Simpler Rules: Rule 27

Rule 27: Ball Lost or Out of Bounds; Provisional Ball      
                                
27-1. Ball Out-of-Bounds; Ball Lost

a. Ball Out-of-Bounds

If a ball is out-of-bounds, the player must, under penalty of one stroke, proceed in accordance with the procedure for playing from the place last played. 

b. Ball Lost (as a result of not being found)

If a ball is lost as a result of not being found within five minutes after the player’s side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it, the player must, under penalty of one stroke, proceed in accordance with the procedure for playing from the place last played. 

Exception: If there is conclusive evidence that the original ball that has not been found has been moved by an outside agency (Rule 18-1), is in an obstruction (Rule 24-3), is in an abnormal ground condition (Rule 25-1) or is in a water hazard (Rule 26-1), the player may proceed in accordance with the applicable Rule. 

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 27-1:

Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

 

27-2. Provisional Ball

a. Procedure

If the player believes that a ball may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds he may (other than on the tee) play another ball provisionally from as near as possible to the point from which the original ball was played, not nearer the hole, which avoids damage caused by the playing of that ball. Where the original ball was played from the tee the provisional ball may be played from anywhere on the tee and the ball may be re-teed. 

The player must declare to his opponent, or his marker or a fellow-competitor, that he intends to play a provisional ball, and he must play it before he or his partner goes forward to search for the original ball. 

If prior to putting another ball into play he fails to so inform his opponent or fellow competitor, or if he proceeds to move forward to search for his ball and subsequently puts another ball into play, that ball becomes the ball in play under penalty of one stroke: the original ball is rendered lost and the stroke played with it counts in the player’s score for the hole. 

(Order of play from tee – see Rule 10-3) 

Note: If a provisional ball played in accordance with Rule 27-2a might be lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds, the player may play another provisional ball. If another provisional ball is played, it bears the same relationship to the previous provisional ball as the first provisional ball bears to the original ball. 

b. When Provisional Ball Becomes Ball in Play

The player may play a provisional ball until he reaches the place where the original ball is likely to be. If he makes a stroke with the provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place, the original ball is rendered lost, the stroke played with the original ball counts in the player’s score for the hole and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play, under penalty of one stroke. 

If the original ball is lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, the stroke played with the original ball counts in the player’s score for the hole and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play, under penalty of one stroke. 

Exception: If there is conclusive evidence that the original ball, that has not been found, has been moved by an outside agency (Rule 18-1), is in an obstruction (Rule 24-3), is in an abnormal ground condition (Rule 25-1) or is in a water hazard (Rule 26-1), the player may proceed in accordance with the applicable Rule. 

c. When Provisional Ball to be Abandoned

If the original ball is neither lost nor out of bounds, the player must abandon the provisional ball and continue playing the original ball. If there is conclusive evidence that the original ball is in a water hazard, the player may proceed in accordance with Rule 26-1. In either situation, if the player makes any further strokes at the provisional ball, he is playing a wrong ball and the provisions of Rule 15-2 apply. 

Note: If a player plays a provisional ball in accordance with Rule 27-2a and that ball is subsequently abandoned in accordance with Rule 27-2c, all strokes made with, and any penalties incurred solely in playing that ball, are disregarded.