Stupid Golf Question
What do I do if I lose a ball?
Everyone is helping search and the ball has apparently entered another dimension
Plain answer first
The plain answer
Under the Rules of Golf, you may play a provisional before walking forward when your original ball may be out of bounds or lost outside a penalty area. If the original is not found within the allowed search time, stroke-and-distance relief generally applies. In casual play, your group may instead agree on a simpler local procedure.
The NPG answer
Search with purpose, then accept that the course has collected another small donation.
When it matters
It matters when a search can delay the group or when you are keeping a score under formal rules.
What to do next
Before going forward, tell the group you are playing a provisional if the original ball may be out of bounds or lost outside a penalty area. For a casual round, separately confirm whether the group is using a local drop procedure instead of the formal rule.
Do this next
What is a provisional ball?
A provisional ball is a backup shot you hit when your first ball might be lost or out of bounds.
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