Is it wrong to take home good balls from your range bucket?

[RJRJRJ]

Im not talking about a brand new range ball, but a real ball that somehow got mixed in there along the line. Today I found a near new Pro v1 in there. Is it wrong to take it home?

[stage1350]

Yes, it is wrong. You are a thief for taking them.

[Dizz]

Did you really just ask if it was OK to steal?

[greens hit]

You're fine. They don't belong to the range. People take them out of their bags and hit them out there. Similar to people that fish balls out of course ponds.

[Dizz]

[quote name='greens hit' date='25 May 2010 - 01:03 AM' timestamp='1274763817' post='2465505']
You're fine. They don't belong to the range. People take them out of their bags and hit them out there. Similar to people that fish balls out of course ponds.
[/quote]

Not always, some ranges pay people to fish balls out of weeds/ponds/whatever on the course to use as range balls. Bottom line is, they weren't his balls so it is still stealing. I'm not trying to pretend like I have the best morals because I don't but that is still 100% stealing.

[joekelli]

I think it would be OK if you swap it for some crappy ball you have in your bag.

[greens hit]

I've been known to take out scuffed up prov1's out of my bag and hit them at the range. I like to know how the particular range ball compares in distance.

[geesecougar2]

No it's not "wrong". It's certainly not "right" but I mean really, come on. Do it right in front of a range employee and see what happens. I guarantee 7 out of 10 wouldn't even bat an eyelash. Of the other 3, two would give you grief because they want to keep the ProV themselves. And the last guy? He probably has no friends.

[taskerc]

Yes it is wrong - you are paying for the use of the range facilities and the balls. The fact that a good one ends up there does not mean it is free for the taking. If I really wanted the ball, I would ask the operator if I could have it or swap one for one. But taking something without permission is not right. But I do use the one for one principle if I happen to lose a ball while playing on a course and find a replacement. But I do not normally keep all balls I find on the course, only the ones to replace the one I lost.

[TMfan54]

[quote name='E - SF' date='25 May 2010 - 01:34 AM' timestamp='1274765681' post='2465547']
No it's not "wrong". It's certainly not "right" but I mean really, come on. Do it right in front of a range employee and see what happens. I guarantee 7 out of 10 wouldn't even bat an eyelash. Of the other 3, two would give you grief because they want to keep the ProV themselves. And the last guy? He probably has no friends.
[/quote]

hahahaha

[JMBZL]

trade a ball in, you'll be fine..

[highergr0und]

If it's alright to swap it out, is it alright if I go to a store and swap out my old golf shoes with a new pair and walk out? I mean I left them with a pair of shoes, right?

Just hit the balls.

[golfingnut300]

Its stealing, period. Whether someone else hit them on the range or not, its still taking something that belongs to someone else and now calling it yours, justify it all you want. We have quiet a few non range balls where I practice and what I do is sort thru all the non range balls and hit them with my driver.

[_MS22_]

After this came up a few months ago I asked the owner of my range (his son is a close fiend) what his thoughts were on people taking brand new balls someone hit into the range and he told me he does the same thing and if I did not I was an idiot. He said if they were not his to begin with he was simply borrowing them. We limited this to new balls undoubtedly belonging to someone that hit them there either purposely or accidently.

If I come across a brand new ProV/Z*/Tour i(s)/etc I'll throw it in my bag since I figure they are perhaps mine to begin with. I have a funny superstition that I can not leave the range on a bad shot; be it with the driver or wedge I'll dig new balls out of my bag and pummel them into the range until I get one right. Stupid I know, but some superstitions get the best of us, I do the same thing on the basketball court in warmups even when the ref wants the ball for the tip.

Is it right? Technically No. But I do donate many balls to the range (I'd guess ~25 a week), every single one I find on the course I will not play or I wear out goes into my shag bag to bring to the range.

[HeadonaStick]

Taking something that is not yours is stealing. Period. It doesn't matter how it got there, it isn't yours.

[XYB34A]

Its called Stealing. Bet you cheat on your scorecard too, if you think its ok.

[taskerc]

[quote name='HeadonaStick' date='25 May 2010 - 09:29 AM' timestamp='1274794161' post='2465835']
Taking something that is not yours is stealing. Period. It doesn't matter how it got there, it isn't yours.
[/quote]

Unless you get permission .....

[Desert Golf]

I will often "donate" one or two of my slightly used balls at the end of a range session. It wouldn't bother me, and I doubt that it would bother the golf course if another golfer extracted the ball that I donated. If I see a new proV in my bucket it's going into my bag. BUT...I try to donate more than I take to keep the karma in a positive balance

Let's not overthink this...if I find a new tee left by another golfer on the teebox I'm using it and will probably break it. Call me a thief and a vandal if you like but I can sleep with a clear conscience.

[Pepperturbo]

This topic has surfaced in the past. It's hard to fathom someone doesn't know what "stealing" means, and the difference between "right" and "wrong".

[z71bcm]

Have any of you that said it is stealing picked up a ball you found on the course....its not yours so your just as guilty of "stealing"....

[dannybsj]

I can almost guarantee you every single person that chastised you for doing that has picked up balls they found while searching for their own. Their is NO difference if you know for sure that they aren't range balls. Is it stealing..yup but its also stealing if you take em from the course and yes i am a thief by my own definition. However not even the corrupt criminal justice department would run a sting on the golf ball seller guy..u know the one that picks up "lost" balls and sells em out of a beat up van....although that would be hilarious if they did.

[JMBZL]

[quote name='highergr0und' date='25 May 2010 - 09:09 AM' timestamp='1274792983' post='2465805']
If it's alright to swap it out, is it alright if I go to a store and swap out my old golf shoes with a new pair and walk out? I mean I left them with a pair of shoes, right?

Just hit the balls.
[/quote]

swapping a ball at the range has no affect on the next person.

[Pepperturbo]

I've been playing golf for 20 years... Contrary to the beliefs of some, some of us NEVER pick up strange balls on the golf course, even if we don't see anyone nearby. Ya never know if someone out of sight is looking for that ball you pocketed; then a few moments later hear someone holler "have you seen a "x" ball. I also don't take what might be a good ball from a range basket.

[johndeere10]

Well the range I used to go to those "new" balls you find were so much better than the ones you were given to hit. At $12.50 a jumbo bucket in was a pain to handpick the good ones. No it's not wrong to take balls that are not labeled practice or range balls. I know several courses where #1 is adjacent to the driving range. Tons of balls are donated to range balls because it was almost impossible to find your ball unless they have picked them up or too much trouble to waste your time looking. So its no different than finding one or woods or water to me. Rangeballs are rip off anyway for how much they charge and usually horrible quality.

[snyper1d]

Like many here, I will donate a ball to the range here or there. I won't hesitate to pull a ProV or other premium ball from my basket if one is in there. I normally swap it out, but sometimes, I don't have any shag balls in my bag.

Knowing several of the range guys at my old course, they do the same thing when washing all the range balls.

[mwl111006]

I have donated a bunch, but I will not take any. I usually separate the better balls when I see'em and then hit them at the end to see what my real carry distance is with whatever club I am working on.

[farmer]

Good quality or bad, the balls belong to the owner of the range. If you take one, you are stealing the ball. Found balls on the course are abandoned, so they are fair game, assuming that you're not picking up balls in the fairway.

[toddnt]

Leave the damn ball there!

[Dizz]

[quote name='Pepperturbo' date='25 May 2010 - 09:58 AM' timestamp='1274795889' post='2465933']
I've been playing golf for 20 years... Contrary to the beliefs of some, some of us NEVER pick up strange balls on the golf course, even if we don't see anyone nearby. Ya never know if someone out of sight is looking for that ball you pocketed; then a few moments later hear someone holler "have you seen a "x" ball. I also don't take what might be a good ball from a range basket.
[/quote]

Same here, I never pick up balls on the course. I'm not gonna say I haven't ever done it growing up but in the last 5 years I have not picked up one ball on the course that wasn't mine. I honestly can't believe so many people think its OK to swap or just take balls from the range.

[Jimmy Mac]

If you're REALLY not sure about this, there's an easy test. Take the ball out of the basket, walk it over to the manager of the range (not the kid picking up buckets). Tell him you found a Pro V1 and would like to keep it. If he says yeah, take it. If he says no put it back in the bucket. Tah dah, you have the answer.

If you think to yourself that it would be inappropriate to ask - then you probably should be able to figure out that it's stealing. Otherwise, why would your conscience tell you to avoid the situation?

If you think, "It's not worth the trouble to walk it over" well, then the ball's probably not worth the crisis of conscience required to pocket it. Besides, chances are decent that ball sat at the bottom of a pond for a while or froze and thawed a few times during the winter.

As for found balls on the course. If it's in heavy rough, and it's reasonable to think it's a lost ball, pick it up. I put my shots in that kind of stuff all the time (sadly) and would never be offended if someone pocketed one I lost a few days earlier.