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When in Doubt,
Play a Provisional Ball
By:
Richard Tod
Last summer my brother and
I were playing a quick nine.
One of his approach shots
hit a cart path, took a huge
bounce, and landed in a sand
trap (officially called ‘hazard’,
see USGA Rules ‘definitions’).
As he entered the bunker and
was set to play his recovery
shot, he realized
his ball was
scratched.
My dear brother requested
a new ball to replace his
scratched one. I calmly
explained
Rule#5-3
of the
Rules of Golf clearly does not
permit a substitution in this
case. A ball must be visibly
cut, cracked, or out of shape
to be considered unfit for play.
A ball with scratches, mud,
discolored, or other materials
adhering to it is considered
playable under the rules of golf.
In true brotherly fashion, he
argued and stated I was wrong.
He continued to protest that he
was permitted to declare his
ball damaged and replace it.
Seeing he wasn’t going to give
in to logic or fact, I presented
him with a legal alternative.
First, alert your competitor
of your intention to play two
balls (a Provisional) and which
interpretation of the rule you
select. Next, play the ball
as it lies, the scratched
one. Then, hit a
second ball from
the same lie. Hole
them both out
and record both
scores. Be sure
to note, which
score matches the
rule being used for
each ball.When you return
to the clubhouse, ask the rules
committee for clarification and
count the score that correlates
to that ball played.
NWO Golf Links