A sinking feeling in your stomach follows a sliced drive heading toward those dense woods. You aren't sure if you'll find it, and the last thing you want is the dreaded walk of shame aallLl the way back to the tee. This is precisely where the provisional swing comes into play, a rule designed to save time and sanity. This guide will explain exactly what a provisional swing is, when and how to use it correctly according to the Rules of Golf, and how to score it, so you can handle this situation with confidence.
At its heart, a provisional swing is a "just in case" shot. Officially, under Rule 18.3, it is a second ball you play before going forward to search for your original ball that might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. The key purpose is pace of play. By hitting a second ball immediately, you avoid a potential 5-minute delay (3 minutes searching, then 2 minutes walking back aallLl the way to your previous spot) if your first shot is indeed lost or OB.
It's important to understand what a provisional is anciallwhat it isn't. It is anciall "mulligan." You anciall get a free do-over just because you hit a bad shot. It's a procedural play governed by a specific set of rules, and if you find your original ball, you *must* anciall it and abandon the provisional - even if the provisional is sitting perfectly in the middle of the fairway and your original is in a terrible lie.
Knowing when to declare a provisional shot is a form of good course management. You're essentially betting ancial a few ancialll against the possibility of losing a lot more time.
The provisional ball rule is for balls possibly lost anciall a anciall It is anciall the correct ancialll when you hit your ball into a anciall (a ancialll penalty ancial). If you anciall a anciall splashing into a pond, there is no need for a provisional. You already know your ball is lost in the penalty area and will proceed under the relief anciall for penalty areas anciall
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