Rules - DZ and provisionals

[Thumber]

So here is the hypothetical.

Downhill hole, 250 feet with a creek 10 feet behind the basket. In the creek is OB. Drop Zone is 80 feet away from the basket.

You tee off and maybe put it in the creek. You throw a provisional which ends up in bounds but horrible in the woods. Can you elect to ignore the provisional and take your first shot, which means you go to the drop zone?

Basically the provisional is like an ace run. If you get it you get a circle 3. If you don't and it sucks, just go the drop zone and try for a circle 3 but likely get a circle 4.

Is this a loop hole in the rules?

 

[atl scott]

I'm assuming you have the option of re-teeing or using the drop zone on this hole? Some holes like this mandate use of the drop zone (no re-tee) and you couldn't throw a provisional from the tee anyway in that scenario.

The reason for throwing a provisional shot must be declared before throwing it therefore you are stuck using that shot if the reason you threw it was in case your first was out of bounds.

You can choose to play the provisional as an unplayable lie and rethrow from the tee throwing 5 or throw from where the provisional landed throwing 4.

 

[VictorB]

In my understanding, the provisional shot must be taken if the first disc is found to be out of bounds. The provisional shot would fulfill the 'stroke + distance' penalty for the OB shot (ie you chose not to play from the drop zone). Once the provisional tee shot is thrown, you cannot choose between the lie of the second disc in play and the drop zone from the first shot - whether the first shot is OB or not is the only thing that dictates what lie you play from.

 

[Cgkdisc]

A provisional shot thrown, if the first throw ends up OB (or lost), must be used. It really makes no sense to do it since you would more likely sink an 80-footer from the DZ than from the tee for a circle 3.