Stealing Golf Balls

**P3R3** · September 1, 2009

There is an even that really grinds my gears like no other. This happened to me during my round Sunday, I pushed my drive on the 10th tee into a group of trees to the right, I watched the ball settle down into the grass knowing exactly where it ended up and proceeded to let my playing partners hit. So as I walk up to where my ball landed I see a ball right there, but it was not the brand new TP Red I hit, it was a top flite xl. I had noticed the group on the 18th hole which is adjacent rumaging around there and thought nothing of it, but they had obviously pulled the old switcheroo on my ball.

This has happened to me multiple times this year alone, and if I count the number of times my ball has been picked up, this has probably happened over 5 times this year alone. I had to take a lost ball penalty and ended up triple bogeying the hole, after the round I was so po'd that I just ripped up the score card and threw it away. So from now on I hit a cheap ball off the tee and I switch to a decent ball after that, I am tired of having my stuff jacked. I've even watched someone come to the FAIRWAY and jack my ball before while I was watching. So what if it isn't in the "rules of golf" I dont really see an advantage in it other than people wont want to pick up my drives anymore. Anyone else have problems with people picking up your shots?

/rant

**David in FL** · September 1, 2009

I have, on occasion found another ball in the same general vicinity of where I was searching for mine. I have to admit, it's never occurred to me to blame someone else for "substituting" another ball for mine though.......

bpolunin · September 1, 2009

I know exactly what you are talking about. I had ball taken many times. I actually saw someone bend over and pick my ball up this past weekend. Once I screamed at them, they dropped the ball and went on with their business.
I thought this is a gentlemen game. Come one people, you know who you are if you pick up balls that are not yours. Stop messing with someone's game.

**SubPar** · September 1, 2009

Most often people don't identify the ball and play the wrong one. If you have reason to believe someone played your ball, take a free drop because they are an outside agency and you should not be penalized if they picked up or hit your ball.

In an event in China earlier this year a marshall saw a spectator pick up leave with a player's ball (not known why she did not stop the person). The player was allowed to play a ball from where it was seen at rest w/o penalty.

Subpar

**P3R3** · September 1, 2009

Most often people don't identify the ball and play the wrong one. If you have reason to believe someone played your ball, take a free drop because they are an

I always thought I had to take the penalty, didn't know that rule! On an off topic note I have been working hard on my driving accuracy the past few weeks in preparation for TR. I actually hit 6/8 fairways on the last 9 I played. So that means porbably 4 penalty strokes at TR

**P3R3** · September 1, 2009

I have, on occasion found another ball in the same general vicinity of where I was searching for mine. I have to admit, it's never occurred to me to blame someone else for "substituting" another ball for mine though.......

Since I saw someone in my group do this before (randomly assigned playing partner) and seen it happen to my ball I am not crazy.

**Where's the Cart Girl?** · September 1, 2009

Had a guy hit into us twice a few weeks back. Two holes later his ball managed to find its way into our fairway on an anti-parallel hole to the one he was playing. It now belongs to me.

2 stroke penalty for being a douche as far as I'm concerned.

**brgolf** · September 1, 2009

Mark your ball clearly, gesture to anyone who goes near it and complain to the clubhouse if a culprit is identified during a competition. I think under the rules that player would be disqualified and though that may seem harsh, the rules of golf are there to be upheld.

**enduro** · September 1, 2009

Had a guy hit into us twice a few weeks back. Two holes later his ball managed to find its way into our fairway on an

Perpendicular.

**David in FL** · September 1, 2009

Perpendicular.

Not necessarily.

**brgolf** · September 1, 2009

Anti-Parallel, not a word that often comes up in a topic about thieving.

**Where's the Cart Girl?** · September 1, 2009

Perpendicular.

Not at all.

**jaragon126** · September 1, 2009

I too have suffered when other people seem to "mistake" my Pro V1 for their Rock Flite or something else crappy.

I also used to lose my cool because now I get to take a 2 stroke penalty for a lost ball even though I have a pretty solid idea that they either hit mine & left theirs for me ... or just picked mine up because I wasn't very close to them when they found it.

Glad to hear I don't need to take penalties if there is reason to believe mine was picked up or hit by someone else.

**enduro** · September 1, 2009

Not at all.

Yer right, sorry. I pictured something totally different.

**mc0388** · September 2, 2009

I was playing in Hilton Head, one of the Port Royal Courses (cant remember which one) I teed off of number 3, drive right down the middle. A guy off the course, jumped a fence, ran to the middle of the fairway, picked up my ball, and ran off the course!! I couldn't believe, I froze, stood in disbelief, and said to my self "Did that guy just take my F****N ball"?

He did!

**Big_M** · September 2, 2009

Anyone else have problems with people picking up your shots?

This happens to my brother-in-law once in a while... since he is usually playing the areas between holes if not adjacent fairways. However, it has only happened to me a few times, and I usually just yell... HEY, is that MY BALL, and they drop it and look around like idiots then scurry off.

Most often people don't identify the ball and play the wrong one. If you have reason to believe someone played your ball, take a free drop because they are an

exactly... free drop

**pittpanther** · September 2, 2009

Glad to hear I don't need to take penalties if there is reason to believe mine was picked up or hit by someone else.

Isn't this a case of you would have to be 100% sure that someone picked up your ball? You can't just assume because you were 200 yards away and saw someone bend over near where you think your ball landed.

If you don't see the person actually pick up your ball, then I think you have to take the penalty. The whole "outside agency" thing works, if you see an animal take your ball for example. But you actually have to SEE the animal take the ball - you can't assume.

**CG031** · September 2, 2009

People CLEARLY do this. I've had it happen to me, but I don't take a penalty...I mean, if I hit the ball in a wide open area (ex. another fairway) by accident, and it's not there when you are positive where it is, but some other old crappy ball is there, it's obvious they switched them out, and sadly many golfers don't pay attention to the rules, so they don't care to switch balls during a hole.

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