Has this happened to anyone?

[kekoa]

Yesterday, on the 10th hole, it hit a bomb drive up the left side. I probably should have waited another minute or so, but the group ahead (fivesome) has been taking their sweet time the whole front nine. After a shot, they sit there and take 3 or 4 extra practice swings. wtf.

Anyhow, when i get to the area where by ball was, its gone. I confronted the group in front of me and they say that they didn't see any balls nor did they pick it up.

Normally, it wouldn't bother me so much, but i was playing for money and the lost ball cost me a damn stroke. Fast forward to the last hole, I actually lost by 1 stroke.

*rant off*

[carl425]

Playing slowly shows a lack of consideration for other's time and enjoyment of the game. Hitting into the group ahead of you shows a lack of consideration for other's safety. It's not difficult to determine which represents the larger problem.

Money or not, I can't believe you had the nerve to ask for the ball back.

Next time ask to play through. If they refuse, talk to the ranger. Granted the ranger may not be much help since he or his boss probably had a hand in letting the fivesome out in the first place.

[Shindig]

I might well believe them. They obviously didn't realize other groups were using the golf course too!

[Smallville]

I gotta agree with Carl, you shouldn't have hit into them. And then you confronted them about your ball? Probably would have been better to apologize for hitting into them first, then asking if they saw your ball. They might have been more willing to give you the ball had you said you were sorry. You said you were playing for money; it might have paid to be more humble.

They probably didn't have your ball, it was probably stomped into the ground. At least they didn't hit it back at you.

While they were wrong for playing so slowly (however, you didn't say anything about there being any open space ahead of them; maybe it seemed like they were taking their time because the group ahead of them was slow?), you should not have hit into them. Ever. Nothing good ever came of hitting into a group intentionally.

[NM Golf]

Slow play is irritating to say the least but its no excuse to hit into somebody. If you have ever been hit by a golf ball you would realize that. Mind you its still ty to pick up and keep your ball. Had you have been behind me I would have happily returned your golf ball. Of course, you would've had to check the rules on whether you get a drop when someone shoves your ball up your a$$.

Learn to deal with slow play the correct way. Never hit when there is even a remote chance you can hit the group into front of you. You are lucky all they did was keep your ball.

[GaijinGolfer]

I agree that no matter how slow the group ahead of you is, there is no excuse for hitting into them.
Maybe they took your ball, maybe they didnt. Its possible that the ball just went into a low spot and you couldnt see it.
IMO, you should have aplogized for hitting into them.

[T.J.K.]

I have definitely had this happen to me. I have been hit into by the group behind me one time. The ball was on the left edge of the fairway. I politely hit the guys ball right back at them.

[Smallville]

TJK -

Read post number one a little more carefully . . . he was the one doing the hitting. Therein lies the problem. He wasn't getting hit into. He was the other guy.

[Voiceontapex]

someone teed into me one time theres a blind tee shot and theres a bell to ring when you finish, the gorup didnt wait for us to ring the bell, they teed off anyone and the ball almost hit me my friend yelled watch out i ducked if i didnt duck it would have hit me, long story short, i took my club and slammed it into the woods, "no sir i didnt see a ball down here, you guys tee off already?, I didnt hit the bell yet anyway!"

probably shouldnt have done that but, EH whatever thats how i roll =] jk

[zubady]

Yes I have been on both ends of this. The best bet is to be cordial. If you hit into someone (I did because they were in a swail and I could not see them) the appropriate thing to do is apologize. If you get hit into (which has happened more often to me) often the group makes an attempt to catch up to you and apologize; but even in they don't because you may not be moving at a pace they enjoy, you have to take the high road. This I am sure has already been a thread, but slow play is killing golf at the weekend hacker level and driving people away from the game. Often it is not the weekend hacker that is slow, but the "Skilled" players who try to mimic what the see on the networks and the golf channel. Many may not also agree with this, but carts have also contributed to slow play. I walk unless in a tournament that mandates a cart. I can cover more ground faster than anyone in a cart. Walking makes golf a sport, riding makes golf a recreational activity.

[GolferDot]

He said he bombed his drive which to me means he did'nt expect to hit into the group in front but on reflection felt he should have waited.
I have had this happen to me from both perspectives, I was once 270 yards out no hope in hell of hitting the green and must have hit something and the ball trickled up through the green, the guys were quiet gracious.
I have been on the fairway when a ball landed nearby from nowhere.
I don't worry about it the first time but if the group behind it does it a second time I would certainly say something.

[Doctorfro]

Dude, Saturday golf is notoriously slow. Fivesomes or not. Be patient. You're not going anywhere.

I've learned it's just not worth it. If there's a chance, wait. Recently my son and I were playing and he was 250 out on an uphill par five with the wind in his face (serious wind). He asked me if he could hit and I said "sure, you can't get there today". Wrong....he smokes it and the ball rolled up by the player's feet on the green. I went and apologized profusely but they were really cool about it and even one said, "that's a hell of a shot from back there".

It stinks if they took it and I've seen it happen but you ought to wait.

[kekoa]

Well maybe i'm not being as descriptive as i should be. This was a 380 yard par for and i waited until the group ahead hit their 3rd shots and were walking up towards the green. My average drive is about 275 yards to I was definitely in the clear. I've been playing this game for over 20 years. i know the difference between blatantly hitting into someone and accidentally rolling one up within 20 yards of the group ahead. big difference.

Regardless, its wrong for someone to take anyones ball. if they didn't like what i did, then lets talk about it.

[kekoa]

He said he bombed his drive which to me means he did'nt expect to hit into the group in front but on reflection felt he should have waited.

thanks for that. looks like you were the only one who really understood my post.

[Dub]

I can understand your frustration over the situation.

It can be maddening to have a good round going and then it bogs down by a slow group....especially a large group oblivious to the other golfers.

Weekend golf almost mandates that you have something else to do while golfing.....during the intermissions.......practice chipping on the tee box....work on bouncing a ball on wedge.....Nintendo DS.....

380 par four......they've hit their third shots and advancing to the green....20 years experience on your part....I can only surmise you hit at the approriate time but really pured it.

One good use for cell phones on the golf course is to call in and report groups that are ridiculously slow.....I've only done this one time and results were evident by the next hole. Oddly enough, it was with a 5some. Clubhouse sent out the ranger who advanced us and the group behind us through.....not sure if he broke up the 5some or not....but it certainly helped us.

[marpr]

Golf is a weird game like that. Like most of us, I've been almost certain i knew where a ball has landed, walked up, NOTHING! I have never questioned a group in front if they have taken my ball (even though I have wanted too), as our members are excellent.

However, on the flip-side. When you think about it how many times has a golfer came to you from an adjacent hole and said "have you seen my ball?" or "Did you see my ball land?"

golf, the most frustrating sport in the world sometimes..........

[microcrayfish]

My mate had a go at me on the weekend for NOT hitting before the group in front of us had moved off. Granted they were most likely out of my range but he couldn't seem to understand that even though I would most likely leave it well short I didn't want to take the chance of hitting a 10 year old kid in the back had I managed to really get a hold of one.

I'm not the sort of person who gets mad at slow play anyway. It's going to happen at a busy golf course on the weekend so I just deal with it.

[Smallville]

OK, maybe I didn't totally understand. It helps to give all the information, especially when it involves hitting into someone else. We still don't know if they were slow because of groups ahead of them or not. Maybe there were fivesomes ahead of them too, and the course obviously lets fivesomes on the course. But you did say you were already perturbed with them for being slow and that you should have waited to hit, but . . .

One thing that really got me is you said you "confronted" them about your ball instead of apologizing for hitting into them. That's not what I would expect out of someone who said he accidentally hit into me. Doing that about guaranteed that you weren't getting the ball back. If they had taken it, they MIGHT (but honestly, I doubt it) have given it back had you been a little humble about it, since it's ultimately your fault if you hit into someone, especially if you know they are there. In the end, regardless of the whereabouts of your ball, apologizing would have been the way to go.

I probably should have waited another minute or so, but the group ahead (fivesome) has been taking their sweet time the whole front nine. After a shot, they sit there and take 3 or 4 extra practice swings. wtf.