How do you score lost balls?

[Need4spd]

Take your FULL five minutes to look for the ball, if you can't find it then go back and rehit with a one stroke penalty, AND then let me know how the group(s) behind you react to that. Yeah right...

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

Sawgrass,

Presumably they're fishing for a bit of a "group hug" feeling to reassure them that they're playing a socially accepted version of the rules. Kind of a "everybody does it so it must be ok" excuse. And there seems to be a lot of love being shared here to that end. Amazing, ain't it?

[bmorejared]

I would bet that a vast majority of recreational golfers drop and take a one stroke penalty when they lose a ball off the tee. I bet a majority even do it when the lost ball is OB or in a hazard. My data for this is the fact that I have played hundreds of recreational rounds of golf, seen hundreds of lost balls, and have never seen one person go back to the tee. I have seen quite a few "provisionals" hit, but I'm pretty sure most of those provisionals were later scored as mulligans. Would the term "mulligan" even be a part of common vocabulary if it wasn't a common practice?

I am not talking about competition, handicapping, or even gentleman's betting (unless all betting parties agree on the modified version of the rule). I do believe that the rule should be changed so that a lost or OB tee shot is treated the same as a lateral hazard. Why do you think most courses have a drop area on par 3's that carry over water? Do you think they want hackers hitting 21 off the tee until they clear the water hazard?

[HitEmTrue]

[quote name='bmorejared' timestamp='1311945656' post='3433631']
I do believe that the rule should be changed so that [b]a lost[/b] or OB tee shot is treated the same as a lateral hazard.
[/quote]

I asked this on the previous page. Where would you drop? All drop situations are VERY specific on where you are allowed to drop. I'm just curious how you'd write this rule. On a lost ball, there is no margin line that it crossed where it became "lost".

[Sawgrass]

I suppose that the rules could be changed to allow for randomly placed "out of bounds drop zones" as is sometimes true for water hazards. But if that ever came to be, I'd hope that they make it a two stroke penalty rather than the one stroke for a water hazard. I enjoy the strategic complexity afforded by having an out of bounds be a worse violation than a water hazard/lateral water hazard, and it would keep historic scoring more in line.

[Rockfish]

[quote name='Need4spd' timestamp='1311881886' post='3432047']
Take your FULL five minutes to look for the ball, if you can't find it then go back and rehit with a one stroke penalty, AND then let me know how the group(s) behind you react to that. Yeah right...


[/quote]

Been there. Done that. No problem.

But can you say p-r-o-v-i-s-i-o-n-a-l ???

[Rockfish]

[quote name='bmorejared' timestamp='1311945656' post='3433631']
I would bet that a vast majority of recreational golfers drop and take a one stroke penalty when they lose a ball off the tee. I bet a majority even do it when the lost ball is OB or in a hazard. My data for this is the fact that I have played hundreds of recreational rounds of golf, seen hundreds of lost balls, and have never seen one person go back to the tee. I have seen quite a few "provisionals" hit, but I'm pretty sure most of those provisionals were later scored as mulligans. Would the term "mulligan" even be a part of common vocabulary if it wasn't a common practice? [/quote]

You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT !!!


[quote]I am not talking about competition, handicapping, or even gentleman's betting (unless all betting parties agree on the modified version of the rule). I do believe that the rule should be changed so that a lost or OB tee shot is treated the same as a lateral hazard. Why do you think most courses have a drop area on par 3's that carry over water? Do you think they want hackers hitting 21 off the tee until they clear the water hazard?
[/quote]

As I said earlier, if this is the case, [size="4"][color="#8B0000"][b]NOBODY CARES !!![/b][/color][/size]

In FACT, everybody behind you would be [u][b]very grateful[/b][/u], even (especially ? ) those who DO keep handicaps.

Carry on !!!

[MadGolfer76]

[quote name='Rockfish' timestamp='1311805383' post='3429665']
[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1311802845' post='3429568']
[quote name='Vindog' timestamp='1311795907' post='3429294']
[quote name='jaygalindo' timestamp='1311794802' post='3429236']
5 minute to look and if not found then re hit. I hate this but i do play with a group of gamblers who keep a USGA rule book in their pocket or so it seems and are very strict on rules.
[/quote]

You bring up a good point in that often times there is a conflict between playing by the rules and "keeping pace".

Most of the time rangers don't want to hear it, and neither does the group behind you. Whaddaya do?
[/quote]

It might be worth checking the local rules of the course you are playing at. [color="#8B0000"][b]I have seen some courses institute local rules where you drop at distance rather than return and play another shot[/b][/color]. You just play "3" from the spot you last saw your ball so as to not slow down play.
[/quote]

Shut up !!!

No way. A course encouraging its players to play AGAINST the rules ?!?!?! Wonder what the USGA would say about THAT ?!?!?!

In my best Joe Pesci voice "Are you surrrrrrrre?"
[/quote]

Yep. I am sure. Deep rough and thick tree lines are treated as lateral hazards rather than OB. The reason being, they can cram more foursomes out on the course and keep things going if play doesn't slow down. Courses are there to make $$ first and promote the rules of the game second...or third...or...

When they hold competitions, it is back to strict rules.

[bermuda]

If you're going to drop instead of rehit, at least take two strokes to make it closer to the actual penalty.

[Rockfish]

[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1311995726' post='3435155']
[quote name='Rockfish' timestamp='1311805383' post='3429665']
[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1311802845' post='3429568']
[quote name='Vindog' timestamp='1311795907' post='3429294']
[quote name='jaygalindo' timestamp='1311794802' post='3429236']
5 minute to look and if not found then re hit. I hate this but i do play with a group of gamblers who keep a USGA rule book in their pocket or so it seems and are very strict on rules.
[/quote]

You bring up a good point in that often times there is a conflict between playing by the rules and "keeping pace".

Most of the time rangers don't want to hear it, and neither does the group behind you. Whaddaya do?
[/quote]

It might be worth checking the local rules of the course you are playing at. [color="#8B0000"][b]I have seen some courses institute local rules where you drop at distance rather than return and play another shot[/b][/color]. You just play "3" from the spot you last saw your ball so as to not slow down play.
[/quote]

Shut up !!!

No way. A course encouraging its players to play AGAINST the rules ?!?!?! Wonder what the USGA would say about THAT ?!?!?!

In my best Joe Pesci voice "Are you surrrrrrrre?"
[/quote]

Yep. I am sure. Deep rough and thick tree lines are treated as lateral hazards rather than OB. The reason being, they can cram more foursomes out on the course and keep things going if play doesn't slow down. Courses are there to make $ first and promote the rules of the game second...or third...or...

When they hold competitions, it is back to strict rules.
[/quote]

Hmmmmmmmmm. That's a bit different. I didn't read your post as something [u]temporary[/u] in nature although local rules [u]can[/u] change from time to time. Of course I don't believe moving play along and making more $$$ are among the reasons for [u]temporary[/u] local rules. Sounds like for everyday play they have these as laterals and, during tournaments they are OB (or just NOT lateral hazards) or lost balls.

Even/especially everyday play is supposed to go into one's handicap.

But then again, I would think the USGA rating and slope are based on the "permanent" conditions of the course. If the course does this whenever they feel like it they're really altering the course/slope rating whenever they feel like it.

Why wouldn't the course simply make those areas lateral hazards and get the course re-rated ?

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

USGA raters are not going to treat a huge expanse of knee-high grass adjacent to a golf course as a "lateral hazard" because it does not meet the definition of one. No matter what the course employees may inform the punters who show up to slice golf balls into that grass every weekend, it is either part of the course or it is out of bounds. A hazard is a very specific thing.

[oneunderbogey]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1312313721' post='3445342']
USGA raters are not going to treat a huge expanse of knee-high grass adjacent to a golf course as a "lateral hazard" because it does not meet the definition of one. No matter what the course employees may inform the punters who show up to slice golf balls into that grass every weekend, it is either part of the course or it is out of bounds. A hazard is a very specific thing.
[/quote]


If the course puts a big red circle around it with stakes and spray paint, and defines it as a lateral hazard the USGA raters will consider it one.

[bomberman]

Usually I am playing matches when I golf, a lost ball is basically a lost hole unless a provisional is played. When marking scores for handicap just put in the maximum number of strokes allowed for that hole.

My group will usually drop one for a 2 stroke penalty, but for those who hit provisional balls this is a pretty rare occurrence.

[QEight]

[quote name='oneunderbogey' timestamp='1312316139' post='3445507']
[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1312313721' post='3445342']
USGA raters are not going to treat a huge expanse of knee-high grass adjacent to a golf course as a "lateral hazard" because it does not meet the definition of one. No matter what the course employees may inform the punters who show up to slice golf balls into that grass every weekend, it is either part of the course or it is out of bounds. A hazard is a very specific thing.
[/quote]


If the course puts a big red circle around it with stakes and spray paint, and defines it as a lateral hazard the USGA raters will consider it one.
[/quote]

Would be interesting to see the course rating and slope for course which has lateral hazards on both sides of most fairways.

[oneunderbogey]

[quote name='QEight' timestamp='1312791893' post='3461321']
[quote name='oneunderbogey' timestamp='1312316139' post='3445507']
[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1312313721' post='3445342']
USGA raters are not going to treat a huge expanse of knee-high grass adjacent to a golf course as a "lateral hazard" because it does not meet the definition of one. No matter what the course employees may inform the punters who show up to slice golf balls into that grass every weekend, it is either part of the course or it is out of bounds. A hazard is a very specific thing.
[/quote]


If the course puts a big red circle around it with stakes and spray paint, and defines it as a lateral hazard the USGA raters will consider it one.
[/quote]

Would be interesting to see the course rating and slope for course which has lateral hazards on both sides of most fairways.
[/quote]

something.something/155

[4thand11]

Related (and probably dumb, my apologies) newbie rules question... let's say you hit a drive towards the woods or OB, but you're not sure if it stayed in play or not. Then, when you get to the spot, you can't find it so assume it is lost. What is the proper procedure then? Do you just drop anywhere in the vicinity of where you lost it? And what is the stroke penalty? For example, if I drop, am I now hitting my 3rd shot (assuming it is my drive that Iost)?

I get confused by the "penalty of stroke and distance" rule in general. If I hit a provisional from the tee and it ends up that the 1st ball was lost, then my drive off the tee would be my 3rd shot, correct? (2nd shot plus one penalty stroke). However if I just drop in the vicinity of where I lost the ball and hit my 3rd shot, am I not getting an unfair advantage over a person who hits his 2nd ball off the tee?

[lander215]

[quote name='stoverny' timestamp='1312919169' post='3467247']
Related (and probably dumb, my apologies) newbie rules question... let's say you hit a drive towards the woods or OB, but you're not sure if it stayed in play or not. Then, when you get to the spot, you can't find it so assume it is lost. What is the proper procedure then? Do you just drop anywhere in the vicinity of where you lost it? And what is the stroke penalty? For example, if I drop, am I now hitting my 3rd shot (assuming it is my drive that Iost)?

I get confused by the "penalty of stroke and distance" rule in general. If I hit a provisional from the tee and it ends up that the 1st ball was lost, then my drive off the tee would be my 3rd shot, correct? (2nd shot plus one penalty stroke). However if I just drop in the vicinity of where I lost the ball and hit my 3rd shot, am I not getting an unfair advantage over a person who hits his 2nd ball off the tee?
[/quote]


Read [url="http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-27/"]Rule 27[/url]. Lost ball is stroke and distance, you have to go back to where you last hit the ball and hit again with a one stroke penalty, so if you hit one OB or lose it off the tee box, you go back to the tee box and are hitting three, or, if you played a provisional ball, you play the provisional lying 3 hitting 4.

If you lose the ball in a water hazard, then you need to comply with [url="http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-26/"]Rule 26[/url].