Marking balls irritates 😤 me...

[pktaske]

I know its the true and just thing to do...but if my balls not dirty, I just leave it as is.

 

I just feel most guys do it because its 'what you do'. Courtesy...line up to hole...look cool...etc. But I see them putt and they don't even come close 9 times out of 10. Lining up the ball ain't helping them.

 

Maybe I'm like this because if my ball is plainly not in anyone's line, I don't touch it.

 

I also always think 🤔  I'm being judged for not marking it.

 

Funny because by the 7th or 8th hole, most stop marking their balls too.

 

Again, I know I'm in the minority and there are lots of good reasons to mark your ball...I just think it wastes time. I'd much rather be walking the green sizing up my shot.

 

It also bugs the &%$# out of me when one guy putts from 20 plus feet away and then walks up to push his ball in from a foot away for a double or triple then has to fish it out of the cup...all while I'm ready to putt. Just kick the ball out or leave it there till I putt. Again, I know its me...

Edited November 27, 2020 by pktaske

[straightshot7]

I think this depends on your group and what you guys have decided.

 

If everyone is cool with leaving balls unmarked (assuming not near someone else's' line) then yeah, just leave it. 

 

This is personal preference. If someone wants to mark their ball and can do so quickly, that's also their right. 

[Colin L]

1 hour ago, pktaske said:

I know its the true and just thing to do...but if my balls not dirty, I just leave it as is.

 

I just feel most guys do it because its 'what you do'. Courtesy...line up to hole...look cool...etc. But I see them putt and they don't even come close 9 times out of 10. Lining up the ball ain't helping them.

 

Maybe I'm like this because if my ball is plainly not in anyone's line, I don't touch it.

 

I also always think 🤔  I'm being judged for not marking it.

 

Funny because by the 7th or 8th hole, most stop marking their balls too.

 

Again, I know I'm in the minority and there are lots of good reasons to mark your ball...I just think it wastes time. I'd much rather be walking the green sizing up my shot.

 

It also bugs the &%$# out of me when one guy putts from 20 plus feet away and then walks up to push his ball in from a foot away for a double or triple then has to fish it out of the cup...all while I'm ready to putt. Just kick the ball out or leave it there till I putt. Again, I know its me...

I hope you feel better now  for that. 😎

[antip]

4 hours ago, pktaske said:

I know its the true and just thing to do...but if my balls not dirty, I just leave it as is.

 

I just feel most guys do it because its 'what you do'. Courtesy...line up to hole...look cool...etc. But I see them putt and they don't even come close 9 times out of 10. Lining up the ball ain't helping them.

 

Maybe I'm like this because if my ball is plainly not in anyone's line, I don't touch it.

 

I also always think 🤔  I'm being judged for not marking it.

 

Funny because by the 7th or 8th hole, most stop marking their balls too.

 

Again, I know I'm in the minority and there are lots of good reasons to mark your ball...I just think it wastes time. I'd much rather be walking the green sizing up my shot.

 

It also bugs the &%$# out of me when one guy putts from 20 plus feet away and then walks up to push his ball in from a foot away for a double or triple then has to fish it out of the cup...all while I'm ready to putt. Just kick the ball out or leave it there till I putt. Again, I know its me...

Don't know where you get the "true and just thing" from. On a dry day, no crud around and no need to lift my ball out of someone else's way, I very rarely mark. I am uninterested in whether any else marks, that is their choice, unless they are being stupid about it and slowing everything unnecessarily.

[Sean2]

We mark our golf balls. I like to clean and line up the ball and am told I'm a pretty good putter. I never thought of it as being cool. 

 

Seems like such a little thing to get exercised over. 

[Mr. Bean]

7 hours ago, pktaske said:

Again, I know I'm in the minority and there are lots of good reasons to mark your ball...I just think it wastes time. I'd much rather be walking the green sizing up my shot.

 

 

It only wastes time if people do not know how to act. It is not necessary to stand like a statue of salt when someone is walking towards his ball to mark it, one is allowed to prepare for his own putt any time nobody's about to putt.

[Unplayablelies]

I ve played with groups that mark everything on the green. I’ve played with groups that only mark if it’s near the line. The latter groups are more fun

[phil75070]

Some people find an unmarked ball within their sight line a distraction. I don't think it is cool, just functional and courteous to mark my ball. I also take my game seriously and the ball may be clean when first putted (but why take the chance) or it may pick up dirt/grass/sand on its way toward the hole. Any of that could possibly throw a putt off line. 

[LeoLeo99]

I hear ya, OP.  People get carried away thinking we're playing on tour.  If my ball isn't in anyone's way and no chance they'll hit my ball with a bad putt, I'll leave it be.  I've played with people that find an unmarked ball a distraction.  We don't play together any longer.  

[Mr. Bean]

1 minute ago, LeoLeo99 said:

I hear ya, OP.  People get carried away thinking we're playing on tour.  If my ball isn't in anyone's way and no chance they'll hit my ball with a bad putt, I'll leave it be.  I've played with people that find an unmarked ball a distraction.  We don't play together any longer.  

 

It seems that Leo and me have a different view on this one.

 

If I leave my ball relatively close to another player's line of play or close enough to potentially create a distraction, I feel it is my responsibility to ask whether my ball is a distraction and that I also always do. And people still play with me and I play with them.

 

However, in a serious competition I always mark and lift my ball without asking anything if there is even a slightest possibility it might be a distraction as I do not want to distract another player by asking questions that can be avoided by doing the correct thing.

[SNIPERBBB]

Stop playing casual golf. It seems like most these annoyance threads are about casual play. Most of these go away when you play competition golf as most people that play in them usually have at least three brain cells.

[LeoLeo99]

11 minutes ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

It seems that Leo and me have a different view on this one.

 

If I leave my ball relatively close to another player's line of play or close enough to potentially create a distraction, I feel it is my responsibility to ask whether my ball is a distraction and that I also always do. And people still play with me and I play with them.

 

However, in a serious competition I always mark and lift my ball without asking anything if there is even a slightest possibility it might be a distraction as I do not want to distract another player by asking questions that can be avoided by doing the correct thing.

 

The guys I play with are the same as me.  If they're 20 feet away and I'm 90° and 20 feet away we don't mark.  If we're relatively close enough to cause a distraction, we ask or mark.  It's not that every ball must be marked.  I've played with those guys that need every ball on the green marked even if it's nowhere near their line.  

[Mr. Bean]

6 minutes ago, LeoLeo99 said:

 

The guys I play with are the same as me.  If they're 20 feet away and I'm 90° and 20 feet away we don't mark.  If we're relatively close enough to cause a distraction, we ask or mark.  It's not that every ball must be marked.  I've played with those guys that need every ball on the green marked even if it's nowhere near their line.  

 

Now that is not very close to what you wrote before but it seems our views are quite close after all. Good.

[Mr. Bean]

19 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Stop playing casual golf. It seems like most these annoyance threads are about casual play. Most of these go away when you play competition golf as most people that play in them usually have at least three brain cells.

 

They may have many brain cells but they are slower than casual golfers in 95% of the cases... maybe they do not USE their brain cells well enough 🤔

[I'_rather_be_golfing]

Honestly, don’t mark your ball if it’s annoying. But still be mindful of others. If your ball is clearly in the way. The obvious thing to do is mark it. If it isn’t in the way. Then go in about your putt. Don’t think you need permission to not mark your ball. 

[JoseR]

I think just marking your ball is quicker than asking people “hey is my ball in ur line?” And when everyone is walking to the green dont you walk towards your ball to be close enough to mark it without it taking too long? 

[Mr. Bean]

4 minutes ago, JoseR said:

I think just marking your ball is quicker than asking people “hey is my ball in ur line?” 

 

That depends entirely on the situation, your own location and location of other players' balls. Trying to reach your ball by navigating through the web of lines of play may be time consuming.

 

Besides, we use a single word or max two and it takes one second to say that. Try reaching your ball, marking it and getting out of the way in one second. Good luck!

 

 

Edited November 27, 2020 by Mr. Bean

[MtlJeff]

I think this is one of those things where common sense would basically solve everything. 

 

If you are nowhere near someone's line , maybe ask them on the first hole if leaving your ball unmarked distracts them. 

 

If they say no. You are fine. My guess is almost every single person will say no in a casual weekend round. 

[pktaske]

13 hours ago, Colin L said:

I hope you feel better now  for that. 😎

Yes. Apologies to all.

[ArtMBgolf]

Most like to play with a clean ball, even though grass stains don't affect the putt.  
 
A distracting situation is the guy who putts up, not close enough to be good, decides 
it's OK to leave there, then keeps creeping after it, then the next to putt either waits 
or gets distracted.     

 

 

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

I'm not annoyed if someone wants to mark, and if not in the way, we generally proceed to putt out rather than mark really short putts, but I see your point a little bit.  I think in general there is probably "overmarking" and I do think it's one of those watching the tour things. Do I see it with folks that are pretty good players and confident about their games? Not so much.  Playing by myself, if my ball doesn't need cleaning I'm not marking my ball and I'm still trying to play my best golf, no reason to act any different if others are around.  Kind of like flag in, flag out, I guess.  If the rules allow and you want to do it, I really shouldn't and don't complain.

[wkndhckr]

I use the line to putt and I usually just rotate it to line up right there on the ground. I only mark if its in the way or has a chunk of mud on it. I have been known to putt with the mud chunk and no line up if it's close enough.

[jobin]

I rarely mark my ball.  My caddy does all the work.

[Greenskeeper13]

No need to Mark unless your in someone’s line or close to The line .. 

 

What’s the point in someone marking their ball on the other side of the green not even close to anyone .. ( besides cleaning mud / dirt off the ball )

[goaliedad30]

When I play as a single, I never mark my ball (unless it's muddy)

When my wife & I play as a twosome, we rarely need to mark our balls ... maybe a couple of times a round.

When we play with one other as a threesome, someone probably has to mark on every other hole, give or take.

When we play as a foursome, someone has to mark their ball on virtually every hole.

 

The interference seems to rise exponentially with the number of players.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

23 hours ago, Hawkeye77 said:

I'm not annoyed if someone wants to mark, and if not in the way, we generally proceed to putt out rather than mark really short putts, but I see your point a little bit.  I think in general there is probably "overmarking" and I do think it's one of those watching the tour things. Do I see it with folks that are pretty good players and confident about their games? Not so much.  Playing by myself, if my ball doesn't need cleaning I'm not marking my ball and I'm still trying to play my best golf, no reason to act any different if others are around.  Kind of like flag in, flag out, I guess.  If the rules allow and you want to do it, I really shouldn't and don't complain.

Yeah I think a lot of it is learned from the TV.  TV golf is played on the most perfect greens by the best putters on the planet where a few grains of dirt on a ball could make a difference.  Most of us aren't in that situation.

 

As for me I don't mark unless my ball is near another or dirty. And when it's dirty I briefly mark it with my putter and wipe it down with my hands and replace it immediately. 

[david.c.w]

On 11/27/2020 at 12:55 AM, pktaske said:

It also bugs the &%$# out of me when one guy putts from 20 plus feet away and then walks up to push his ball in from a foot away for a double or triple then has to fish it out of the cup...all while I'm ready to putt. Just kick the ball out or leave it there till I putt. Again, I know its me...

 

Does it really bug you to have people putt out?  Seems like you have a very slim margin of what you thinks people should or should not do. 

[Imp]

On 11/27/2020 at 12:55 AM, pktaske said:

It also bugs the &%$# out of me when one guy putts from 20 plus feet away and then walks up to push his ball in from a foot away for a double or triple then has to fish it out of the cup...all while I'm ready to putt. Just kick the ball out or leave it there till I putt. Again, I know its me...

So.... do other players have to wait at times for you to get your ball? Or are you always last to putt on every green? It's faster for the group for the player to do what they did, to "finish up". And I'm curious how you're "ready to putt" in a matter of 10 seconds - the time it takes to tap it in and get the ball. 

I don't mark unless my ball needs to be cleaned, if it's in the way of a putt, or if it's within 10-20 feet of the hole. (Or if someone asks) It's a simple courtesy. 

Edited November 30, 2020 by Imp

[D0ch0l1d4y]

In non-tournament rounds, we typically don't mark unless it's in another's way. But I have a dirty secret. If the ball is dirty, we pick it up, clean it, and put it back in the same general vicinity as when we picked it up. No mark at all. Don't tell anyone.

[buckrogers71]

I usually mark my ball, clean it and line it up. If someone is ready to go while I am doing this, then by all means go (the guys I play with know that this is assumed or if it is a random, I will tell them to go ahead) I dont mark the short ones or the ones for double etc. I am pretty sure I dont hold anyone up.