It’s always a tricky moment.
You’ve hit a poor shot and it has hurtled towards out of bounds or has hopped into an area that looks pretty ugly.
The chance of you ever seeing the ball again are slim.
What do you do next?
This USGA video explains a thorny situation in simple terms.
“If you hit your ball out of bounds or lose it,” the narrator explains, “the rules require you to play another ball from where you last played under the penalty of stroke and distance
“Stroke and distance is your only option for a ball that winds up out of bounds or is lost, unless an optional local rule provides an alternative.
“If you have any uncertainty about your ball being lost or out of bounds, consider playing a provisional ball from your original spot,” the video explains.
“Because looking for a ball only to have to return to the previous spot can disrupt the pace of play.
“If your previous stroke was made from the tee simply tee it up again.
“If you last played from the fairway, the rough, a bunker or penalty area, drop a ball within one club length of the spot where your last stroke was played making sure not to move closer to the hole.
“If you happen to find your first ball inbounds within the three minute search time, great.
“But if you can’t find your ball or indeed it winds up out of bounds just play on with the provisional.
“But remember, you’re not allowed to play a provisional when the only place your original ball could be lost is in a penalty area.
“When this happens you must instead use one of the options under penalty relief.”
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