Fall Golf, Dreaded Leaves, and Lost Balls!!!!

[jimb6golf]

Switch to a softer bright yellow ball this time of year and you'll have a better chance of finding them - they really stick out.  Stay away from the matte balls.  The look really bright at first but get dirty REALLY quickly and you won't be able to find them.  Usually play a white ball most of the year but have a sleeve of yellow in the bag now just in case and will switch in the next few weeks until next spring.  Fall and winter rounds in New England can be tough finding balls but the advantages of a nice quiet day, cooler temps, etc. really make it worth playing.  And in this environment I'm hoping the courses stay open through the winter.

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

What’s hardest to judge when looking for a ball? Distance, as you’re in line with the shot path.

I’ve become way, way more successful finding my ball since I’ve started drawing an imaginary line between tee box and estimated landing point and walking directly on that line, instead of walking down there randomly and start searching the general area.

I pick two trees or something else that’s of help, one behind the tee box, one behind where I saw the ball land and walk between those. Depends on the course, obviously, if there are any helpful points of reference.

Much better than remembering a certain bush or tree next to the landing area, as perspective changes so much once you get there. 

Not much you can do when there’s a lot of leaves, obviously, but this approach has helped me immensely!

[peterwalkerrr12321]

On 10/12/2020 at 7:48 AM, eastriver said:

has anyone ever tried these blue golf ball finding glasses?  I've been tempted to give them a try, especially this time of year.  I mean, what if they actually work?!?!?

 

 

 

I got these as a gift a while back... I can honestly say they do not work! 

[Naptime]

I find that pink Callaways stand out fairly well (and the other guys won't play my ball by accident).  Have tried red matte balls - not too bad; orange and yellow - no help in leaves.  I tried blue Callaways but they didn't stand out so much for me in overcast.

Edited October 15, 2020 by Naptime

[eastriver]

Another perfect New England day today at Haystack.  Especially if you like gusts of 20+!

 

Haystack is a bit of a hidden gem in southern VT.  It was private until this season, and the new owner and super have done some great restoration work on the greens and bunkers.

Edited October 15, 2020 by eastriver

[mjforn]

A few years back I was playing on a course that is quite leafy (if There is a word). My playing partner for the day brought a cordless leaf blower, worked great. After that I bring my small DeWalt blower in the fall. I think most of us have a cordless drill at home, not hard to get the blower that matches the battery. Most are less than 100 bucks.

 

.

[zachillusions]

The other day I saw a foursome pull out an electric leaf blower to look for their ball. Funniest thing I've seen on a golf course in awhile.

[RoyalMustang]

If playing non-tournament but still "counting" rules, what is the etiquette here?  Typically a lost ball search is 5 minutes before a penalty?  Yet, if you are playing on a weekend and the course is crowded, I don't want to wait 5 minutes: I am tempted to take a drop in the vicinity and play. It really isn't fair to have a lost ball due to leaves or due to not being able to look for 5 minutes. Do you just take a drop and skip the penalty given the circumstances?  We aren't talking about "hey, I can't find my ball because of the leaves" when in fact I know it skipped into the pond.  

[BC33]

New search time is 3 minutes,  not 5.

 

If you're reasonably certain your ball is in an area of leaves and you are unable to find it, it's a one stroke penalty with a drop.  You get the distance so you don't have to replay the shot with penalty.

[8602081]

With the colors of falling leaves being Brown, Yellow, and or Red..  I still think White is the best color for balls..

 

 

[7ironDave]

The leaf monster got me this weekend. 
 

Hit a drive into the right rough, I saw it land softly.  Got to the area and no sight of the ball. Look for a bit and just drop to keep things moving. Hit a nice shot, hop in the cart to pick up my buddy and I see my ball 5 feet from where I dropped. 
Took the stroke and lost the hole as a result. 

[weil2020]

You need a professional golf sunglasses 

 

[Ferguson]

 

Ballhawks are best used in combination with a Greg Norman Secret and the Korg SR-1G metronome. 

 

 

On 10/12/2020 at 7:48 AM, eastriver said:

has anyone ever tried these blue golf ball finding glasses?  I've been tempted to give them a try, especially this time of year.  I mean, what if they actually work?!?!?

 

 

 

 

[Hateto3Putt]

This time of the year I pull out the bright yellow TopFlight Gamers. I think they were 30 balls for $20.

 

Look briefly, drop where you think it was and move on.

 

Played Sunday, guys in my group lost 2-3 "good" balls apiece.

 

I didn't lose a TopFlight, but I guarantee had I put a new Z-Star on a peg it would've found a nice leafy hiding spot.

[eastriver]

2 hours ago, Ferguson said:

 

Ballhawks are best used in combination with a Greg Norman Secret and the Korg SR-1G metronome. 

pro tip!

[Ferguson]

2 hours ago, eastriver said:

pro tip!

 

 

You simply can't find this information anywhere except at WRX! 

 

[Amps]

The blue glasses are a waste of time in my experience.

 

Reckon it's a blue or pink ball for the best chance of spotting in the winter.

 

White ball... here in Blighty a lot of courses love to plant some awful non native trees, who's leaves have a white underside. Once they're on the ground you don't stand a chance of finding a white ball. Golf courses are mono cultures at the best of times, the last thing we need is non native plants that also ruin a round. 

[Jackal66]

1 hour ago, Amps said:

The blue glasses are a waste of time in my experience.

 

Reckon it's a blue or pink ball for the best chance of spotting in the winter.

 

White ball... here in Blighty a lot of courses love to plant some awful non native trees, who's leaves have a white underside. Once they're on the ground you don't stand a chance of finding a white ball. Golf courses are mono cultures at the best of times, the last thing we need is non native plants that also ruin a round. 

I don't think the glasses would help me, unless I was close enough to step on it anyway.

[Gproulx]

Yellow balls in the fall...if you know you aren’t out of bounds take a free drop. Not worth the hassle of searching for 10 minutes. 

[me05501]

On 10/5/2020 at 8:22 AM, xkilgorextroutx said:

I play yellow balls in the fall here in the northeast to find them easier in the leaves. For the most part, if you know how far you normally hit with your driver, it'll give you a good reference point as to where to start looking. 

 

Both good ideas here. Here are a few others:

• Make a habit of spotting for each other when you tee off. The spotter should stand behind the player, watch the ball carefully, and identify a landmark to use when you go out to find the ball. It really helps to choose a landmark that is beyond where the ball landed so you drive to that landmark, look straight back at the tee, and have a good one-way path to walk while you search. 
• Get the sun behind you when you're walking the area where you think you'll find your ball. The ball will stand out more against the background. 
• Learn your REAL distances with your tee clubs. I find it really helpful to use my Garmin GPS watch to estimate where my ball should be. If it said 400 yards on the tee, I should be looking in an area that is 170-180 yards from the green. 
• If I read your post correctly it seems like you were looking for the balls from a cart instead of parking the cart and walking through the leaves. You'll find more balls on foot than from the cart. 

 

 

[dufferNU]

On 10/5/2020 at 1:58 PM, dubbelbogey said:

For me, orange balls come out during the leaf falling season, much better than yellow or green. Of course, nothing helps when a ball ends up under a leaf. We generally play with the "leaf rule" in effect, and are not going to declare a lost ball with the usual penalty on a shot that clearly hits a fairway. I've had rounds where the leaf density was so thick, I've lost 8 or 9 balls on good shots. (Typically, a ball lasts me two or three rounds). For me, it's also a time to clear out the shag bag of the old balls.

 

 

 

 

Good thought on the orange balls.  White just doesn't seem to work well with the leaves, and even orange leaves aren't golf ball orange.

 

[Jackal66]

2 hours ago, Gproulx said:

Yellow balls in the fall...if you know you aren’t out of bounds take a free drop. Not worth the hassle of searching for 10 minutes. 

That's what we do. Everybody watch. Then, drop where you last saw it.

[lefthack]

Sometimes it's easier to find than others. If I keep it on the fairway, I'm golden.🤣