How do You Search for a Possibly Lost Ball (Not Yours)?

[bkuehn1952]

A player in your group hits an errant shot. What do you do?

First, I try to watch everyone’s shot so I have an idea where the shots may be. If I know an area is a penalty area or OB, I will tell the other player.

If I have hit a ball where I may need to search, I go to my ball. Assuming I know where my ball is, I then go assist the other player(s). My level of assistance may vary depending on the circumstances.

[DaveP043]

22 minutes ago, bkuehn1952 said:

A player in your group hits an errant shot. What do you do?

First, I try to watch everyone’s shot so I have an idea where the shots may be. If I know an area is a penalty area or OB, I will tell the other player.

If I have hit a ball where I may need to search, I go to my ball. Assuming I know where my ball is, I then go assist the other player(s). My level of assistance may vary depending on the circumstances.

I'm a bit like you, I'd say its a "situational" decision.  If I'm away, I may play my ball first and then go search.  If the "potentially lost" ball is away, and I know mine is OK, I'll go help in the search first.  I don't often go into really bad areas, I don't go in those places to search for my own ball.  I voted something else, this choice doesn't fit into any specific category.

[snapfade]

Where I play, if your ball goes off line it's either in the inter-coastal or a pond. We don't look for errant tee shots.  Alligators move quicker than you might think. If fact, Snapfade Local Rule 2.5 is you are allowed 4 club length's no further from the hole if your ball lands by the edge of a pond. Tournaments different story of course.  

[DeadMan]

Very much depends on the situation:

• If I can play my ball safely and quickly, I'll do that and then help in the search. 
• If I need to wait to play my ball, I'll generally go help search.

All sorts of caveats. If my ball is on the opposite side of the fairway and there are others already helping, I may not go search. If the player has lost multiple balls already, I'm not going to go out of my way to help. If they're not helping others search, I probably won't go search. If it's a tournament, I'm more likely to help search without delay. Etc. It's hard to give one exact answer. It really depends on the situation.

[mcanadiens]

My current home course is a reasonably open place that keeps its rough fairly short, so lost balls aren't as much of a problem as they'd be other places.

Typically, I will help look any time it is reasonably practical to do so. If I went left and he went right, that might be a situation where it isn't practical. 

 

[iacas]

24 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

Very much depends on the situation:

• If I can play my ball safely and quickly, I'll do that and then help in the search. 
• If I need to wait to play my ball, I'll generally go help search.

All sorts of caveats. If my ball is on the opposite side of the fairway and there are others already helping, I may not go search. If the player has lost multiple balls already, I'm not going to go out of my way to help. If they're not helping others search, I probably won't go search. If it's a tournament, I'm more likely to help search without delay. Etc. It's hard to give one exact answer. It really depends on the situation.

Pretty much this for me.

[DeadMan]

52 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

Very much depends on the situation:

• If I can play my ball safely and quickly, I'll do that and then help in the search. 
• If I need to wait to play my ball, I'll generally go help search.

All sorts of caveats. If my ball is on the opposite side of the fairway and there are others already helping, I may not go search. If the player has lost multiple balls already, I'm not going to go out of my way to help. If they're not helping others search, I probably won't go search. If it's a tournament, I'm more likely to help search without delay. Etc. It's hard to give one exact answer. It really depends on the situation.

I should add that I think it's more important to watch where the ball is going originally. If you can tell the player that it landed by a bush or a tree or some other landmark, that's the most helpful thing you can do. And encouraging them to hit a provisional when appropriate helps, too.

[billchao]

Generally, I’ll help search since I’m likely to need the favor paid back at some point. There are some exceptions, though:

• If my ball might be lost (and not in the line of play), I’ll go straight to look for mine. I’m not spending three minutes looking for someone else’s ball just to spend three minutes looking for mine. We’ll spend that three minutes somewhat concurrently.
• If the person is a jerk, good luck.
• If I’m certain its OB or in a penalty area (or otherwise gnarly stuff), I probably won’t look.
•  If I see poison ivy, good luck.
• If I’m 100 yards away, I probably won’t look. By the time I get to my ball and play it, then go over to help, the three minutes is up anyway.
• If they make a habit of losing golf balls on the course, I won’t look. I don’t expect or ask people to help me when I’m having that type of day, either.

I try to keep an eye on people’s shots so I can give them a general idea of where the ball might be off the tee. So at the very least, I’m giving them some help even if I don’t assist in the actual search.

I will go out of my way to look if I have a better angle on a ball or I was closer to it than they were simply because I’m the one with the most information in that case. If I find it before they even get there I’ll leave my hat or a headcover to mark the area for them.

I played once with a guy who had absolutely no idea where he hit the ball, ever. It could have been 2 yards from the fairway and he would start searching 40 yards back of where it was. I actually went out of my way to look for his ball most of the round because he was playing so slowly. It was exasperating.

[StuM]

3 hours ago, snapfade said:

Snapfade Local Rule 2.5 is you are allowed 4 club length's no further from the hole if your ball lands by the edge of a pond.

Do you mean "no closer to the hole"?  "no further from the hole" would allow me to advance the ball, pretty sure that is a "No-No".

I voted "other" since it is situational.  If I see the ball go deep into the woods, into thick knee high weeds, etc., Too bad for you.  I'm not getting Poison Ivy, ticks, etc. to look for a ball I doubt you would play.  Of course, you are free to look and if you want to play out from a very bad lie, enjoy yourself.  If I suspect the ball is simply in the rough, I would assist.

Unless I am far ahead of where the potential lost ball is I will go to mine first to play it before joining the search.  If I am driving the cart, I would naturally drop off my cart buddy so he can start looking and if it is my ball that is lost I would gladly drive them to their ball before I begin my search.

On a course I am familiar with I may know that most balls hit in a certain area end up in the water, again, Too bad for you. I will not waste my time if I am confident you are going swimming.

Happened upon this earlier today.  Most is "Common Sense" but then again, "Commons Sense" is not always "Common"

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[snapfade]

12 minutes ago, StuM said:

Do you mean "no closer to the hole"?  "no further from the hole" would allow me to advance the ball, pretty sure that is a "No-No".

I voted "other" since it is situational.  If I see the ball go deep into the woods, into thick knee high weeds, etc., Too bad for you.  I'm not getting Poison Ivy, ticks, etc. to look for a ball I doubt you would play.  Of course, you are free to look and if you want to play out from a very bad lie, enjoy yourself.  If I suspect the ball is simply in the rough, I would assist.

Unless I am far ahead of where the potential lost ball is I will go to mine first to play it before joining the search.  If I am driving the cart, I would naturally drop off my cart buddy so he can start looking and if it is my ball that is lost I would gladly drive them to their ball before I begin my search.

On a course I am familiar with I may know that most balls hit in a certain area end up in the water, again, Too bad for you. I will not waste my time if I am confident you are going swimming.

I waited to long to edit the rule. We used to allow the use of the hand wedge in that scenario but it got abused. Rule stated, "If ball comes to rest adjacent to an area of active alligator activity, player is allowed to use a hand wedge to obtain relief." The use of the hand wedge is defined as, " Player will, using non-dominate hand, underhand toss his/her ball towards the nearest point of relief no nearer the hole." 

[WillieT]

Voted something else as like most here it’s situational….

• when the usual casual foursome, we tend to spot each other’s ball…one guy has exceptional spotting capabilities he is like a bird dog.  
• if it’s too far off line and it’s pretty much a consensus - take the penalty and move on
• if it’s my grandson - he believes all balls are findable.  However we have been on a learning curve to show that lost balls are indeed lost and it’s okay.  

[pganapathy]

My rule of thumb is find and hit my ball first if practical.  Especially if it is on the fairway and the same distance or shorter than the lost ball.  If the lost ball is a lot shorter then looking for that first makes more sense.  Essentially whatever makes us quickest.  I don't like slow play

[Rulesman]

3 hours ago, StuM said:

Most is "Common Sense" but then again, "Commons Sense" is not always "Common"

 

And often not particularly sensible

[jsgolfer]

12 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm a bit like you, I'd say its a "situational" decision.  If I'm away, I may play my ball first and then go search.  If the "potentially lost" ball is away, and I know mine is OK, I'll go help in the search first.  I don't often go into really bad areas, I don't go in those places to search for my own ball.  I voted something else, this choice doesn't fit into any specific category.

This is me as well.

[saevel25]

13 hours ago, DeadMan said:

Very much depends on the situation:

• If I can play my ball safely and quickly, I'll do that and then help in the search. 
• If I need to wait to play my ball, I'll generally go help search.

All sorts of caveats. If my ball is on the opposite side of the fairway and there are others already helping, I may not go search. If the player has lost multiple balls already, I'm not going to go out of my way to help. If they're not helping others search, I probably won't go search. If it's a tournament, I'm more likely to help search without delay. Etc. It's hard to give one exact answer. It really depends on the situation.

Same.

[ChetlovesMer]

21 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm a bit like you, I'd say its a "situational" decision.  If I'm away, I may play my ball first and then go search.  If the "potentially lost" ball is away, and I know mine is OK, I'll go help in the search first.  I don't often go into really bad areas, I don't go in those places to search for my own ball.  I voted something else, this choice doesn't fit into any specific category.

This seems about right to me.

[RFKFREAK]

So, I'm typically the long hitter when playing with folks and I'm usually the guy who needs help finding his ball because my FIR % is pathetic.  So, because I know what it's like to have to spend time looking for your ball, I usually assist after locating mine because ppl are usually very generous in helping me find mine.

[p1n9183]

Assist the other player to look for his ball the same way if it was my ball.

On competitive golf i search for the 3 minutes, on casual rounds I only look for balls (mine or others) that have a reasonable chance to appear. On bad spots I just look around the area for a miracle ricochet for a couple of seconds.