How Many Golf Balls Do You Lose Each Round?

[ChetlovesMer]

I would say that normally I will lose 1 or 2 golf balls every time I play 18 holes. I've played several rounds with only 1 ball. If it's a course I know well I may show up with only 3 or 4 balls in my bag. 

Of course we've all had those days were you lose a half dozen or more balls in one round. Or even one of those holes where you lose 3 balls on one hole. But those are pretty rare for me these days. 

On average how many golf balls do you "normally" lose in a round of 18 holes? (By the way, I would use the Mode Average for lost balls, not the Median or the Mean Average.) 

[Piz]

It depends on the course I am playing and the playing conditions.  Today, four egg sample, I lost 4.  The course was baked to an extent I've never experienced.  A normal good shot might roll out forever.  I hit 4 approach shots that disappeared into the ether.

Fall is coming.  When the course is covered in leaves we "lose" balls all the time: right down the middle...never see it again.  

Normally I direct one, or two, injudiciously.  I'm okay with that.

[ChetlovesMer]

2 minutes ago, Piz said:

I hit 4 approach shots that disappeared into the ether.

Man, I hate when that happens

[Bonvivant]

Spring or Summer? 0-4 is my norm. Fall? Your guess is as good as mine. Could be 0 still, or 12, but I am not going to spend all day looking for a ball that shouldn't be lost when the leaves are down. I just kind of write it off as fall golf.

[Piz]

3 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Man, I hate when that happens

Yeah.  The thread about "How many pure shots do you hit per round?" needs an addendum:  How many of those pure shots do you find?

[Patch]

I couldn't vote. I lose on average,  1 ball every 6 rounds. I am guessing that number even at that.

So is that 1/16-1/17 of a ball every 18 hole round? 

[Bonvivant]

4 minutes ago, Patch said:

I couldn't vote. I lose on average,  1 ball every 6 rounds. I am guessing that number even at that.

So is that 1/16-1/17 of a ball every 18 hole round? 

I think this would fall into the 0 category, but the category is worded poorly

[shanksalot]

I don't often lose a golf ball due to the fact that I am a short hitter and almost always hit the fairway. There are holes where it is easy to lose a ball, but I always steer away from those areas. I play three times a week and I might lose a ball a week, but some weeks I don't lose any balls. 

[Jeremie Boop]

This is highly dependent. I can lose as few as 0 or as many as 7, but on the average round it's usually 1-2 these days. Which is a pretty good improvement.

[ChetlovesMer]

9 hours ago, Bonvivant said:

I think this would fall into the 0 category, but the category is worded poorly

The "I never lose a ball" thing was supposed to be a little tongue and cheek. 

 

9 hours ago, Patch said:

I couldn't vote. I lose on average,  1 ball every 6 rounds. I am guessing that number even at that.

So is that 1/16-1/17 of a ball every 18 hole round? 

That's why I suggested using the "Mode Average", which in your case would be zero.

[pganapathy]

Depends on my day.  Certain days none at all, certain days a couple.  I picked 1-2 cos that would probably be the average.  The funny thing is I probably lose more good and new balls than old ones 🤷‍♀️

[Wally Fairway]

I would say 1-2 is typical, and I can usually find a couple - depending on the course; though I'll have several rounds that I play the same ball all day.
So I don't carry that many, since "found" balls can be used as an emergency replacement.

I will have an occasional round where I will lose more, sometimes these include the unexplainable alien abductions like my first tee shot of the year which was fairly well struck to the right side middle of the fairway and was never found. 

[burr]

I'll say closer to 2 or 3.  My home is extremely frustrating at the first two holes of the course.  First hole, water on left will only catch the first hole snap pull off the first tee (not loosened up AND avoiding the dreaded push), rare but it does happen.  Range runs up the right side of #1 so if you push just it a little right ...   #2 has water on right and across the full fairway.  Tee shot has to be less than a clean 3 wood.  Usually I can hit a fade 3 wood perfect but lately, I've found some of my distance and bounced a great shot into the water (dead ahead left to right) more than once.  Ima have to start using the 3 hybrid.

So I'm struggling right off the bat at my place with penalty strokes ever where if I don't watch out (and the lost balls for my round).  So on #3 par 5, I'm usually pretty hot on the teebox and have to settle down.

When I get thru this, I'm good (happy) from then on ...

Edited October 3, 2019 by burr

[Osnola]

Last week played with the same ball for 17 holes.  Lost two balls on #18...I have never played the same ball for a complete round...

[Missouri Swede]

I usually play the same course, which I know well. Into a penalty area or ob, probably one ball every 2 or 3 rounds, but I can usually find about half of those (so not lost). 
More often, I take one out of play due to scuffs from the cartpath. 

[HJJ003]

I used to lose a lot of balls. Couple of sleeves wasn’t impossible. Now my worst days I lose 3. Usually 1-2. But first the first time ever this year I have played multiple rounds where I have also lost none!

[NM Golf]

I put 0, but its not like I never lose a ball, it just doesn't happen all that often. I use a ball for a couple rounds then it goes into my shag bag. After a couple years in the shag bag into the garbage they go.

[David in FL]

There really isn’t a normal...

0 more often than not, but it can easily become 3 or more in the blink of an eye depending on the day and course.