You get three minutes to look for your ball, counted from when you or your caddie start searching. If it is not found in that time it is lost, and you take one penalty stroke and play again from where you last hit (Rule 18.2). The same goes for a ball that is out of bounds, which means all of it is outside the boundary edge. If you think the ball may be lost or out, you can hit a provisional ball first, as long as you say the word “provisional” before you swing (Rule 18.3b).
The ChartLost ball and out of bounds, step by step
| What happens | What you do | Cost | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Your ball might be lost outside a penalty area, or might be out of bounds | You may hit a provisional ball to save time. Announce it first (see the second chart). | None yet. Stroke and distance if the provisional becomes the ball in play. | 18.3a |
| 2. The search begins | The clock starts when you or your caddie begin to search. You have three minutes. | None | 18.2a(1) |
| 3. A ball is found but you are not sure it is yours | Try to identify it promptly. You get a reasonable time to do so, even after the three minutes are up, including time to walk to it. If you do not identify it in that time, it is lost. | None, unless it is lost | 18.2a(1), 7.2 |
| 4. Not found in three minutes | The ball is lost. Take stroke-and-distance relief: play the original ball or another ball from where the previous stroke was made. | One penalty stroke | 18.2a(1), 18.2b |
| 5. All of the ball is outside the boundary edge | The ball is out of bounds. Take stroke-and-distance relief, the same as for a lost ball. | One penalty stroke | 18.2a(2), 18.2b |
| 6. Any part of the ball touches the ground or an object inside the boundary edge, or is above the edge or any other part of the course | The ball is in bounds. Play it. You may stand out of bounds to hit a ball that is on the course. | None | 18.2a(2) |
| 7. You play a ball from the wrong place in breach of Rule 18.2 | The general penalty applies. | General penalty | 18.2b, 14.7a |
Source: The R&A, Rules of Golf, Rules 18.1 to 18.3.
Here is how the count works. Say you hit your tee shot (stroke 1) and the ball is lost. The penalty stroke is stroke 2, and the next ball you hit from the teeing area is your third stroke.
Once you play another ball from the old spot, the first one is gone. Under Rule 18.1, if you put another ball in play under stroke and distance, the original ball is no longer in play and must not be played, even if it turns up before the three minutes are over. The exception is a provisional ball you announced properly.
ProvisionalThe provisional ball: say it, then decide
| Situation | What the rule says | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| When you may play one | If your ball might be lost outside a penalty area or might be out of bounds. That includes when it has not been found yet, or when it might be lost in a penalty area but might also be lost somewhere else on the course or out of bounds. | 18.3a |
| What to say | Before the stroke, tell someone you are going to play a provisional ball. Use the word “provisional” or otherwise clearly say you are playing it provisionally. Saying you are playing another ball, or playing again, is not enough. | 18.3b |
| Nobody nearby to hear | Play the provisional ball, then tell someone as soon as you can. | 18.3b |
| You forgot to announce it | That ball is your ball in play under stroke and distance, even if you meant it as a provisional. | 18.3b, 18.1 |
| Playing it more than once | It stays provisional as long as each stroke is from a spot the same distance from the hole as where the original ball is estimated to be, or farther. | 18.3c(1) |
| The original is lost or out of bounds | The provisional ball becomes your ball in play under stroke and distance. The original is now a wrong ball and must not be played, even if it is found after the three minutes. | 18.3c(2) |
| You hit the provisional from nearer the hole than the original is estimated to be | The provisional becomes your ball in play under stroke and distance. The original is a wrong ball, even if it is then found inside the three minutes. | 18.3c(2) |
| The original turns up on the course, outside a penalty area, inside three minutes | Abandon the provisional ball. Play the original as it lies. | 18.3c(3) |
| The original is in a penalty area, or known or virtually certain to be | Abandon the provisional ball. Play the original as it lies, or take penalty relief under Rule 17.1d. | 18.3c(3) |
| After you abandon it | No more strokes with it. Every stroke made with it, and any penalty stroke that came only from playing it, does not count. | 18.3c(3) |
| The provisional might be lost too | You may play another provisional ball. It relates to the first provisional the way the first one relates to the original. | 18.3a |
| You cannot tell which ball is which | If you hit the provisional into the same general area and only one ball is found on the course, that ball is treated as the provisional. If both are found, you choose which one is the provisional; the other is the original and must not be played. | 18.3c(2) |
Source: The R&A, Rules of Golf, Rules 18.3a, 18.3b and 18.3c.
A provisional ball covers a ball that might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. If your ball is in a penalty area, or known or virtually certain to be, you do not use a provisional. You play it as it lies or take penalty relief under Rule 17.1d. Our relief cheat sheet lays out those options, and the stake and line colors guide shows which colors mark a penalty area and which mark out of bounds.
Other OutcomesWhen you know what happened to the ball
Stroke and distance is the default for a ball you cannot find. If you know, or it is virtually certain, that something else happened to the ball, a different rule may let you substitute another ball instead (Rule 18.2b). Those cases are:
- the ball came to rest on the course and was moved by an outside influence (Rule 9.6), or was played as a wrong ball by another player (Rule 6.3c(2));
- the ball came to rest on the course in or on a movable obstruction (Rule 15.2b) or an abnormal course condition (Rule 16.1e);
- the ball is in a penalty area (Rule 17.1c);
- the ball was deliberately deflected or stopped by any person (Rule 11.2c).
If you have a provisional ball and the first, second or fourth case applies, you can either use that other rule or treat the provisional as your ball in play under stroke and distance (Rule 18.3c(2)).
Using itHow to use this on the course
When a shot heads for trouble and you cannot see it land safely, decide before you walk. If it might be lost or out, say “I’m hitting a provisional” to a playing partner, then hit. Walk up and search for the original.
Start counting when the search begins, not when the ball landed. Three minutes is the limit. If the original turns up in time and it is yours, play it and drop the provisional. If it does not, the provisional is your ball in play and you carry on.
If you did not hit a provisional and the ball is lost, you go back to where you last played, take one penalty stroke, and play again. For a drive that means going back to the teeing area.
You can ask others not to search for the original if you would rather carry on with the provisional, but they do not have to agree (Rule 18.3c(3)). If a ball turns up that might be your original, you must make all reasonable efforts to identify it. Not doing so can lead to disqualification if the Committee decides it was serious misconduct (Rule 1.2a).
Watch forCommon mistakes
Saying “I’ll hit another one.” It has to be “provisional” or something that clearly means it. “Another ball” and “playing again” are not enough, and the ball you hit then becomes your ball in play with a penalty stroke (Rule 18.3b).
Calling it provisional when the ball is already lost. A provisional is for a ball that has not been found and identified and is not yet lost (Rule 18.3a). If you hit from the old spot with a provisional in mind when one was not allowed, that ball is your ball in play under stroke and distance.
Playing the first ball after the replacement is in play. If you put another ball in play under stroke and distance, the original is out of play for good, even if it shows up in two minutes (Rule 18.1).
Calling a ball out because it touches the line. A ball is out of bounds only when all of it is outside the boundary edge. If any part of it is on or over the course side, it is in bounds (Rule 18.2a(2)).
Hitting the provisional from past the original. If you play it from a spot nearer the hole than where you estimate the original to be, it becomes the ball in play and the original is a wrong ball, even if you then find the original (Rule 18.3c(2)).
Carrying on with the provisional after the original turns up in time. Once the original is found on the course, outside a penalty area, inside three minutes, you play the original and the provisional is abandoned (Rule 18.3c(3)).
For the terms used on this page, see the golf glossary.
FAQQuick answers
How long can I look for a lost ball?
Three minutes after you or your caddie begin to search (Rule 18.2a(1)). If a ball is found in that time but you are not sure it is yours, you get a reasonable time to identify it, even after the three minutes.
What is the penalty for a lost ball?
One penalty stroke. You play the original ball or another ball from where the previous stroke was made (Rule 18.2b).
Do I have to say “provisional”?
You must announce to someone, before the stroke, that you are playing a provisional ball. Use the word “provisional” or otherwise clearly say so. If no one is nearby to hear, play it and tell someone as soon as you can (Rule 18.3b).
Is a ball on the boundary line out of bounds?
Not unless all of it is outside the boundary edge. If any part of it touches the ground or an object inside the edge, or sits above the edge, it is in bounds (Rule 18.2a(2)).
Can I hit a provisional for a ball in a penalty area?
No. A provisional is for a ball that might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. If the original is found in a penalty area, or known or virtually certain to be there, the provisional is abandoned and you play the original as it lies or take penalty relief under Rule 17.1d (Rule 18.3c(3)).
What if I find my original after I hit a provisional?
It depends on when. Found on the course, outside a penalty area, before the three minutes end: play the original and abandon the provisional. Found after the three minutes: the original is a wrong ball, and the provisional is your ball in play (Rule 18.3c(2) and (3)).