As long as you are sure that you are about to play your own ball, what could possibly go wrong? Believe it or not, under certain circumstances, you can be penalized for playing a wrong ball despite the fact that you have played your own ball! Strange as that may seem, consider the following:-
- If you mark and lift your ball on a putting green and then set it aside, you must remember to replace your ball before playing your next stroke with that ball. Per Decision 15/4, Player Lifts Ball, Sets It Aside and Plays It from Where Set Aside, when you lift the ball pursuant to Rule 20-1, Lifting and Marking, that ball is out of play. The Definition of Ball In Play advises that a ball in play is no longer in play when it is lifted. If you then make a stroke with your ball while it is out of play, you will have played a wrong ball. The Definition of Wrong Ball states, in part, “A ‘wrong ball’…includes…the players original ball when it is no longer in play“.
- If, after a brief search for your original ball, you put another ball into play under Rule 27-1, Stroke and Distance; Ball Out of Bounds; Ball Not Found Within Five Minutes, you must continue play with the substituted ball, even though you then find your original ball within the five minute search period. Per Decision 15/5, Original Ball Found and Played After Another Ball Put into Play, your original ball became lost when you put the substituted ball into play under Rule 27-1. If you then abandon the substituted ball and play a stroke with the original ball, you will have played a wrong ball. See also Decision 27-1/2.3, Original Ball Found Within Five-Minute Search Period After Another Ball Dropped; Original Ball Played.
- If you find your original ball after a search exceeding five minutes, that ball is lost (see Definition of Lost Ball). Should you then play that ball, you will be playing a wrong ball. The Definition of Ball in Play indicates that a ball in play is no longer in play when it is lost. See Decision 27/8, Ball Found After Search Exceeding Five Minutes Is Then Played.
- If you play a provisional ball pursuant to Rule 27-2, Provisional Ball, for your original ball that may be lost or out of bounds, be careful not to continue play with your original ball after playing your provisional ball from a point nearer the hole than where your original ball was likely to be. See Decision 27-2b/5, Original Ball Played After Provisional Ball Played from Point Nearer Hole Than Original Ball Is Likely to Be, and Rule 27-2b, When Provisional Ball Becomes Ball in Play.
- If you play a stroke at your ball which is lying out of bounds, you will be playing a wrong ball. See Decision 15/6, Stroke Played with Ball Lying Out of Bounds, and Decision 18-2b/9, Ball Moves After Address and Comes to Rest Out of Bounds; Player Plays Ball. The Definition of Ball in Play indicates that a ball in play is no longer in play when it is out of bounds.
- In match play, if you are doubtful of your rights or the correct procedure to follow when taking relief, you must resist any temptation to play a second ball. Playing a second ball under Rule 3-3, Doubt As To Procedure, is restricted to stroke play only! According to Decision 3-3/9, Second Ball Played in Match Play, if you play a second ball in match play, you will incur a loss of hole penalty for playing a wrong ball.