What is a provisional ball in golf?
I · Intermediate · Lost balls, out of bounds and penalty relief · 11 of 16If a ball might be lost outside a penalty area, or might be out of bounds, the player may play a provisional ball from the same spot to save a walk back. It must be announced as provisional before it is hit. It counts only if the first ball turns out to be lost or out of bounds.
How it works
- The announcement: the player must tell someone, using the word "provisional" or making it plain in some other way. Saying "I'll play another" is not enough.
- A ball played again without that announcement is the ball in play under stroke and distance, and the first ball is finished with.
- Playing on with it: the provisional may be played more than once, up to the place where the first ball is thought to be.
- It becomes the ball in play when the first ball is lost or out of bounds, or as soon as the provisional is played from a spot nearer the hole than where the first ball is thought to be.
- It must be abandoned when the first ball is found on the course inside three minutes, or is found, or known, to be in a penalty area. The strokes made with it do not count.
- From the tee, a provisional is played after the others in the group have hit.
- If the provisional itself may be lost, another may be played.
Tricky cases
The first ball is found in a terrible place and the provisional is in the fairway. Can the player choose the provisional?
No. Once the first ball is found in bounds within three minutes, the provisional must be abandoned. The player may still treat the first ball as unplayable.
A player said "I'll hit another one" and played again. Is that a provisional?
No. Without the word "provisional" or a similarly plain statement, the second ball is in play with a penalty stroke.
Can a provisional be played for a ball that went into a pond?
No, if the only doubt is whether it is in the penalty area. A provisional is for a ball that may be lost elsewhere or out of bounds.
Why the rule exists
The Rule says it in two words: "to save time". Without it, a player would walk forward, search for three minutes and then walk all the way back.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rules of Golf | As above | G 18.3 |
| Foursomes | The provisional is played by the partner whose turn is next | G 22.3 |
From the rule book
The R&A and USGA Rules of Golf, Rules 6.4c, 18.3 and 22.3, and the Definition of provisional ball. Effective January 2023. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: Rules of Golf (PDF).