Can you abandon a ball in golf?

The player may abandon the teed ball and continue with the original ball without penalty, but is also allowed to proceed under stroke and distance.
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Can you declare a golf ball lost without looking for it?

For the sake of clarity, this is what it states: “A player may not make a ball lost by declaration. A ball is only lost when it has not been found within three minutes after the player or his or her caddie or partner begins to search for it.”
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What is the 3 minute rule in golf?

Limiting the search period to 3 minutes is more consistent with the underlying principle that golf is to be played in a prompt and continuous way, without long pauses in play. In most cases, if the ball is going to be found, it will be found within the first 3 minutes.
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Can you drop a ball in the fairway?

You can drop a ball in the fairway within two club-lengths of that fairway edge point, or anywhere between there and the estimated spot where your ball is lost or went out of bounds.
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Can a golfer declare his ball lost?

Since the player may not declare his or her ball lost, the original ball remains in play. The three-minute search time for a ball starts when the player or his or her caddie (or the player's partner or partner's caddie) starts to search for it.
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Jordan Spieth Removes Abandoned Ball From Penalty Area - Golf Rules Explained



Is a lost ball a 2 stroke penalty?

Local rule for out of bounds, lost ball

If a player hits a ball out of bounds or loses a ball, the general rules still require the player to return to the spot of the previous stroke and take a one-stroke penalty - a standard stroke-and-distance scenario.
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Can you play 2 provisional balls?

If a provisional ball itself might be lost outside a penalty area or be out of bounds: - The player may play another provisional ball. - That provisional ball then has the same relationship to the first provisional ball as the first one has to the original ball.
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What are the rules for dropping a ball in golf?

When taking relief, whether with penalty or without, you must drop a ball. The ball must be dropped straight down from knee height, must be dropped by you (or your partner), must first strike the ground within your relief area, and must remain within that relief area. Your caddie is not allowed to drop your ball.
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What is the new drop rule in golf?

A drop in any other manner is a one-stroke penalty. The New Rule: The new rule states that a player's only requirement is that the ball must be at knee height when dropping and must not touch any part of a player's body or equipment before hitting the ground.
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Can you take a drop from the rough?

If a ball is embedded in the rough, golfers are entitled to relief. If a ball is embedded in a bunker, golfers can drop the ball out of the sand (while taking a two-stroke penalty).
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Can you drop from out of bounds?

You may drop your ball anywhere between or behind where your ball came to rest out of bounds (or where you believe it came to rest, if you lost it) and within two club-lengths inside of the fairway. As you walk to drop your ball, make sure that you're not moving anywhere closer to the pin than you already are.
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How many clubs are you allowed to have in your golf bag?

You are allowed to carry up to 14 clubs for play (but you can have fewer). There is no restriction on the type of clubs you carry – for instance you can carry multiple putters, multiple drivers, or some left-handed clubs and some right-handed.
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What do I do if I hit my ball into a lake in golf?

The answer to your question can be found in the front of the rule book in the Definitions section.
...
  1. Play it as it lies (no penalty)
  2. Stroke and Distance (1 stroke penalty)
  3. Drop a ball behind hazard keeping in line the flagstick and point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard (1 stroke penalty)
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What is the 40 second rule in golf?

“Under the guidelines for Rule 6-7, a player is permitted 40 seconds to play a stroke. This 40-second time limit includes the first to play from the teeing ground, from the fairway and from around and on the putting green."
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Can your knee touch the green in golf?

May I kneel or lie on the green to read a putt? A. Although not recommended, yes. If the putting green is damaged because of this, the damage may be repaired ( see Rule 13.1c(2)).
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What happens if you tee off and lost your ball?

When you have lost your ball, or hit a shot out of bounds, which is marked by white stakes or lines, the penalty is one stroke and distance. What this means is that you incur a one-stroke penalty and need to go back to the point from where you hit your last shot.
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Do whiffs count in golf?

Under the Rules of Golf, any stroke in which you intend to hit the ball counts. It doesn't matter how far the ball goes. If you swing and miss, and you were trying to hit the ball, then it counts. If you take another swing at it, then you're counting your next stroke after the whiff.
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Is out of bounds still stroke and distance?

If a ball is lost or out of bounds, the player must take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball or another ball from where the previous stroke was made (see Rule 14.6).
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When can you not ground your club in golf?

If you decide to play a ball from a water hazard as it lies, you were previously not allowed to touch the ground or the water before your stroke. Now, you are allowed to ground the club in or out of the water when you play the ball out of a penalty area.
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What is an illegal drop in golf?

A golfer typically takes a drop after hitting his ball in an area from which he either can't play another shot or chooses not to play his next shot. As a general rule, if the ball is in a hazard or is out of bounds, the player is assessed a penalty stroke for taking the drop.
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How many drops are you allowed in golf?

A player currently needs to know the nine re-dropping scenarios; these are difficult to understand and apply and this is a widely misunderstood Rule. Under the new Rule, the player will only need to know that the ball must be re-dropped if it comes to rest outside the relief area.
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How many times can you drop in golf?

There is no limit on the number of drops you take to get either of these right. Just keep doing it until you get one into play correctly, then go ahead and play golf again.
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How long can a golfer look for a lost ball?

The Old Rule: Players can search for their ball for up to five minutes before it is deemed lost. The New Rule: Players can search for up to three minutes before their ball is deemed lost. Why It Was Changed: Pace of play. The amount of time it takes to play a round of golf is at the core of many rules changes.
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Can I hit a provisional golf ball until I reach the area of my original ball?

Basically, you can proceed on playing your provisional ball up until you reach the place where the first ball (the one lost) is likely to be. Making a stroke from that point makes your provisional ball the ball in play and the first one is rendered lost.
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How many strokes is OB in golf?

The penalty for OB is commonly called “stroke and distance.” This means that a one-stroke penalty is added to the score, and the ball must then be dropped as nearly as possible to the spot from which the original shot was played.
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