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18Stroke-and-Distance Relief, Ball Lost or Out of Bounds, Provisional Ball
18
Stroke-and-Distance Relief, Ball Lost or Out of Bounds, Provisional Ball
Purpose of Rule: Rule 18 covers taking relief under penalty of stroke and distance. When a ball is lost outside a penalty area or comes to rest out of bounds, the required progression of playing from the teeing area to the hole is broken; the player must resume that progression by playing again from where the previous stroke was made.
This Rule also covers how and when a provisional ball may be played to save time when the ball in play might have gone out of bounds or be lost outside a penalty area.
18
Stroke-and-Distance Relief, Ball Lost or Out of Bounds, Provisional Ball
18.1
Relief under Penalty of Stroke and Distance Allowed at Any Time
18.1/1
Teed Ball May Be Lifted When Original Ball Is Found Within Three-Minute Search Time
When playing again from the teeing area, a ball that is placed, dropped or teed in the teeing area is not in play until the player makes a stroke at it (definition of in play and Rule 6.2).
For example, a player plays from the teeing area, searches briefly for their ball and then goes back and tees another ball. Before the player makes a stroke at the teed ball, and within the three-minute search time, the original ball is found. The player may abandon the teed ball and continue with the original ball without penalty, but is also allowed to proceed under stroke and distance by playing from the teeing area.
However, if the player had played from the general area and then dropped another ball to take stroke-and-distance relief, the outcome would be different in that the player must continue with the dropped ball under penalty of stroke and distance. If the player continued with the original ball in this case, they would be playing a wrong ball.
18.1/2
Penalty Cannot Be Avoided by Playing Under Stroke and Distance
If a player lifts their ball when not allowed to do so, the player cannot avoid the one-stroke penalty under Rule 9.4b by then deciding to play under stroke and distance.
For example, a player's tee shot comes to rest in a wooded area. The player picks up a ball, believing it is a stray ball, but discovers the ball was the ball in play. The player then decides to play under stroke and distance.
The player gets one penalty stroke under Rule 9.4b in addition to the stroke and distance penalty under Rule 18.1, since at the time the ball was lifted the player was not allowed to lift the ball and had no intention to play under stroke and distance. The player's next stroke will be their fourth.
18.2
Ball Lost or Out of Bounds: Stroke-and-Distance Relief Must Be Taken
18.2a(1)/1
Time Permitted for Search When Search Temporarily Interrupted
A player is allowed three minutes to search for their ball before it becomes lost. However, there are situations when the "clock stops" and such time does not count towards the player's three minutes.
The following examples illustrate how to account for the time when a search is temporarily interrupted:
- In stroke play, a player searches for their ball for one minute and finds a ball. The player assumes that ball is their ball, takes 30 seconds to decide how to make the stroke, choose a club, and plays that ball. The player then discovers that it is a wrong ball. When the player returns to the area where the original ball was likely to be and resumes search, they have two more minutes to search. The time of search stopped when the player found the wrong ball and stopped searching.
- A player has been searching for their ball for two minutes when play is suspended by the Committee. The player continues searching. When three minutes has elapsed from when the player began searching, the ball is lost even if the three-minute search time ends while play is suspended.
- A player has been searching for their ball for one minute when play is suspended. The player continues to search for one more minute and then stops the search to seek shelter. When the player returns to the course to resume play, the player is allowed one more minute to search for the ball even if play has not been resumed.
- A player finds and identifies their ball in high rough after a two-minute search. The player leaves the area to get a club. When they return, the ball cannot be found. The player has one minute to search before the ball becomes lost. The three-minute search time stopped when the ball was first found.
- A player is searching for their ball for two minutes, then steps aside to allow the following group to play through. The search time stops when the search is temporarily stopped, and the player is allowed one more minute to search.
- A player is searching for their ball, which is believed to be covered by sand in a bunker. The player is unsure what actions they are allowed to take to try to find the ball and so they stop searching after one minute to ask a referee or the Committee for a ruling. After two more minutes, a referee arrives and gives the player a ruling. When the player resumes search, they have two minutes to find the ball.
18.2a(1)/2
Caddie Is Not Required to Start Searching for Player’s Ball Before Player
A player may instruct their caddie not to begin searching for their ball.
For example, a player hits a long drive into heavy rough and another player hits a short drive into heavy rough. The player's caddie starts walking ahead to the location where the player's ball might be to start searching. Everyone else, including the player, walks towards the location where the other player's ball might be to look for that player's ball.
The player may direct their caddie to look for the other player's ball and delay search for their ball until everyone else can assist.
18.2a(1)/3
Meaning of “Reasonable Time To Do So” When Identifying Ball
Rule 18.2a(1) provides that a player must promptly attempt to identify a ball that is found when it is believed that the found ball could be the player’s ball. And, when attempting to do so, the player is allowed a reasonable amount of time to identity it.
However, so long as the player’s ball is found and identified during the three-minute search time, the player may take as much time within those three minutes to identify it. But when a ball is found close to the end of the three-minute search time, it is reasonable to allow the player up to one minute to identify the ball.
For example, a player finds a ball in a tree 2 minutes and 30 seconds after the search began but is not immediately able to identify it as theirs. In this case, it is reasonable to allow the player one minute to try to identify the ball, meaning if the player is able to identify the ball within 3 minutes and 30 seconds after the search began, the ball is not lost. But if the player discovers the ball is not theirs after the three-minute search time has finished, their ball is now lost and the player has no additional time to search.
Similarly, when a ball is found close to the end of the three-minute search time but the player is not where the ball is found, Rule 18.2a(1) also allows the player a reasonable time to get to the location where the ball is and, once there, it is reasonable to allow the player up to one minute to identify it. (New)
18.2a(2)/1
Ball Moved Out of Bounds by Flow of Water
If a flow of water (either temporary water or water in a penalty area) carries a ball out of bounds, the player must take stroke-and-distance relief (Rule 18.2b). Water is a natural force, not an outside influence, therefore Rule 9.6 does not apply.