In the world of golf, few rules are as practical and time-saving as the provisional ball rule. If a player suspects their shot has landed out of bounds or is lost outside a penalty area, they can play a provisional ball to keep the game moving.
This rule is especially useful when the original ball might be 200-250 yards away, making it a long trek for a potentially fruitless search.
The provisional ball rule allows players to take a proactive approach, ensuring they don’t waste precious minutes on the course.
According to Clarification 18.3a(2), players have up to three minutes from starting their search to play a provisional ball.