off the tee, 2 penalty for lost ball, 3 penalty drop nearby. Next stroke 4.

You are then not 'cheating' the strokes.

[Big Duffer]

is there an actual rule though that says a lost ball is two strokes, or is that just a consequence of not being able to go back to the tee? I understand the rule, lose your ball, back to the place where you last hit it, one stroke penalty. Is there such a rule that says, where this is not possible you incur a two stroke penalty or has that rule just kind of been made up by weekenders as going back to the tee is not an option

[Tanglegrip]

27-1. Ball Lost or Out of Bounds
If a ball is lost or is out of bounds, the player must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke, as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5).

Exceptions:

1. If there is reasonable evidence that the original ball is lost in a water hazard, the player must proceed in accordance with Rule 26-1.

2. If there is reasonable evidence that the original ball is lost in an obstruction (Rule 24-3) or an abnormal ground condition (Rule 25-1c) the player may proceed under the applicable Rule.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 27-1:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.

There is no rule to drop where you think the ball is lost and penalize yourself two strokes. In all instances where you think that ball may not be found hit a provisional, it really does speed up play and only takes a few seconds.

[AAA]

is there an actual rule though that says a lost ball is two strokes, or is that just a consequence of not being able to go back to the tee? I understand the rule, lose your ball, back to the place where you last hit it, one stroke penalty. Is there such a rule that says, where this is not possible you incur a two stroke penalty

No.

or has that rule just kind of been made up by weekenders as going back to the tee is not an option

Yes.

[Big Duffer]

thanks AAA.. thats what I thought the answer was..

[Kiwi battler]

Sometimes there is NO penaly for a lost ball , drop another ball "free" withen 1 clunlength of point of entry ...... im talking about abnormal ground conditions !
casual water, GUR etc

[MS40]

now I'm confused.
riddle me this:
I hit a poor drive and it ends up in the deep rough.
I go looking but can not find it
So... I drop a ball in the area where I presumed my original ball was
What am I hitting, and why?

[Kilroy]

Whatever you like, since you are not playing by the rules.

I think post #6 by AAA was confusing. It seems to me that he's saying if you don't play by the book, at least this method is "closer to the actual rule"

IMHO if you don't / can't finish the hole by the book, mark an X on the card and use ESC if you keep a handicap (max double for up to 18 Max 3 for 18 - 36 handicap) If you don't keep a handicap, then you just lost the hole. That's all.

No made up rule will give you a valid score anyway, so if you play that way, it really doesn't matter until you keep a handicap so do as yoiu like since you're playing just for fun.

[Weazl]

IMHO if you don't / can't finish the hole by the book, mark an X on the card and use ESC if you keep a handicap (max double for up to 18 Max 3 for 18 - 36 handicap) If you don't keep a handicap, then you just lost the hole. That's all.

Sweet, I'm down to a 21.5 I think after this weekend so only 3.5 strokes to go before the max is a double.

[AAA]

I think post #6 by AAA was confusing. It seems to me that he's saying if you don't play by the book, at least this method is "closer to the actual rule"

Yes Dan, it wasn't as clear as it might have been.
If you play by the rules it costs at least two strokes (ie penalty and distance). If you insist or are forced to play by some other convention then 2 strokes is the minimum you should pay. bu for handicap purpose do as you say.
I'm not in Canada so don't have the same leeway. If you don't play by the rules you are DQd. Handicap score irrelevant.

[Kilroy]

So to sum this up...

Lost ball and no provisional to play:

• If you are playing just to hit the ball, ie not competing, there is nothing to be DQ'd from. Do as you wish, count it as you like, you are only measuring yourself against the last score (by your own rules) that you had. Not a good idea to discuss your scores since they only have relevance to you.
• If playing stroke play competition, back to where you last hit or DQ'd.
• If playing match play competition, back to where you last hit or you lose the hole.
• If only playing for your handicap, back to where you last hit or take an X, applying ESC ehen you enter the score for your handicap.

[MS40]

Thank you very much. I think i get it now.
If I understand the provisional ball part: I would announce that I am hitting a provisional ball , because I might not be able to find the 1st ball hit.
what is the scoring & process if:
a) I do find the original ball
b) I don't find the original ball

Thanks again for the education.

[Kilroy]

Assuming the lost ball is lost from the first stroke.

a) The provisional is not in play, your first ball is lying 1
If you declare it unplayable, you do not have the option to hit the provisional

b) The provisional is in play lying 3

[pvs1313]

IMHO if you don't / can't finish the hole by the book, mark an X on the card and use ESC if you keep a handicap (max double for up to 18 Max 3 for 18 - 36 handicap) If you don't keep a handicap, then you just lost the hole. That's all.

N

not quite. if you mark an X you need to take the score you woul dhave gotten on the hole based on handicap and course rating. so if you are a 10 ahndicap for example and you are on the 11 hardest holelwell you have to take par since you get hno strokes. but if on the 3rd hardest hole you would take a bogey.

now if you were a 25 handicap say, and you are on the 3rd hardest holel, well now you get 2 strokes so you take a double bogey.

you never just take what your ESC woudl be for the holel that is just as bad as dropping and calling it your 3rd shot or whatever

[Kilroy]

I believe you are mistaken. The proceedure you mention is to be used when you play more than 13 but less than 18 holes. It is then applied to the unplayed holes.

If you "Pick up" on a hole you take an X and record the score using ESC.

[pvs1313]

is htat correct? if so i stand corrected, as I and my group have always scored the other way.

I will need to look at tthat closerr it seems

[Big Duffer]

hmm.. I don't really keep a handicap or play competitive tournaments.. on average I'll shot low 80's.. but to my weekend friends, playing skins or something, we play pretty serious and have a few bucks on the line.. I'd have to guess there are many players out there that lose a ball they thought would be found.. I've never seen a guy walking back down the fairway to tee it up again? so.. how does do people deal with that assuming you are not in competition..

[Kilroy]

They may have played a provisional, so they have a ball to play.

or

They conceed the hole in match play (and take an X) rather than walk back. In match play the odds of winning the hole when 3 off the tee are pretty slim. Also the odds of beating your equitable are almost as low, so save the time, take an X and move on.

Otherwise they just droped a ball and counted whatever they do in such situations according to thier buddies fun golf rules.

So to sum this up...

• If you are playing just to hit the ball, ie not competing, there is nothing to be DQ'd from. Do as you wish, count it as you like, you are only measuring yourself against the last score (by your own rules) that you had. Not a good idea to discuss your scores since they only have relevance to you.
• If playing stroke play competition, back to where you last hit or DQ'd.
• If playing match play competition, back to where you last hit or you lose the hole.
• If only playing for your handicap, back to where you last hit or take an X, applying ESC ehen you enter the score for your handicap.

[Big Duffer]

thanks Dan! thats really what all I was trying to determine.. the one guy I play with seemed to imply that this was in fact a rule, on not one made up to compensate for not going back to the tee..

[Kilroy]

Glad to help.