Other golfers picking up your ball

[Sawgrass]

[quote name='skizix' post='1852186' date='Jul 29 2009, 11:03 PM']"just to have a good time" [i]IS IN FACT THE ENTIRE REASON WE'RE OUT THERE[/i].

Right? Am I missing something?[/quote]


How many people do you see playing golf who appear to be having a good time by the time they're on the back nine?

[skizix]

[quote name='Sawgrass' post='1852198' date='Jul 29 2009, 09:10 PM'][quote name='skizix' post='1852186' date='Jul 29 2009, 11:03 PM']"just to have a good time" [i]IS IN FACT THE ENTIRE REASON WE'RE OUT THERE[/i].

Right? Am I missing something?[/quote]


How many people do you see playing golf who appear to be having a good time by the time they're on the back nine?
[/quote]

Ok, so you're saying that part of on-course respect involves NOT appearing to have a good time, so the hyper-clenched, taking-themselves-too-seriously, miserable sorts, who've just thrown their bags in the water, do not feel like they are being mocked?

[size=1](kidding...that was a pretty funny response!) [/size]

[masterli]

[quote name='Sawgrass' post='1850755' date='Jul 29 2009, 11:37 AM'][quote name='masterli' post='1846661' date='Jul 27 2009, 06:18 PM']the last time someone picked up my ball they were in my group. sucked because it was a great lie then my drop ended up horrendous.[/quote]


People picking up my ball and tossing it back down used to really bother me as it might affect the legitimacy of my round. But then I took a careful look at the USGA rules:

<H5 class=gray>18-1. By Outside Agency</H5>If a ball at rest is [url="http://www.usga.org/bookrule.aspx?id=14253#Moved"][i]moved[/i][/url] by an [url="http://www.usga.org/bookrule.aspx?id=14253#OutsideAgency"][i]outside agency[/i][/url], there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced.

[b]Note:[/b] It is a question of fact whether a ball has been [url="http://www.usga.org/bookrule.aspx?id=14253#Moved"][i]moved[/i][/url] by an [url="http://www.usga.org/bookrule.aspx?id=14253#OutsideAgency"][i]outside agency[/i][/url]. In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that an [url="http://www.usga.org/bookrule.aspx?id=14253#OutsideAgency"][i]outside agency[/i][/url] has [url="http://www.usga.org/bookrule.aspx?id=14253#Moved"][i]moved[/i][/url] the ball. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must play the ball as it lies or, if the ball is not found, proceed under Rule [url="http://www.usga.org/bookrule.aspx?id=14306#27-1"]27-1[/url].


Clearly this issue is covered, and I no longer fret about it. Mr. Masterli, please note that you should have placed your ball down back in the good lie it previously had, not dropped it. It's too bad that your clumsy playing partner hurt your game.


[/quote]

oh man thanks for the info. this was probably the first time i was right next to someone who picked up my ball to actually see the lie but that is good to know. i could have sworn it's supposed to be dropped. obviously not. then again, last night for whatever reason i was taking rules quizzes on the usga site. oh dear, i need to read the rules book again... this rule is a case in point!

[galvin18]

[quote name='ScottCrick' post='1850622' date='Jul 29 2009, 11:42 AM']I'm with Bugsy:

[quote]I never play a ball I found in the woods or in the water, bad karma. Ball wants to be lost, it stays lost[/quote]

My solution has been to play cheap balls. Notice how many of the posts use the words "Titleist" or "Pro V" in them? Funny how having a ball cost $4 turns people into liars.

Usually I get people calling to me, "You using a Maxfli/Top Flite/Laddie?" as they don't want to touch such a plebian ball.

My recommendation - move to a Srixon Tour Ball. Most people won't steal something they don't know.
[/quote]

Your right about this, people are more likely to pick up your ball if its a premium ball, but then again the feeling isnt the same for a cheaper ball

[Double True]

Ugh this really ticked me off a few months ago. I was playing in a Mens Club tournament and I push my tee shot on a long par 4 right. Next to it is a short par 3 with about 20 yards of fairway in it which is where my ball landed. So I am walking up to my ball as I notice that some guy is playing a ball that was right in the same vicinity of mine. No big deal so I go up and low and behold, no ball there for me to hit. So I ask the guy "Are you sure that you just played your ball?" and he looked at it "Oh I was playing a Titleist 3 not a Titleist 1" So I kindly asked him to replace it where he found it, reminded his playing partners (they were in the tournament also) to assess him a 2 stroke penalty for playing the wrong ball, and watched him as he went searching for his ball. The location? About 15 yards from the tee box in 3" rough. DOUBLE WHAMMY!

[ScooterMcTavish]

[quote]Usually I get people calling to me, "You using a Maxfli/Top Flite/Laddie?" as they don't want to touch such a plebian ball.[/quote]

Now that I think about it, nobody ever took off with one on my Noodle Ice balls - especially the orange or pink ones. Pretty hard to get away with that. However, this gave me an idea.

Golfed with a new person in Men's League last night, and when he pulls out a new ball, he scribbles all over it (and I mean ALL over it) with a sharpie. There is no way any person under 100 yards could pocket this without it being noticed, and there is NO way that you could mistake this for your ball.

Plus the scribbles make it look unattractive; therefore it is hypothetically less likely to be stolen.

I hate to assume bad intent for those who take the wrong ball. It can be an honest mistake, or just plain carelessness on the course. And of course, jerks are jerks, and are likely compensating for a debilitating inadequacy elsewhere in their lives. Regardless, there is nothing we can do about these things other than:
- Discuss it politely with the offending party (remember, this is a gentlemen's game)
- Make your ball "theft-resistant"

Signing out, as I now have to go scribble all over my Srixon Z-URCs with a hot pink Sharpie!

[golfortennis]

[quote name='skizix' post='1852186' date='Jul 29 2009, 11:03 PM'][quote name='Bluefan75' post='1851928' date='Jul 29 2009, 07:25 PM']...I think we've allowed too much of the "it's just to have a good time" attitude on the golf course...[/quote]

Whoah, whoah, whoah, now wait a minute. While I appreciate your emphasis of respect for others out on the course (and that is pretty much obvious and redundant at this point in this particular thread)...unless perhaps you're on tour (or teaching a playing lesson I guess), "just to have a good time" [i]IS IN FACT THE ENTIRE REASON WE'RE OUT THERE[/i].

Right? Am I missing something?
[/quote]

Have a good time [b]playing golf.[/b] If you need to drink a ton of beer to have a good time on the course, then I posit that it's not the golf you are there for, and should take your desire for the good time to a more appropriate place, like a bar or the back deck. If you need to drive the cart around all kinds of places you shouldn't to have a good time, then you should go to a go-kart track. If you need to pick other people's balls up to have a good time, then you should go play a sport that involves picking up balls that are not your own.

"Have a good time" has been used as a cover in which to basically foster an anything goes mentality. You go to a wedding, you want to have a good time, but you don't start screeching lines from Animal House in the middle of the ceremony. But apparently, whatever you do on a golf course is ok, because "you're having a good time."

There is a reason golf is fun, and it's not because you can screw with other people on the course, drive the cart across the green trying to do donuts, or because you can try to see if you can drink all the beer on site withint 18 holes. If doing those things are how you have a good time, there are venues for that type of activity. The golf course is not one of them.

I fail to see how playing a round of golf requires those things to be fun. Unfortunately, it seems that the "have a good time" theme has overridden the fact that you do so within the bounds of respect for the course and the other people out there, which is wrong, and the fact a person is "having a good time" does not absolve them from that responsibility.

It's amazing how the standards can be so low, yet still so difficult for so many people to reach them....

[dougcankles]

I have a solution to the ball issue. Play better golf. Hit fairways. When someone still comes over and tries to pick up YOUR ball, mark your ball with the letters "F ... ... K O F F" in RED INK.

There needs to be a license to golf. How about an examination that requires at least a 90% to pass, with fees every year to renew the license.

[ScooterMcTavish]

Actually Doug, I mark mine with "HEAD DOWN" in red Sharpie.

Now that I see your suggestion, I like it, or alternatively making a drawing of a phallus on the ball.

[withdrew]

[quote name='dougcankles' post='1853387' date='Jul 30 2009, 02:38 PM']I have a solution to the ball issue. Play better golf. Hit fairways. When someone still comes over and tries to pick up YOUR ball, mark your ball with the letters "F ... ... K O F F" in RED INK.

There needs to be a license to golf. How about an examination that requires at least a 90% to pass, with fees every year to renew the license.[/quote]

That's great advice, but there's a few of tour pros that only hit a few fairways each round, so how the hell am I going to do it?

Just don't touch a golf ball that's not yours, it's really really simple!

[Carolina Golfer 2]

Well, I'll recount the latest episode of this.

Yesterday on my home course, I overdrew (OK...hooked) my tee shot into the number one fairway. Now truth be told that's actually not a bad play on this hole as it will usually give a nice line of play right into the 18th green. My playing partner hit his up the right side of the fairway.

As we were riding in the cart up the path, I noticed a single teenager begin walking off the tee of No. 1. I kind of crane my neck to keep my eye on him. As we're heading to my buddy's ball, I say "hold on I'm going to grab a couple clubs and head over to my ball" He says why? I told him "I want to make sure that kid doesn't pick pick up my ball"

Sure enough as I'm crossing between holes toward No. 1 fairway he had already passed where my ball was and I didn't see anything. He kind of stops and says "Are you looking for a ball?" I said "yes, I hit a TM Red over here" He kind looks sheepish and reaches in his pocket and says "here, I thought it was lost"

Ok forget how it's laying in the middle of a fairway (he showed me where he picked it up from) and he knows people are coming up 18. I told him "You really shouldn't touch balls on a course that aren't yours" He kind of shrugged. I continued with my mini lecture, I said "thanks for being honest and saying you picked it up, but you're young and if you're going to play this game, you should learn the right way to play it. Every ball on a course belongs to SOMEONE, granted some maybe be lost and the person may have given up, but others can absolutely be in play. You generally won't know the difference, so you'll never be wrong by not picking up balls that aren't yours. Also it can lead to an ugly situation, some guys will get really upset over it and confront you in an angry manner, and that can lead to nothing good"

He said, "Ok, I'm sorry" I told him, "hey we all have to learn rules and right from wrong at some point" He proceeded on, I played my shot right into the center of the green. By then my buddy had come back over with the cart and I told him he had picked it up like I thought.

My buddy was astonished and said "How did you know he was going to pick it up?" I just laughed told him about this thread and told him if he read it, he'd understand.

[Sawgrass]

[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' post='1855089' date='Jul 31 2009, 09:46 AM']I told him "You really shouldn't touch balls on a course that aren't yours" He kind of shrugged. I continued with my mini lecture, I said "thanks for being honest and saying you picked it up, but you're young and if you're going to play this game, you should learn the right way to play it. Every ball on a course belongs to SOMEONE, granted some maybe be lost and the person may have given up, but others can absolutely be in play. You generally won't know the difference, so you'll never be wrong by not picking up balls that aren't yours. Also it can lead to an ugly situation, some guys will get really upset over it and confront you in an angry manner, and that can lead to nothing good"

He said, "Ok, I'm sorry" I told him, "hey we all have to learn rules and right from wrong at some point'"[/quote]

Most of my reading on this site implies that you're not allowed to behave in such a balanced and constructive way. I may have to turn you in to the authorities.

I'm glad you hit the green!

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='Sawgrass' post='1855127' date='Jul 31 2009, 10:02 AM'][quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' post='1855089' date='Jul 31 2009, 09:46 AM']I told him "You really shouldn't touch balls on a course that aren't yours" He kind of shrugged. I continued with my mini lecture, I said "thanks for being honest and saying you picked it up, but you're young and if you're going to play this game, you should learn the right way to play it. Every ball on a course belongs to SOMEONE, granted some maybe be lost and the person may have given up, but others can absolutely be in play. You generally won't know the difference, so you'll never be wrong by not picking up balls that aren't yours. Also it can lead to an ugly situation, some guys will get really upset over it and confront you in an angry manner, and that can lead to nothing good"

He said, "Ok, I'm sorry" I told him, "hey we all have to learn rules and right from wrong at some point'"[/quote]

Most of my reading on this site implies that you're not allowed to behave in such a balanced and constructive way. I may have to turn you in to the authorities.

I'm glad you hit the green!
[/quote]
LOL!! yeah, you think I would have learned after 3.5 years on the site, I should have used every four letter word I know, and threatned to wrap my 6 iron around his neck, then shove it in places where the sun doesn't shine Hey we were all teenagers at some point and the lure of a brand new TM Red would have been tempting for me as well. Heck, even at 50, it would have been tempting

[WilCox]

I don't mind my ball being picked up when it's an honest mistake. I do mind when someone plays my ball or pockets it and that happens all too often these days.

[gvibes]

When I was young and poor, I used to pick up way too many balls I'd found. Now, I only pick a ball up if 1) it's a decent ball and 2) there is no one whose ball it could be.

[Solutions Etcetera]

Ok... new product idea.

Golf Balls with Radio Control Explosive Dye Pack! Whaddya think?

[ScooterMcTavish]

Remove the word "Dye" and I'll buy a dozen.

Hate to have that one in the ol' pants front pocket.

[roll - gybe]

[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' post='1855089' date='Jul 31 2009, 09:46 AM']Well, I'll recount the latest episode of this.

Yesterday on my home course, I overdrew (OK...hooked) my tee shot into the number one fairway. Now truth be told that's actually not a bad play on this hole as it will usually give a nice line of play right into the 18th green. My playing partner hit his up the right side of the fairway.

As we were riding in the cart up the path, I noticed a single teenager begin walking off the tee of No. 1. I kind of crane my neck to keep my eye on him. As we're heading to my buddy's ball, I say "hold on I'm going to grab a couple clubs and head over to my ball" He says why? I told him "I want to make sure that kid doesn't pick pick up my ball"

Sure enough as I'm crossing between holes toward No. 1 fairway he had already passed where my ball was and I didn't see anything. He kind of stops and says "Are you looking for a ball?" I said "yes, I hit a TM Red over here" He kind looks sheepish and reaches in his pocket and says "here, I thought it was lost"

Ok forget how it's laying in the middle of a fairway (he showed me where he picked it up from) and he knows people are coming up 18. I told him "You really shouldn't touch balls on a course that aren't yours" He kind of shrugged. I continued with my mini lecture, I said "thanks for being honest and saying you picked it up, but you're young and if you're going to play this game, you should learn the right way to play it. Every ball on a course belongs to SOMEONE, granted some maybe be lost and the person may have given up, but others can absolutely be in play. You generally won't know the difference, so you'll never be wrong by not picking up balls that aren't yours. Also it can lead to an ugly situation, some guys will get really upset over it and confront you in an angry manner, and that can lead to nothing good"

He said, "Ok, I'm sorry" I told him, "hey we all have to learn rules and right from wrong at some point" He proceeded on, I played my shot right into the center of the green. By then my buddy had come back over with the cart and I told him he had picked it up like I thought.

My buddy was astonished and said "How did you know he was going to pick it up?" I just laughed told him about this thread and told him if he read it, he'd understand.[/quote]

Thanks for adding a reply about how to handle the situation... We were a little into war stories there...

I agree mostly.
I just want to point out that it isn't just kids that pick up balls. It's all ages and genders. There are tons of clueless people out there. In my mind, it is worse to be older and have been so unaware as to spend decades picking up people's balls.
However, it is still a mess when it happens in a match, but it isn't just the punks, it's also the CEOs (who are probably needed at the office anyways...)

[ScooterMcTavish]

Buddy just about had his new Pro V1x scarfed out of the rough by people playing back towards us on an adjacent fairway last night.

Guy was stepping up to address the ball and my buddy yelled "Hey, does that ball have an RM on it?" (his initials)

Guy yells "Yeah!" then steps away from it.

Is everyone a moron these days?

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='roll - gybe' post='1867285' date='Aug 5 2009, 08:10 PM'][quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' post='1855089' date='Jul 31 2009, 09:46 AM']Well, I'll recount the latest episode of this.

Yesterday on my home course, I overdrew (OK...hooked) my tee shot into the number one fairway. Now truth be told that's actually not a bad play on this hole as it will usually give a nice line of play right into the 18th green. My playing partner hit his up the right side of the fairway.

As we were riding in the cart up the path, I noticed a single teenager begin walking off the tee of No. 1. I kind of crane my neck to keep my eye on him. As we're heading to my buddy's ball, I say "hold on I'm going to grab a couple clubs and head over to my ball" He says why? I told him "I want to make sure that kid doesn't pick pick up my ball"

Sure enough as I'm crossing between holes toward No. 1 fairway he had already passed where my ball was and I didn't see anything. He kind of stops and says "Are you looking for a ball?" I said "yes, I hit a TM Red over here" He kind looks sheepish and reaches in his pocket and says "here, I thought it was lost"

Ok forget how it's laying in the middle of a fairway (he showed me where he picked it up from) and he knows people are coming up 18. I told him "You really shouldn't touch balls on a course that aren't yours" He kind of shrugged. I continued with my mini lecture, I said "thanks for being honest and saying you picked it up, but you're young and if you're going to play this game, you should learn the right way to play it. Every ball on a course belongs to SOMEONE, granted some maybe be lost and the person may have given up, but others can absolutely be in play. You generally won't know the difference, so you'll never be wrong by not picking up balls that aren't yours. Also it can lead to an ugly situation, some guys will get really upset over it and confront you in an angry manner, and that can lead to nothing good"

He said, "Ok, I'm sorry" I told him, "hey we all have to learn rules and right from wrong at some point" He proceeded on, I played my shot right into the center of the green. By then my buddy had come back over with the cart and I told him he had picked it up like I thought.

My buddy was astonished and said "How did you know he was going to pick it up?" I just laughed told him about this thread and told him if he read it, he'd understand.[/quote]

Thanks for adding a reply about how to handle the situation... We were a little into war stories there...

I agree mostly.
I just want to point out that it isn't just kids that pick up balls. It's all ages and genders. There are tons of clueless people out there. In my mind, it is worse to be older and have been so unaware as to spend decades picking up people's balls.
However, it is still a mess when it happens in a match, but it isn't just the punks, it's also the CEOs (who are probably needed at the office anyways...)
[/quote]
LOL!!! True points. Sorry i didn't mean to indict only kids, I've given some of my grown friends a real hard time when they pick up a "lost" ball.

[boo radley]

[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' post='1868534' date='Aug 6 2009, 11:55 AM'][much deleted....]

LOL!!! True points. Sorry i didn't mean to indict only kids, I've given some of my grown friends a real hard time when they pick up a "lost" ball.[/quote]

But do you agree there is such a thing as a genuinely lost ball that is abandoned by players too lazy, or otherwise, to search for their ball?

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='boo radley' post='1868601' date='Aug 6 2009, 12:30 PM'][quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' post='1868534' date='Aug 6 2009, 11:55 AM'][much deleted....]

LOL!!! True points. Sorry i didn't mean to indict only kids, I've given some of my grown friends a real hard time when they pick up a "lost" ball.[/quote]

But do you agree there is such a thing as a genuinely lost ball that is abandoned by players too lazy, or otherwise, to search for their ball?
[/quote]
Sure, I'd be a fool to say there isn't such a thing. And yes, have I in the past picked up a idle Pro V that I stumbled on deep in the woods when I was looking for my ball? Of course I'd be lying if I said I didn't. But I guess we were speaking of general terms here on balls that you come upon so easily without looking, there is a better chance than not that it is in play by someone.

[inder]

I was on the fifth hole, about 150yard par3. I mis-hit my ball and it misses right of the green and lands short of a tree. As it falls I see someone on the 2nd fairway walking by and looks towards us on the tee looks towards the ball and stops to wait for his group. I think nothing of it and walk towards where my ball should be and its gone. The next group on the 2nd tee was stilling waiting to tee off and our green was clear before we got there. I was in aww. This is only a 9 hole course and on our second time around we see the same group on the tee next to ours while we are on the green and my balls are marked with HUGE green IN (my initials and a mental reminder to get the ball IN the hole lol) I use a srixon soft feel and as I walk closer to them I see my ball teed up. I don't really care it cost me $10 for a dozen so after he hits it I say "those balls are surprisingly long, I use the same ones" the guy gives an awkward "yeah ha ha" I shake my head and walk to the next tee and they quietly walk down the fairway.
This was almost as bad as when someone hit their ball into my fairway about 5 yards from my ball and in the middle of my swing yells "IS THAT YOUR BALL". Sometimes I don't even understand people.

[Fuzzifus]

[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' post='1855089' date='Jul 31 2009, 09:46 AM']Well, I'll recount the latest episode of this.

Yesterday on my home course, I overdrew (OK...hooked) my tee shot into the number one fairway. Now truth be told that's actually not a bad play on this hole as it will usually give a nice line of play right into the 18th green. My playing partner hit his up the right side of the fairway.

As we were riding in the cart up the path, I noticed a single teenager begin walking off the tee of No. 1. I kind of crane my neck to keep my eye on him. As we're heading to my buddy's ball, I say "hold on I'm going to grab a couple clubs and head over to my ball" He says why? I told him "I want to make sure that kid doesn't pick pick up my ball"

Sure enough as I'm crossing between holes toward No. 1 fairway he had already passed where my ball was and I didn't see anything. He kind of stops and says "Are you looking for a ball?" I said "yes, I hit a TM Red over here" He kind looks sheepish and reaches in his pocket and says "here, I thought it was lost"

Ok forget how it's laying in the middle of a fairway (he showed me where he picked it up from) and he knows people are coming up 18. I told him "You really shouldn't touch balls on a course that aren't yours" He kind of shrugged. I continued with my mini lecture, I said "thanks for being honest and saying you picked it up, but you're young and if you're going to play this game, you should learn the right way to play it. Every ball on a course belongs to SOMEONE, granted some maybe be lost and the person may have given up, but others can absolutely be in play. You generally won't know the difference, so you'll never be wrong by not picking up balls that aren't yours. Also it can lead to an ugly situation, some guys will get really upset over it and confront you in an angry manner, and that can lead to nothing good"

He said, "Ok, I'm sorry" I told him, "hey we all have to learn rules and right from wrong at some point" He proceeded on, I played my shot right into the center of the green. By then my buddy had come back over with the cart and I told him he had picked it up like I thought.

My buddy was astonished and said "How did you know he was going to pick it up?" I just laughed told him about this thread and told him if he read it, he'd understand.[/quote]

Nice lecture and all....but my question is why did you not go play your ball first anyhow? Whenever I encounter this situation I go to the ball in the other fairway first....? I would think getting "your ball" back in "your fairway" would have been the better move....

[Sawgrass]

[quote name='Fuzzifus' post='1915966' date='Aug 26 2009, 05:25 PM'][quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' post='1855089' date='Jul 31 2009, 09:46 AM']Well, I'll recount the latest episode of this.

Yesterday on my home course, I overdrew (OK...hooked) my tee shot into the number one fairway. Now truth be told that's actually not a bad play on this hole as it will usually give a nice line of play right into the 18th green. My playing partner hit his up the right side of the fairway.

As we were riding in the cart up the path, I noticed a single teenager begin walking off the tee of No. 1. I kind of crane my neck to keep my eye on him. As we're heading to my buddy's ball, I say "hold on I'm going to grab a couple clubs and head over to my ball" He says why? I told him "I want to make sure that kid doesn't pick pick up my ball"

Sure enough as I'm crossing between holes toward No. 1 fairway he had already passed where my ball was and I didn't see anything. He kind of stops and says "Are you looking for a ball?" I said "yes, I hit a TM Red over here" He kind looks sheepish and reaches in his pocket and says "here, I thought it was lost"

Ok forget how it's laying in the middle of a fairway (he showed me where he picked it up from) and he knows people are coming up 18. I told him "You really shouldn't touch balls on a course that aren't yours" He kind of shrugged. I continued with my mini lecture, I said "thanks for being honest and saying you picked it up, but you're young and if you're going to play this game, you should learn the right way to play it. Every ball on a course belongs to SOMEONE, granted some maybe be lost and the person may have given up, but others can absolutely be in play. You generally won't know the difference, so you'll never be wrong by not picking up balls that aren't yours. Also it can lead to an ugly situation, some guys will get really upset over it and confront you in an angry manner, and that can lead to nothing good"

He said, "Ok, I'm sorry" I told him, "hey we all have to learn rules and right from wrong at some point" He proceeded on, I played my shot right into the center of the green. By then my buddy had come back over with the cart and I told him he had picked it up like I thought.

My buddy was astonished and said "How did you know he was going to pick it up?" I just laughed told him about this thread and told him if he read it, he'd understand.[/quote]

Nice lecture and all....but my question is why did you not go play your ball first anyhow? Whenever I encounter this situation I go to the ball in the other fairway first....? I would think getting "your ball" back in "your fairway" would have been the better move....
[/quote]

Because his cart-mate, who hit right, also hit shorter? And it might be disruptive to his cart-mate to go fetch his errant shot first? And because he could see that his ball wasn't lost in the other fairway anyway?

[Crazie.eddie]

If anyone proceeds to pickup my ball, even though it's clearly identifiyable, I expect them to flatten the grass on and around the spot and to lay the ball nicely on top.

[Buzzkill]

It happens too many times at my courses and I mark my ball with crazy stuff so there's no question. Mainly occurs because of older folks and or newer golfers that really shouldn't be out there. 5 different occassions someone has walked up to my ball and hit it without looking. The first time I caught up with the golfer in the fairway and he denied it. The next hole ran parallel so when he hit I walked over to the green and picked up my ball, went back and showed him my markers. He said he was sorry - what a loser. Anyway, the next 4 occasions I've gone up to the offenders, pulled one of their clubs out of the bag and told them I'd trade them a club for my ball. Had no problem with getting my ball returned on those occasions.

[Sean2]

this topic reminds me of something jack lemmon said:

"If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball."

[armydiver]

Happened today. Guy hit my ball before I could get to him. It is not uncommon on my local course. The worst part was he was in my fairway and hit my ball, I found his in the trees after he was gone, while ensuring my eyes didnt deceive me. If I were in a cart I would have chased him down and shamed him. Being lazy and walking. I just dropped (angrily) where my ball was and proceeded to blade it over the green. It was a crazy day.

[78blades]

[quote name='galvin18' post='1845834' date='Jul 27 2009, 09:31 AM']Last week I teed off on the first hole and hit it a little left
it was between fairway #1 and #18 but my ball was in a lateral water hazard but it had not water in it
I decide to play from the hazard over the trees to get back in the fairway,
just as Im about to hit a golfer on hole #18 walks up to my and says is that a Titleist?
I said no its a bridgestone its my ball and proceeded to hit my shot
I had a horrible lie and hit a bad shot it didnt make it above the trees, and landed about 10 yards in front
As soon as I hit my shot, the other golfer walks to my ball and picks it up then proceeds to drop it.
I was so insulted I said to him, Sir I dont play other peoples balls and you shouldn't touch others peoples balls either.
He mumbled something and walked off searching for his ball.
This is something I see often, people hit big hooks/slice and pick up every ball in the next fairway to see if its theirs[/quote]


I used to think that this was just a public course thing, but have had it happen at a private club. Lack of class knows no nadir. 2 things I can suggest are 1) mark your balls so there is no doubt or 2) play such a crappy ball that it doesn't matter, (lol, I knew there was somewhere where a Top Flight would be good). Other than that its just a cunundrum that we have to deal with; some courses are worse than others in this respect.