How would you handle this?

[2bGood]

Take out the ole camera phone and snap his pic then post in club house locker room!

With the caption "This guy grabbed my ball(s)"

[TourSpoon]

Sounds like you handled it the best way you could. I probably would have done the same, then tossed a few balls at his feet and said something like "If you need some balls just ask".

[brgolf]

Play your ball as it lies son.

[rjwiggall]

With the caption "This guy grabbed my ball(s)"

HAHAHAHAHAHAH

I'm suprised no one has asked you this yet, and it really doesn't matter as far as the guy picking up your ball, but did you hit it in the rough, in another fairway, or close to the guy? Could he have had a "vendetta" against you? How old was he, did you hit his cane, or perhaps tell him he smelled like old moth balls? Edit: Reread your first post and see that you were "off the fairway" but by how much?

[snowmanmdp]

Between the two fairway and the ball was nowhere near him when it landed....he picked it up than drove 100 yeards the other way to his ball.

[walk18]

Playing today and hit my drive off the fairway and watched someone pick up my ball, I watched him as I never had the ball out of my sight!!! When I questioned him about it he said he did not pick up any ball but if he did he would keep it. Now keep in mind I' am a large man and he was much older than I' am...my question is what comes next? I can't make him empty his pockets!!! WITHOUT ME GETTING IN TROUBLE.

Pull a club out of his bag and offer to "trade". I bet you get your ball back.

[zeg]

Sh*t happens. I once picked up a pro v1 in the rough of my fairway, as I did see anyone on the next fairway. As i walked up to the green I see, guys on the tee box (not sure how I missed th asem). I ended up going over and say "sorry I guess am and idiot and picked up your ball"

Ugh, I've been there once. Except mine was in my fairway, I thought I had more clear space between me and the group behind (and, in my defense, I never heard the ball come down, and you could not see all the way back to the tee). I realized before they got down, so I gave them the "Sorry, I'm an idiot, do you want me to put it back where I found it?" Fortunately, they were a big group having a lot of fun, so they just kinda laughed about it. It was a HECK of a drive, I don't think they quite believed it rolled down as far as the spot where I put it.

[tsdnorton]

Just call up to the pro shop and tell him what's going on and give the marshal a description of what the person looks like and what hole he's on. They'll make sure he doesn't do it again.. hopefully.

[hero419]

Pull a club out of his bag and offer to "trade". I bet you get your ball back.

I like this one.

[CT207]

Similar happened to me last week.. I hit a drive off the tee, watch it land about 200 yards out and roll towards the ladies tee of the next hole. The fairways parallel each other and besides some longer cut grass there is no rough as a divider so, I saw where the ball went. There were 2 high school aged kids teeing off from the ladies tee. As I approached the area the two kids looked at me as I went past and I noticed them laughing to one another as they continued down the fairway.
Anyway, looked for my ball and didn't find it. I dropped another ball and played on.

I finished up, went into the clubhouse, got a cold drink and sat down and striking up a conversation with an employee I sometimes play golf with. The two kids were there but, I made like I didn't notice them at the table behind us.
Employee: "So, how'd you do"
Me: "Very good until someone picked up my ball on the 5th. It was probably the two guys I saw teeing off from the girly tee on the next hole instead of the manly tee 100 yards back"
Employee: "Did you ask them?"
Me: "Nah, If they need a Pinnacle with a Boy Scout logo on it maybe it'll help with their honesty".

The two kids suddenly got up and left... LOL