What is a provisional ball in golf and when should you play it?

The situation

You hit a shot and suspect it might be lost or out of bounds. Rather than walking forward to look and potentially having to walk all the way back, you want to play a second ball from the same spot as a backup.

The rule

Under Rule 18.3, you may play a provisional ball any time your original ball might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. You must declare it as "provisional" before playing it — the word "provisional" is required (saying "just in case" or "another one" is not enough). Play the provisional before going forward to search. If the original ball is lost or OB, you play the provisional and add 1 penalty stroke. If the original is found in bounds, you must abandon the provisional and play the original.

Real example

Your drive disappears into rough on the right. Before walking to look, you say "I'm going to play a provisional" and hit another ball. You find the original ball in bounds — abandon the provisional, play the original. You don't find it — the provisional is your ball in play, lying 3 (original stroke + penalty stroke + provisional stroke).

What to do on the course

• Say the word "provisional" clearly before hitting
• Play the provisional before leaving the area where you hit the original shot
• You can play multiple provisional balls if needed
• Do not play a provisional if the ball might be in a penalty area (water) — for penalty areas you take relief directly without a provisional

Penalty

No penalty for playing a provisional. If the original is lost or OB: 1-stroke penalty (applied to the provisional). If the original is found: no penalty, play the original.