Returning a lost club

[MojoEd]

Found clubs, headcovers and towels, returned them all. Lost my Leupold rangefinder on the course, assumed it was gone, asked pro shop if it had been turned in just to go through the motions and it was. This past weekend, returned the favor; found a rangefinder and dropped it off in pro shop. Folks can exceed your expectations. Don’t just call, go to the course and look through their lost and found.

[Mr. Bean]

For more than 20 years I have had all my clubs equipped with a sticker with my name and phone number. It is a pre-printed sticker and attached in the shaft just below the grip, protected from water by a piece of plastic tape. Now, no sticker helps if the founder of my lost club does not want to return the club but let me share you a true story from my past.

It was Sunday and I was playing a round on my home course with 3 other people, carrying my bag. On hole #4 I went to the woods to look for stray balls while the others were searching theirs. Again on hole #6 I went to the woods to look for stray balls. On hole #11 I noticed my 7-iron was missing. Started to think back and I realized I had not used that club during the round and that I must have somehow lost it while wandering in the woods. Well, the area was way too large to be searched to I just accepted the loss.

Next Tuesday a man from my club phoned me and started the conversation by saying: 'So you threw your club quite deep in the woods!' I responded: 'Well what the heck were you doing there then??'

He had been searching his own ball in the woods of hole #4 and had found my club and phoned me as there was the sticker.

Feel free to use what I am using. Just don't use my name but your own

[sui generis]

These did the trick for me after I'd left a wedge on a resort course on Marco Island, Florida: Golf Club Labels from Pin High - Design Your Own

[rogolf]

Golf Canada provides id stickers (for clubs and other equipment) to its members. The stickers have an id number on them and asks the finder to visit their website to notify the owner.

[Mr. Bean]

I sure would like to have some stickers for my balls as they tend to get lost and nobody ever returns them to me...

Maybe me and Colin would like to have those on our tees as well? Not a bad idea!

[CaseyC]

Why isn't there a penalty for a lot club? Shouldn't it be the same as losing a ball (in a PA, not OB- that would be illogical)....

[Mr. Bean]

There IS a penalty. One club costs much more than a stray ball that you are using... right, Casey?

[rogolf]

Wrong thread - should be in "What is the one Rule you....."

[Vindog]

I bet that works a lot better than my “If found please drop in any mailbox” stickers. I have yet to get a club back in the mail.

[ArtMBgolf]

If you find something of high value, watch, wallet, GPS, new Vokey, etc, it might be a good idea to leave your name and number in the pro shop that you have it.

This way if nobody claims it, you keep it, instead of someone in the pro shop.

[Warrior42111]

Great, here come another 20 page debate

[Quasimoto]

I have only lost 1 club, a wedge left at a bunker after raking.

Around the greens when I have a wedge with me I always bring my putter with the head cover. If I am putting only, the cover stays with the bag.

After using the wedge I remove the putter cover, place the wedge grip on the cover and put it at the edge of the green toward the cart.

If I get to the cart and don't don't have the putter cover I know I left a wedge at the green and it is just a short trip to get it back. Doesn't happen often, but guarantees my clubs will always be returned to the bag.

[myspinonit]

I use these on my clubs and also my portable electronic stuff (not just golf equipment). https://www.golfid.ca/

Only once did they come into play... i dropped my rangefinder on the course somehow. By the time I checked with the proshop at the end of the round there was already a message on my home voicemail that it had been turned in and was at the proshop.

[zebra2955]

I do something similar, I put the cover right over the head of the wedge. Even had someone say "Why do you have 2 putters " When the see me with the cover on the wedge.

But back to the original. Once while I was golfing and walking I found a wedge near the green . Instead of carrying it around I put it in my bag. Well then I forgot about it being there. When I found it I was on a different course. So I had to remember to bring it to the right course. Needless to say that took a while so to the original poster hang on it just might show up.

[ga_pike]

We found a bluetooth speaker in our cart the day after Christmas. This means the cart was turned in the day before and cleaned but the cart guys didn't notice it. Black and deep in the cubby, so not hard to believe.

We ended up using it during our round and then pointed it out to the cart guys when we turned the cart in. Got a call from the pro later thanking us and letting me know the owner had gotten it back.

[Franchise01]

Never understood how keeping a random iron found on the course does anyone any good. Always turn it in to the clubhouse!

[LeoLeo99]

I found a M1 driver headcover on Monday at my local course. I have an M1 driver with a generic TM headcover so I could have used the one I found. Still, turned it in. It's the right thing to do.

[txsndvl]

This summer, on the 4th hole of my FILs track my ball was off the fairway about 4 feet after my drive. FIL dropped me off and within 1ft of my ball was an iphone. I've never seen someone so happy as when i answered and met them at the green.

[eugkim]

Just wanted to follow up. I finally gave up calling the pro shop to see if anyone turned my pitching wedge in. I moved on, purchasing a Scotty Cameron 46 degree with a matching shaft. Today, while waiting in my car for my wife to finish shopping (I had already slept for about 45 minutes), I started perusing ebay to see about getting a backup set of irons. While searching, I always look at any individual pitching wedge that's listed, and, wouldn't you know, I see one with a black and yellow grip with the same shaft. Buy it now price $130, bid $100. I email the seller and ask if he'll take $100 because I thought it was the club that I lost at Innisbrook over the holidays. Just got the response that he found it in the woods on the hole where I hooked a drive - I had recalled that the last time I saw the club, I was heading into the woods and thought about taking it in case I might have to reach into some dark hole (I'm scared of snakes). Based on this, I actually looked there for it, but couldn't find anything. Anyway, he thought it was a crazy story, and offered to send it to me for shipping cost. Just made my day!!!

[LeoLeo99]

That's a nice ending for you but why did the finder think it's finders keepers for clubs in the woods? If he found it on the green does he keep it or return it to the pro shop?

I found an iPhone last week on the course. Returned it to the owner playing ahead of me before he even knew he lost it. He was bewildered for a few minutes trying to figure out how I was in possession of his phone.

[PappyVanWinkle53]

I would have turned it into the pro shop. But I can see how the finder may have assumed (albeit incorrectly) that this was abandoned property.....i.e., someone launched the club deep into the woods after a poor shot.

A few years ago, I had a guy (in the group behind us) drive up to me and hand over a rangefinder.....like in your story, I stood there confused until I realized he was giving me MY rangefinder that I had apparently left on the ground on the previous hole. I'm sure I would have noticed shortly thereafter, but kudos to him for making the effort to run up to me rather than waiting for me to double back.

[theothertwo]

I play in a busy public golf course. A lot of regulars and old timers. Left clubs on course so many times but luckily, all have been returned to the pro shop. Range finders and sweaters, nope....

[eugkim]

He said he put it in his bag and forgot about it. I'm so happy about getting it back and grateful about his cooperation that I give him the benefit of the doubt. Funny thing - I was catching up to my son and someone else yesterday on the course, walking up to the 2nd tee. Someone walking up the 1st fairway flagged me down and asked if I was joining the front group - he found my son's phone on the 1st tee. Granted, this is a private club vs. a resort. Shouldn't make a difference. Once got a call from my son - heard a stranger's voice and got worried. Turns out, he found my son's phone on the sidewalk in NYC. He gave me his address and my son picked up his phone. Restored my faith in humanity.

[Sean2]

Yeah, I really don't get that. Last year, to site just one example, I found three brand knew TM wedges next to the practice green early one morning...were left there over night as it was dawn and they were covered in dew...and turned them in. It's a no brainer. Sorry about what happened to you.

[Carl Spackler3]

Unfortunately you lost a wedge. I worked at courses for years. Mid irons in a set are almost always returned. Putters aren’t lost a lot, because they go cart,green,cart. Wedges are the ones most likely to get clipped in my opinion. Sucks to be around thieves

[sui generis]

Depends on where you're playing, of course, but name and phone number on a shaft label and you might see that wedge again; no label, fat chance.https://pinhighinc.com/ or something like it.

[LeoLeo99]

I left my rangefinder on the range and it was returned. Thought there would be no way I'd ever see that again. Took me 3 days to even realize it was missing.

[myspinonit]

I lost my rangefinder on the course a couple of years ago. I use labels on my clubs and electronics from https://www.golfid.ca/

Before I checked with the clubhouse at the end of the round there wasa already a message at my home as a reesult of the label that the rangefinder had been turned in and was there.

[eugkim]

So, I experienced a whole different experience with a lost club. I'm back at Innisbrook where I lost my pitching wedge 3 months ago. I was playing with my son late last night. There was a group with 4 carts behind us with 2 bags between them. We came up on them and decided not to deal with them, skipping a par 5 that they were playing. Well, wouldn't you know, my son takes his hybrid and 4 iron to the par 3 tee and leaves the hybrid behind. He realizes that he left it 2 holes later; we headed back and asked the group if they found it. Each cart gives a different answer, saying that it was on someone else's cart (they were spread out over the whole par 4). When I got to the last cart who was supposed to have it, he says that someone else took it. When told that I was told to see him because he had it, he says that it must have fallen off the cart. Of course, we head back and try to find it to no avail. At that point, it was dark, so I tell my son to contact the course and see if someone turns it in. He's convinced that one of that group pinched it. I'm not sure that I disagree with him. It seems like something was a little fishy.

[4x4GGG]

I've never left a club behind... what's the voodoo of this course your'e playing? I can say that 3 times in 1 round I returned clubs to the group in front of me. I was in awe at their ability to forget clubs. Walk up with 2 and leave with 2??

 

So, I also work at a large golf sports entertainment venue. We keep a trash can in the back for lost and found and because of my OCD photographic memory I'm some how in charge of the L&F clubs. You wouldn't believe what this can goes thru. Being an OK golfer it's easy for me to spot which clubs are worth saving and which aren't. General rule is 30 days and it's safe to toss them. I wait 60 days. Then after 60 days if I feel the club has some value I'll recycle it and give it another 60 days. Over the winter? I'll try to give it until the Masters to see if they retrieve it. In my 3 years of being responsible for the L&F I've had 5 sets... bag and all.. not retrieved. Just left behind. The biggest surprise was some Mizzys. Not left together... all left separate. 7i 60, TZ8i and a bladed 4i. I let these cycle at least 3 times. After 3 cycles I decided to toss them. with in 3 days the owners of the 8 and the 7 both called looking for their clubs. Sorry... they rode at least 6 months. I felt bad, but how long can I hold onto them?

Right now that L&F can has 4 clubs of note. A ping forged 50* Glide, a Mizzy blue wedge, a BV 58*, and a RBZ driver. Add about 20 Topflight mixed clubs.