What should I do if I'm unsure of a ruling during a round?

If help with the Rules is not available within a reasonable time, play on and raise the issue later. In stroke play, if you are unsure of the right procedure while playing a hole, you may play a second ball without penalty:

• Decide to play two balls after the doubt arises and before making a stroke.
• Before making a stroke, announce to your marker or another player which ball you want to count, if the Rules allow the procedure used for that ball. If you do not choose in time, the ball played first counts.
• Report the facts to the Committee before you return your scorecard, even if both balls give the same score. If you do not, you are disqualified.

If you have already made a stroke before deciding to play a second ball, this procedure does not apply: the score with the first ball counts. The Committee then decides the score for the hole, and strokes with the ball that does not count (including its penalty strokes) are ignored. A second ball played this way is not a provisional ball. (Rules 1.3b and 20.1c)