Driving range etiquette? Who's balls are they?

[Pepperturbo]

On 7/9/2021 at 4:47 PM, hoselrocker said:

So my question is - was I in the wrong?

I think that's the wrong question.  I've NEVER heard anyone appear and claim practice balls that were left behind, if the balls were NOT theirs to begin with. 

 

A sand bottle always belongs to someone/cart, same is true if you found a jacket or golf club lying on the ground or mat.   He, no doubt, overrated, but that's another discussion.

[MizunoCorgi]

"And so that, kids, is the story of how I got in a fight with Mr. Short Game and stuffed him into a trash can full of empty Powerade bottles at the driving range."

[BHI 99]

After his first few shots, you should have offered him a few more balls and said “looks like you need these more than I do”

[smashdn]

On 7/10/2021 at 7:49 PM, LeoLeo99 said:

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. 

 

Went to my first "casino" the other night.  It is all video slot stuff there.  Was not uncommon for people to cash out and leave the ticket for a few cents or bucks on the machine.  Not worth going to the counter for a buck or so I guess.

 

I hit range balls that are left on the range all the time.  I'll buy a bucket or two and if there are balls left up there I will hit them and then clean and straighten the range ropes and cart stands up.  I figure if I do it, the folks in the pro-shop don't have to, maybe they can get to do something else that they usually don't have time for.  I am of the mindset that if I clean it up (range, tee boxes, other piddly stuff here and there) that should give them time to do the niceties that aren't deemed critical but are just those nice touches that courses do occasionally (wash the range balls, fill a ball washer, etc.)

[LeoLeo99]

37 minutes ago, smashdn said:

 

Went to my first "casino" the other night.  It is all video slot stuff there.  Was not uncommon for people to cash out and leave the ticket for a few cents or bucks on the machine.  Not worth going to the counter for a buck or so I guess.

 

I hit range balls that are left on the range all the time.  I'll buy a bucket or two and if there are balls left up there I will hit them and then clean and straighten the range ropes and cart stands up.  I figure if I do it, the folks in the pro-shop don't have to, maybe they can get to do something else that they usually don't have time for.  I am of the mindset that if I clean it up (range, tee boxes, other piddly stuff here and there) that should give them time to do the niceties that aren't deemed critical but are just those nice touches that courses do occasionally (wash the range balls, fill a ball washer, etc.)

The most I've found left in a slot machine was $650.  They seemed surprised to get it back.  Another time I found $160 in the machine.  That guy never came back for it.  They told me he stopped by the casino on his way to the airport heading to Vegas. 

 

I also collect the empty baskets at the range and bring them back to the pro shop.  I doubt they're doing extra non critical work but it's good karma.

[jobin]

Suggest OP had some small doubt whether the balls had been totally abandoned. Like 'probably the guy has left the building', but cannot be certain.

 

So OP took a chance to score a few free balls, a very common trait amongst range rovers. Too bad the 'owner' returned and made a scene which directly pointed to OP.

 

Best bet: smile weakly, say 'my bad', grab your own gear/balls and get away from your mess.  Defensive arguments in poor taste. 

[sekrah]

On 7/10/2021 at 11:24 AM, St Jimmy said:

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.

This.  After I finish my bucket and they are still there, they are open game.  Anyone who leaves unattended balls for 20-30 minutes deserves to lose them.

 

Not that I think OP did anything wrong - he didn't - but this would have saved him a scene.  Just to be safe, don't co-mingle deserted balls into your balls.  

The desire and temptation for a man to go up and hit a golf ball easily rivals his sexual urges. The thought of driving range vultures waiting for someone to leave a stash behind just cracks me up.

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by sekrah

[RobotDoctor]

On 7/9/2021 at 5:47 PM, hoselrocker said:

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.

 

 

The golfer should have left his bag next to the balls, not the divot sand repair jug.  Too many golfers these days that don't understand etiquette, either on the golf course/range or in social situations.  The golfer who left the balls handled the situation poorly.  Being calm and polite and saying that he had not abandoned the balls would have resulted in a much better situation where @hoselrockermost likely would have apologized and offered some balls to replace the ones that were hit.  It seems that there is less kindness extended to others in the world today. 

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by RobotDoctor

[J13]

Very odd that he came up so angry.  The universal symbol for someone still occupying a bay at the range is leaving your bag at the bay not divot mix.  Besides he could have just came up and said he was still hitting there and i'm sure you would have apologized and moved on.  

 

 

[J13]

14 minutes ago, RobotDoctor said:

 

The golfer should have left his bag next to the balls, not the divot sand repair jug.  Too many golfers these days that don't understand etiquette, either on the golf course/range or in social situations.  The golfer who left the balls handled the situation poorly.  Being calm and polite and saying that he had not abandoned the balls would have resulted in a much better situation where @hoselrockermost likely would have apologized and offered some balls to replace the ones that were hit.  It seems that there is less kindness extended to others in the world today. 

 

agree and certainly less forgiveness.  Intention is everything

[hoselrocker]

On 7/17/2021 at 8:16 AM, J13 said:

Very odd that he came up so angry.  The universal symbol for someone still occupying a bay at the range is leaving your bag at the bay not divot mix.  Besides he could have just came up and said he was still hitting there and i'm sure you would have apologized and moved on.  

 

 

Like I said he came out swinging which really caught me off guard so I went straight to the defensive. I probably should've taken the high road but there was a lot of berating coming from him and I really felt like I wasn't in the wrong. I recall his playing partner distancing himself from this guy. 

I also wanted to clarify that I wasn't cruising the range scavenging for freebies - I was warming up before 18 and the balls just happened to be where I pulled up.

In the end I was happy that despite the near dust up which shook me up a little, I was still able to find the fairway on the first hole. Just another shout out to my TM OO mini!

 

 

[brutus27]

Def Napoleon syndrome

[Jvoom30]

Hit balls on saturday and watched someone put their bag down and empty their bucket of balls seemingly saving a spot on the range. They then went and chipped for 20 mins or so.

 

Now the range wasn't busy but I don't understand why people think its ok to save a spot on the range to be honest. 

[getair23]

Did you happen to catch his WRX screen name? 

[HappyGilmore626]

I’m pretty new to this whole golf thing but I have a range nearby that have a dispenser for the balls etc that you have to pay for. I’ve more than once had someone in the stall next to me

leave and leave balls behind, I usually wait to see if they take their clubs or come back and then I help my self. Even had a couple guys just pour their left overs into my bucket on the way out if I’m hitting beside them. I always return the favor when I finish up and have extra….I would say the small man was in the wrong 

[Carolina Golfer 2]

I don’t think you dos anything wrong.  But if I’ve already bought a bucket.  I’m not going to look for any others to add to the ones I’ve bought.  
 

as others said. If I finish my bucket and I think I still need to hit more and some strays have been around the entire time.  I might grab a few of them to finish up.  
 

if I don’t finish a bucket snd I see someone I know on the range.  I’ll take them over to him and offer them up.   If nobody I know is around  i may mention to a person near me.  I’m done with these if you want want them. 
 

we have a grass range not separated by stalls, so it’s easy to just push them over.  

[putterboy75]

This is what I would do:

 

It seems you weren't in a place where it would matter if you made a total scene. I would declare in a loud enough voice so the entire range could hear very clearly

 

"Excuse me ladies and gentleman, would you please refrain from your practice for a short few minutes, I have mistakenly committed what could be considered one of golf's true etiquette faults by hitting this gentleman's 5 seemingly abandoned balls into our common range area, he (pointing to him) has returned to rightfully claim his property after his 3 martini lunch. As you can see clearly, he's quite upset and confused.... That stated, if it's ok, I'd like to retrieve just 5 balls for him to alleviate his angst."
 

Of course, you'd have to make such a declaration in your best satirical voice for full effect.

 

And be ready for a real fight. But I bet he'd walk away tail between his legs and never bother you or anyone else at the range again.

[tacklingdummy]

I have been playing golf my entire life since 5 years old and never heard of the "universal jug" method of saving balls. 😂🤣 To me, the universal method of saving balls and a stall is having your bag there. Someone's bag is the only thing I look for. People leave balls on the range all the time. I do as well from time to time, but not much because I'm an OCD practice-er. 😂

[golfandtennisfan]

I agree not in the wrong. If saw a sand divot container left behind would assume it was left on accident. The only way I would consider the stall taken is if there was a bag or a at least a club there.  Very common to leave balls behind. 

[ND2005]

15 hours ago, golfandtennisfan said:

I agree not in the wrong. If saw a sand divot container left behind would assume it was left on accident. The only way I would consider the stall taken is if there was a bag or a at least a club there.  Very common to leave balls behind. 

 

What I see commonly at busy ranges when people run to go to the bathroom or to get another bucket is to leave a club laid across the mat (in addition to leaving your bag at the stall)

[bladehunter]

On 7/9/2021 at 9:31 PM, miamistomp said:

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."

 

 

I’ll second that and add.  My grandfather had a quote that I will never forget.  He was a two theatre ww2 vet who was one of the gentler people I’ve ever met.  Until he needed to be otherwise…… he said that folks like you describe “ survive off the kindness of others “.    Meaning that minus a polite society, those folks would get what they’re constantly asking for.  

[TonyDAnnunzio]

Not exactly a driving range story but funny nonetheless... 

 

My Dad had come up to visit and we were going to meet up with a buddy of mine to walk 18.  At the time I was about a 5 HC, my Dad was probably a 3 or 4 and my buddy was a +1.  We hit some balls at the range and walk over to the first tee.  There are two guys in a cart that drive right past us to the regular tee us as we were playing from the tips.  They didn't even acknowledge us but it was no big deal we figured being two of them in a cart they are not going to hold us up.

 

The first hole was a double dog leg par five with a large lake along the left side.  The two in front of us both hit their tee shots in the lake and start walking back to the cart.  The next thing you know they are walking back to the tee box to hit again...  We were a little irritated but again figured what the hell they are taking mulligans and are not going to hold us up once they get going.  Again, they both hit their tee shots in the water.  We over hear one guy say "lets go take a drop by the lake" and the other guy replies "no, hit till you're happy".  Before I could really process what was happening my buddy yells out "hey, the f-cking driving range is over there!"...  the guy that said "hit till you're happy" yells back "who the hell are you?"...  my buddy yells back to him "I am the guy that is going to come down there and stomp a mud hole in your Word not allowed if you don't get the f-ck out the way"...  they ended up skipping that hole and that was the last we saw of them.  The look on their faces was rather amusing...  I don't recall the size of the two fellas but I played D1 college baseball and was 6'1 probably 190 or so and my buddy played in the NFL for four years... 

[llewol007]

He was probably over reacting but in all fairness, those golf balls were his. I see extra golf balls on the warm up range but I typically never pour my balls on top of them. I usually take the stall next to it and then manage to grab them after I feel comfortable enough for nobody to claim them. I never heard of a sod bottle as a way to designate saving a spot. Usually a bag a golf club laid out on the hitting mat/area would be the sign. Any ways, glad you were able to deescalate the incident but a good one to take away next time you see some left over golf balls. 🤣

[nitram]

The balls are yours until you remove your "bag"...

[Dpavs]

I was skeptical until I saw this....

 

 

Spoiler

Well sure... I created it, then I saw it... but still now I'm a believer..lol 🙂

 

 

[PhilsFanDrew]

7 hours ago, Dpavs said:

I was skeptical until I saw this....

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Well sure... I created it, then I saw it... but still now I'm a believer..lol 🙂

 

 

 

Interesting.  Maybe that is a thing at some clubs but I had never heard of it before.  Generally if I warm up before I play and I see some leftover balls in a hitting area I tend to just leave them and pick a different area.  I'm just trying to get warmed up and see where the ball is going that day and the token for a warm up basket of about 30 balls is plenty.  I'm not using that time for practice or to groove a swing thought, too late for that.

[Dpavs]

2 hours ago, PhilsFanDrew said:

 

Interesting.  Maybe that is a thing at some clubs but I had never heard of it before.  Generally if I warm up before I play and I see some leftover balls in a hitting area I tend to just leave them and pick a different area.  I'm just trying to get warmed up and see where the ball is going that day and the token for a warm up basket of about 30 balls is plenty.  I'm not using that time for practice or to groove a swing thought, too late for that.

 

You may want to go back to my post and reveal the hidden part underneath the picture. Just sayin' 🙂