Your tee shot disappears into the trees near the course boundary. You are not sure whether it stayed in bounds, and walking all the way up to look could mean walking back to the tee.
This is the situation a provisional ball is designed for.
A provisional ball is another ball played when your original ball might be out of bounds or lost outside a penalty area. Before hitting it, clearly announce that you are playing a provisional. If you find your original ball on the course outside a penalty area within the three-minute search time, you must abandon the provisional. If the original is lost or out of bounds, the provisional becomes your ball in play with a stroke-and-distance penalty.
Why Does the Provisional Ball Rule Exist?
Without a provisional, you might walk to the landing area, search for your ball, discover that it is lost, and then have to return to the spot of your previous stroke.
Playing a provisional gives you a ball ready to continue with if the original cannot be played. It saves the return trip, particularly after a tee shot.
It is not a free second attempt or a mulligan. Whether its strokes count depends on what happens to the original ball.
When Can You Play a Provisional Ball?
Under Rule 18.3, you may play one when the original ball might be:
- Out of bounds
- Lost somewhere outside a penalty area
- In a penalty area, but also possibly lost elsewhere or out of bounds
A shot toward white boundary stakes is a clear example. So is a ball that disappears into thick trees or rough where it may not be found.
If a wooded area runs beside a penalty area and you cannot tell where the ball finished, a provisional may also be allowed because it could be lost outside the penalty area.
You make that judgment from what you know when you play the provisional. Later discovering where the original ball actually went does not change whether playing the provisional was initially allowed.
When Can't You Play One?
A provisional is not available just because you dislike your first shot or want to choose the better of two balls.
If the only possible place your original ball could be lost is a penalty area, Rule 18.3 does not allow a provisional under the usual Rules.
A second ball played from the previous spot would instead become your ball in play under stroke and distance.
The same applies if you already know the original ball is out of bounds: you are playing again under the applicable relief procedure, not keeping two options open.
A course may adopt a specific Local Rule that changes the procedure for a particular penalty area. Check the posted Local Rules rather than assuming that exception applies.
What Must You Say Before Hitting It?
Announce your intention to someone before making the stroke.
The clearest wording is:
"I'm playing a provisional."
You could also say, "I'm going to play another ball provisionally."
Phrases such as "I'll hit another" or "I'm reloading" do not clearly tell the group that the second ball is provisional.
If you fail to make a clear announcement, the ball you play from the previous spot becomes your ball in play under stroke and distance. Finding the original afterward will not let you return to it.
If there is nobody nearby to hear you, the Rules allow you to play the provisional and inform someone as soon as you can.
The Provisional Ball Sequence
Decide whether the original might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds.
Tell someone you are playing a provisional.
Play it from where you made the previous stroke, following the Rules for playing again from that spot.
Use a ball with a different number or identifying mark so you can tell the two apart.
Go forward and look for the original ball.
Determine which ball remains in play based on what you find and when you find it.
From a teeing area, the normal order is for the other players to make their first tee shots before you hit your provisional. The practical time to play it is usually before the group walks forward.
The Rules can still allow a provisional after a search has begun, provided the original is not yet lost and the three-minute search time has not ended.
What If You Find the Original Ball?
If the original is found and identified on the course outside a penalty area within the three-minute search time, you must continue with it.
Pick up the provisional. None of the strokes made with the abandoned provisional count.
You cannot choose the provisional because it landed in the fairway while the original is in the rough. The original remains your ball in play, even if it gives you a much harder next shot.
The three-minute search time begins when you or your caddie starts searching, subject to the Rules' provisions for search. If a possible ball is found within that time, promptly check whether it is yours.
When Does the Provisional Become Your Ball in Play?
The provisional becomes your ball in play if the original is lost outside a penalty area or is out of bounds.
There is another point that is easy to miss. You may continue playing the provisional from a spot that is the same distance or farther from the hole than the original ball's estimated location.
Once you make a stroke with the provisional from a spot nearer the hole than the original ball's estimated location, it becomes your ball in play.
Finding the original afterward does not reverse that result.
If you think the original tee shot landed near a tree 180 yards from the hole, you can play the provisional from 200 yards away while it remains provisional.
If you then play it from 150 yards away, it becomes the ball in play.
How Do You Score a Provisional Ball?
Suppose your first tee shot is lost outside a penalty area. You correctly announced and played a provisional from the tee, and that provisional becomes your ball in play:
| Action | Count |
|---|---|
| Original tee shot | Stroke 1 |
| Stroke-and-distance penalty | One penalty stroke |
| Provisional tee shot | Stroke 3 |
| Next shot with the provisional | Stroke 4 |
The third stroke consists of the two shots you actually hit plus one penalty stroke. You do not add two penalty strokes simply because you played a provisional.
If you find the original in time and continue with it, discard the provisional strokes instead. Your next stroke with the original is stroke 2, assuming no other penalty applies.
What If the Ball May Be in a Penalty Area?
The distinction is whether the ball could also be lost outside the penalty area or out of bounds.
It Could Be in More Than One Place
If the ball might be in a penalty area, but it might also be lost outside that penalty area or out of bounds, you may play a provisional under Rule 18.3.
It Could Only Be in the Penalty Area
If the ball could only be in the penalty area, the standard provisional-ball procedure is unavailable. You would use the relevant options under Rule 17.
If the original is found in the penalty area, or it becomes known or virtually certain that it is there while the provisional still has provisional status, you abandon the provisional.
You then play the original as it lies or use the applicable penalty-area relief.
What About the Local Rule for a Lost Ball or Out of Bounds?
Some courses adopt Model Local Rule E-5. It offers an alternative to returning to the previous spot when a ball is lost or out of bounds.
If adopted, the player may take relief in the defined area for two penalty strokes.
E-5 is a course or competition choice, not an automatic option everywhere.
Once you have played a provisional, you cannot use E-5 for the original ball instead because the provisional turned out poorly.
The Local Rule may still apply to a provisional that is itself lost or out of bounds. Check whether the course has adopted E-5 before using it.
Common Provisional Ball Mistakes
Most mistakes come from treating the second ball as a choice rather than a conditional backup.
- Saying only "I'll hit another" instead of announcing a provisional.
- Playing one when the original could only be in a penalty area.
- Choosing the provisional after finding the original in bounds within the search time.
- Using identical, unmarked balls and being unable to identify them.
- Playing the provisional from nearer the hole than the original's estimated position, then continuing to call it provisional.
- Forgetting the stroke-and-distance penalty when the provisional becomes the ball in play.
A clear announcement and a distinct ball prevent much of the confusion before the group leaves the tee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to announce a provisional ball?
Yes. Before playing it, clearly tell someone it is a provisional. If nobody is nearby, inform someone as soon as possible afterward.
Can you play a provisional for a ball in a penalty area?
Under the standard Rule, only if the ball might also be lost outside the penalty area or out of bounds. A course may adopt a specific Local Rule for a particular penalty area.
What number stroke is a provisional from the tee?
If your original tee shot is lost or out of bounds and the provisional becomes your ball in play, the provisional tee shot counts as your third stroke.
Can you choose the provisional if the original is found?
No. If the original is found in bounds outside a penalty area within the search time and the provisional has not already become the ball in play, you must abandon the provisional.
How long can you search for the original ball?
The standard search time is three minutes after you or your caddie begins searching. A ball not found within that time is lost.
Can you play more than one provisional ball?
Yes. If your first provisional might also be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds, you may announce and play another provisional. Keep the balls clearly identifiable so you can determine which one counts.
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A First-Round Golf Checklist for Beginners