Are you required to declare a provisional shot before hitting it?

The Rules of Golf Are Complicated! Thankfully, we have the teacher. our Rules Guy knows the book inside out. Have a question? He has all the answers.

On level 3, my playing partner, “Steve,” dropped the green into the fences beyond. He re-teed and without declaring a provisional hit it to 4 feet. On reaching the green, the group on the next tee – located on the far side of the fences – said the ball was near that tee, in, but no actual shot. Steve was convinced his second ball was in play, since he hadn’t said, “Provisional.” I argued that you cannot declare your ball lost. Who was right? – Joe Lauder, Warrington, Cheshire, England

“Steve” was convinced, and he was also correct.

Sorry, Joe, but you always you have the option of playing under penalty of stroke and distance, and the Rules do not require you to play a ball provisionally. When “Steve” did not declare his provisional before taking the stroke, that ball became his ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance. He layed 3 with a 4-foot putt for his bogey 4. And now you’re more adept at Rule 18.3.

For more provisional ball instruction from our teacher, read on…

My friend drives straight and wide. Assuming he’s missed, he hits a layup, which also goes right. We finally found both balls in bounds. The problem: the balls were identical and none were marked, so we couldn’t tell which was the original and which was the temporary. He was advised to play the ball further from the hole as his first ball, then take a two-stroke penalty at the bottom of the hole. Was it correct? – Bart Calvanese, Denver, Colo.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we neglect to mark golf balls differently.

Bart, when a player cannot distinguish between the original and the provisional, and both balls are in the court, the player must choose one – the one – and treat it as provisional, under Rule 18.3c(2).

Thus, your friend would have made his fourth shot with the ball of his choice. To anticipate the next question, if one ball in bounds and the other OB, you would play the ball in bounds as a provisional.

Want to find the right accessory for your bag in 2026? Find a convenient club location near you at True Spec Golf.

Have a question about the Rules? Ask Guy Rules! Send your questions, confusion and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise you won’t throw the book at you.