Driving range etiquette? Who's balls are they?

[hoselrocker]

So I had a little incident prior to a round. Showed up at the range and was about to hit a small bucket to warm up. I noticed a vacant stall with a handful of balls left. Nobody around. I also noticed that next to the stall was a jug of divot repair soil that usually goes with the cart. I thought it was a little strange but I proceeded to pour my balls in with what balls were already there and was about to begin warming up when a guy pulls up in a cart and says the balls are his - and what the eff am I doing or words to that effect. At first I thought he was joking. Nope.

 

He then starts educating me on not hitting other peoples range balls and I said people leave balls all the time before rounds. He asked if I noticed the jug next to the balls which is the universal method of saving balls. It only got worse from there and it was rumble time but thankfully it de-escalated as quickly as it started. Not that it means much these days but I'm 6 feet 220 and this guy was 5 - 5 at best. He also had 2 gloves on if that means anything. I eventually took my balls to another stall and left what I felt was already there plus a few extra. He pulled out his driver and began spraying the balls all over the yard. My initial impression was he's a new golfer and doesn't know what he's talking about. I've been to many ranges over the past 30 plus years and have never encountered this. My bud is a very experienced golfer and had never seen such a $%*$ show on a range. He told me after that he thought we were going to get into it over a handful of balls, which is nuts. Had the guy not came out the gate with the eff you's etc I wouldn't have pushed back so hard. 

 

So my question is - was I in the wrong? Does leaving an item like a jug of divot dirt nearby indicate the balls are spoken for? There was nothing else around. No cart - no clubs.

I like to think I possess good golf IQ and try and respect other people and their stuff, especially on the course, but did I get this wrong? Does leaving a jug behind mean the balls are spoken for? The next time I go to a range and see a pile of balls with nobody around do I just leave them? He could have just was easily put the balls (maybe 10) back in the warm up basket if he had to leave to go the parking lot or take a dump or whatever.

If I'm wrong flame away but I'm not sure I'll ever encounter this again.

 

[cardoustie]

Never saw such a thing, small man syndrome

 

golf course behaviour getting more salty 

[hoselrocker]

3 minutes ago, cardoustie said:

Never saw such a thing, small man syndrome

 

golf course behaviour getting more salty 

That's exactly what my bud said. He was an angry little man. 

[ChipStrokes]

i’d leave my clubs there if i had to go take a leak mid-bucket and wanted to “claim” my stall

 

id have considered them up for grabs, same as you. 

Edited July 10, 2021 by ChipStrokes

[phizzy30]

Little man syndrome to the max.  I would've just grabbed whatever amount of balls he had in the stall and given it back to him, walked away and wouldn't have said a word.  Wouldn't even give him the satisfaction of starting a fight.  That usually shuts them up and pisses them off even more. 

[dosman]

16 minutes ago, hoselrocker said:

He then starts educating me on not hitting other peoples range balls and I said people leave balls all the time before rounds.

That is one crazy story and there's no way you were in the wrong.

 

I/we are fortunate to have a wonderful range (central WA state) of about 170yds wide and 350yds deep ... all grass. Some "stalls", zero mats, wide open otherwise. We also have the most adept scroungers. Don't be taking off and expect to return to your remaining cache. Balls left about, no problem here. We share purchased buckets  equitably ... coin from us or others, same.

 

For that loser, mark your "range ball territory" with something that clearly states name, hcp, and badassness ... rather than leaving a bottle of sandmix. Or, bring a Doberman to protect your last 10 range balls. Or, go antagonize elsewhere.

 

Agree with cardoustie.

 

Would you care to play with someone like that? If WRX has a "nuttiest range stories of the year" thread, I nominate this.

[charli]

Sounds like he’s new to the game + maybe an attitude issue. Golf should be good for that. I’m sure he’ll be calm cool and collected out therep

[jimbo123]

Even if you were in the wrong (which I don’t think was the case), his reaction would have been totally uncalled for. 

[danglingangler]

If he left the spot without leaving any clubs/towel/headcover…

 

That’s an open spot. 

[miamistomp]

From the Godfather

 

 

There are men in this world who go about demanding to be killed. They argue in gambling games; they jump out of their cars in a rage if someone so much as scratches their fender. These people wander through the streets calling out "Kill me, kill me."

 

 

[Fairway14]

2 hours ago, hoselrocker said:

 

 

So my question is - was I in the wrong? Does leaving an item like a jug of divot dirt nearby indicate the balls are spoken for?

 

 

Yes and yes.

[bcski]

Not in the wrong and an idiot forgetting the sand jug is not that uncommon

[ArtMBgolf]

That guy did something weird and fooled you.  I never heard of or saw a divot 
mix jug used to save a spot on the range.    Many courses don't even allow 
carts to the range (some do).   It's also rare/strange to leave 5 balls and come 
back.   He could have nicely said "I left 5 balls to complete my warmup" and
nobody would argue with him.      I do look around and try to wait awhile before 
taking abandoned balls, of course scroungers may beat you to it.     
 
I see guys leave balls at the range all the time.  I never see them come back. 
Usually they leave their clubs if they are running to the car/restroom.     

[St Jimmy]

When there are "extra" balls on the range I will park next to them, not on them.

Hit mine first and then help myself if no one else has claimed them.

[Greenie]

I don't think you did anything wrong. I've been in that situation when I had to rush to the bathroom and I picked up my range balls and took them with me. I would never leave my bag or any clubs at the range to save my stall. They might be missing when I got back. Sand mix sitting there would only tell me to fill in my divots.

 

You want to hear crazy. Some yrs ago I went to the range. This range never seems to be busy. When I got there there was no one on the range. I saw a pile of balls laying on the range. Had they still been in the bucket I may have thought different but they were laying on the ground, no bucket laying around so I thought someone had left them to hit. I bought a small bucket of balls to go with the balls on the range. I'm hitting balls and notice this guy pull up in a car. The lot goes all the way down to the range but unless you are using the range most park closer to the clubhouse. He gets out of his car and comes over to me and says where are my balls? You hit my balls didn't you? I had been there a while so I was confused about this guy claiming I hit his balls. I told him I have been here a while and I noticed that you just pulled up. He says he had an emergency at home. He went home and now he is back to finish hitting his balls. I was dumbfounded. To avoid the issue any farther I told him I bought my own balls and left it at that.

[St Jimmy]

Moral of these stories:  never touch range balls that aren't your own unless you're prepared to fight for them.

 

lol 

[LeoLeo99]

9 hours ago, St Jimmy said:

Moral of these stories:  never touch range balls that aren't your own unless you're prepared to fight for them.

 

lol 

I'll sometimes go to range just to hit a few abandoned balls.  Never heard of anyone causing a stink over that.   

 

I spend a fair amount of time in casinos.  Sometimes I'll find money in a machine.   People occasionally come back to see if I have their money but no one gets testy about it.  

 

If I had some balls left to hit and had to leave temporarily, I'd take the balls with me. 

[MarcellusW]

I leave range balls all the time, like if I just want to hit 10 warm up shots.  The jug thing doesn't work.  A hat, a club, headcovers, even a bottle of water would be different.

 

If you had left balls on the range and somebody was hitting them when you came back, what would you do?  Right.  Get another bucket.  The guy was wrong.

[dab]

No body? No clubs?  No way unattended balls would last 3 minutes at the driving range I go to!

[2bGood]

Guy was wrong.

 

A few thoughts:

1. It is odd for me to see someone completely leave mid bucket and come back.

2. I do get the idea he was trying of not leaving something of value at his stall though (like his clubs). But that a sand and seed bottle is not going to single anyone that the balls are still in use.

3. If I was the OP and someone came back and said I was hitting their balls in this situation I would be pretty mellow about it right up until the point they were not mellow about it. I would be like "sorry I didn't realise that - here have them back." But is the guy was a jerk about I would not be so nice.

Edited July 12, 2021 by 2bGood

[Soloman1]

This is another example of why you should carry a Taser in your bag.

 

People are nuts.

 

"Universal method? I'll show you a universal method..."

[KBong]

What a clown...why didn't he take the range balls with him and then return to hit them....duh...ya can't teach stupid.

 

Thanks for the laugh OP.

[sittingbull]

You should have definitely peed on them for dominance then punch the guy in the face go screw his wife come back and then play a quick 18..

[Imp]

I've put balls back in the bucket/bag if they were there. And if at the end of warming up, if no one claimed them, then I would hit them if I needed more balls. Just a thing I do. 

 

Busy day at the range one time, all stalls (15 of them here) taken, and people waiting to hit, for an open stall. One kid with a few friends, says "I'll be back, going to chat with some friends at the patio." (Patio overlooks driving range about 20 feet away). 5 min goes by, people waiting, no one hitting, his clubs are still there, half bucket of balls still there. Kid has no self awareness. I ask one of his friends "hey. people are waiting, can you go ask your friend to clear his stuff up so people can use this stall?" "He said he's going to be right back." (No, he didn't). Another min or two goes by... I turn around and walk right up tot he kid and his adult friends "Hey, there are 4 people waiting to use the range... can you clear your stuff and let them hit, and then you can go back when you're done here?" Took him a second to get it... looks up and sees 4 people just "holding their balls" "Oh, yeah, sure." 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Imp

[ezpz]

Everyone knows the way to keep balls reserved is to leave your iron cover on the matt....

 

I'd just tell the guy I never heard of such a thing, apologize and offer him his balls back. Nothing much to do unless you are willing to escalate the situation, there's just a lot of interesting folks around 🙂

[Gsea]

"Call me Elf one more time"

 

[Imp]

17 minutes ago, Gsea said:

"Call me Elf one more time"

 

[MountainKing]

The guy was not right at all, but this is also why I don't bother taking a bay with balls, stuff like this seems to be happening more often these days.  If I need more balls I'll just buy em and save myself the hassle. 

[RSinSG]

On 7/9/2021 at 8:26 PM, Fairway14 said:

 

Yes and yes.

You don't happen to be 5'5" do you?

[Fairway14]

36 minutes ago, RSinSG said:

You don't happen to be 5'5" do you?

 

No. I am 6' tall.