Provisional Shots in Golf Explained and Scored

A provisional shot is a second ball you play to save time when your original ball might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. It is not a free retry: if the original is lost or out of bounds, the provisional becomes the ball in play under stroke and distance. The key is to announce it before you hit, then know when to abandon it or count it.

What a Provisional Ball Means

A provisional ball is a temporary backup ball allowed under Rule 18.3 of the Rules of Golf. You use it when a shot may be:

Lost outside a penalty area, such as in thick grass, woods, or brush
Out of bounds

For example, an errant tee shot over a hill may justify a provisional if you cannot tell whether it stayed in bounds or disappeared into an area where it could be lost.

A provisional protects your right to use the original ball while preventing a return trip if it is gone.

If you find your original ball in bounds within the search time, you must play it. The provisional is abandoned, and every stroke made with that provisional ball is ignored.

If the original is out of bounds or cannot be found, the provisional becomes your ball in play. You then add the stroke-and-distance penalty.

A provisional is different from simply deciding to hit another ball. Unless you clearly declare the second ball as provisional before making the stroke, that second ball is normally your ball in play under stroke and distance.

How to Play a Provisional Ball Correctly

Use this table to decide whether another ball can be played as a provisional:

What May Have Happened to the Original Ball?	Can You Play a Provisional?	What to Do
It may be lost in woods, long grass, or another area outside a penalty area	Yes	Announce a provisional and play it before going forward to search.
It may be out of bounds	Yes	Announce a provisional and play it from the previous spot.
It may be in a penalty area, but it is not known or virtually certain that it is there	Yes	Announce a provisional; if the original is found in the penalty area, abandon the provisional.
It is known or virtually certain to be in a penalty area	No, not under the normal provisional rule	Play the original if possible or take relief under Rule 17.
You simply want another try after a poor shot	No	The next ball is played under stroke and distance, not as a provisional.

Step 1: Clearly Announce the Provisional Ball

Before making the next stroke, say that you are playing a “provisional.”

You can say something simple, such as:

> “I’m playing a provisional.”

What matters is that your playing partners understand your intent before you swing.

“I’ll hit another,” “I’m going to reload,” or “I’d better re-tee” may not make your intention clear enough. If you do not properly announce it, the second ball is treated as the ball in play under stroke and distance.

If possible, use a ball with a different number, color, or marking than the original. That makes it easier to identify the correct ball once you reach the area.

Step 2: Play It From the Previous Spot

Play the provisional from where you made the original stroke. On a tee shot, that usually means putting another ball on a tee and hitting from the teeing area.

The provisional is not a separate penalty by itself. It is the stroke-and-distance option ready to take effect if the original is lost or out of bounds.

For a tee shot, the scoring works like this if the first ball is lost or out of bounds:

Your original tee shot was stroke 1.
Stroke and distance adds one penalty stroke.
The provisional tee shot is stroke 3.

If the provisional stays in play, your next shot is your fourth.

Step 3: Go Forward and Search for the Original Ball

Proceed toward the area where the original ball is likely to be. You may continue playing the provisional while it is still farther from the hole than the estimated location of the original ball.

Once you or your caddie begin searching, you have three minutes to find the original ball. If you find a ball in the likely area, identify it promptly rather than continuing to play the provisional.

There are three possible results:

Original found in bounds: The original remains in play. Stop using the provisional.
Original not found within three minutes: The provisional becomes the ball in play.
Original found out of bounds: The provisional becomes the ball in play.

Do not play the provisional from a spot nearer the hole than where the original ball is likely to be unless you are ready for it to become the ball in play. Once you do that, the original is no longer available even if someone later finds it in bounds.

Step 4: Finish the Hole With the Correct Ball

Once you know the status of the original, commit to the ball required by the Rules.

If the original is lost or out of bounds, continue with the provisional and count:

The original stroke
One penalty stroke for stroke and distance
Every stroke played with the provisional

Before you leave the hole, make sure your score reflects the ball that was actually in play. This is especially important in stroke play, where playing the wrong ball or failing to correct an error can lead to a serious penalty.

When a Penalty Area Is Involved

A penalty area changes the provisional-ball rule.

You cannot play a provisional merely because you think your ball may be in a penalty area. If it is known or virtually certain that the ball came to rest in a penalty area, you must either play the original ball as it lies or take relief under Rule 17.

That may include going back to the spot of the previous stroke under stroke and distance. But if you play another ball from that spot when the original is known or virtually certain to be in the penalty area, that new ball is in play right away, it is not a provisional. The original must then be abandoned.

When You May Still Play a Provisional Near Water

You may play a provisional when the ball might be in a penalty area but it is also possible that it is lost outside the penalty area.

For example, a shot may fly toward a pond but could also have stopped in heavy grass short of the pond. If it is not known or virtually certain that the ball entered the penalty area, announce a provisional and play it before moving forward.

Then:

If you find the original in bounds outside the penalty area, play the original.
If you do not find it, the provisional becomes the ball in play.
If you find the original in the penalty area, abandon the provisional and either play the original or take penalty-area relief.

This prevents a player from using a provisional to “test” the result of replaying a shot before choosing among the available penalty-area relief options.

The Model Local Rule Exception

Some courses use Model Local Rule B-3 for an unusual penalty area because of its size, shape, or location. It can allow a provisional ball in a situation where balls frequently enter a penalty area but may still be found and played.

Do not assume this exception applies. Check with the course or committee before you play to see if this local rule is in effect.

How Provisional Shot Scoring Works

The easiest way to remember provisional scoring is this: the provisional only counts if it becomes the ball in play.

Example: Original Ball Is Lost

You hit a tee shot into thick trees.

Tee shot: stroke 1
You announce and hit a provisional from the tee: stroke 3 if needed
The original does not turn up.
The provisional is now in play.
Your next shot with the provisional is stroke 4.

Example: Original Ball Is Found in Bounds

You hit a tee shot toward rough near an out-of-bounds fence and announce a provisional.

You find the original ball in bounds during the search. The original remains your ball in play, so your next stroke with it is stroke 2. The provisional and every shot played with it do not count.

Even if the original has a bad lie and the provisional is in the fairway, you must use the original ball.

Example: Original Ball Is Out of Bounds

You hit a tee shot toward a row of houses, announce a provisional, and find that the original ball crossed the out-of-bounds line.

The provisional becomes your ball in play. If that provisional was your second tee shot, it counts as stroke 3, and you continue from where it lies.

Common Provisional Ball Mistakes

Most provisional-ball problems come from a rushed declaration or from continuing with the wrong ball.

Calling It “Another One” Instead of a Provisional

Say “provisional” before making the stroke; saying only that you will hit another ball may not make your intention clear enough.

Hitting the Provisional Too Late

Play the provisional before you go forward to search for the original. Once the group has moved ahead and started looking, you generally lose the chance to save time with a provisional.

Playing the Provisional Past the Original’s Likely Location

You may hit a provisional again if it is still behind the likely location of the original. But if you play it from a point nearer the hole than where the original is likely to be, the provisional becomes the ball in play.

Continuing With a Better Provisional

A well-hit provisional does not give you a choice. If the original is found in bounds within three minutes, the original is the ball you must play.

Treating a Penalty-Area Ball as a Provisional Situation

If it is known or virtually certain that the original ball is in a penalty area, another ball played from the previous spot is a stroke-and-distance ball in play, not a provisional.

A Quick On-Course Checklist

Before playing a provisional, run through this short check:

Could the original be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds?
Have you clearly said “provisional” before making the stroke?
Are you playing the next ball from the previous spot?
Can you identify the provisional ball separately from the original?
Have you stopped using the provisional if the original was found in bounds?
If the original was not found, have you included the one-stroke penalty?

On your next uncertain tee shot, say “provisional” clearly, use a distinct ball, and play it before heading down the hole.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a provisional shot your third shot?

Yes, if the original ball is lost or out of bounds, a provisional hit from the tee is your third stroke. The original tee shot is stroke 1, stroke and distance adds one penalty stroke, and the provisional tee shot is stroke 3. Your next shot from where the provisional lies is stroke 4.

Is a provisional a one- or two-stroke penalty?

A provisional carries a one-stroke penalty under stroke and distance if it becomes the ball in play. The confusion comes from losing the distance gained by the original shot as well as adding the penalty stroke. From the tee, that makes the replacement tee shot your third stroke, not your second.

Why take a provisional instead of a drop?

A provisional saves time when a ball may be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. Under the standard Rules, a lost ball outside a penalty area or an out-of-bounds ball requires stroke and distance, so a drop near where the ball disappeared is not normally available. A provisional lets you avoid walking back to replay the shot if the original is gone.

What happens if I hit a provisional and find my original ball?

If you find the original ball in bounds within three minutes, it remains the ball in play, and you must abandon the provisional. None of the strokes made with the provisional count. You must play the original ball even if the provisional is in a much better position.

Can I hit a provisional for a ball that might be in water?

Yes, but the possibility that the original ball is in water does not by itself allow a provisional. You may announce a provisional if the original ball might also be lost outside a penalty area or be out of bounds. If the original is later found in the penalty area, abandon the provisional and proceed with the original ball or take Rule 17 relief.