Ball Finding Tips

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

What's wrong with Wilson balls?

Originally Posted by Zeph

Don't think I've ever found a decent Wilson ball in the woods. They probably make good ones too, but people either don't play them or don't lose them.

That's my experience too. Wilson and Wilson Staff make a lot great balls. But the Wilson's I always find are Ultras or something like that. And they look like they've been through an ice age or hit 1000 times with a new Vokey. Never an FG Tour or something like that.

Same with Top Flites - they're always the old Spalding rocks - never the new ones.

[boogielicious]

I look for 60 seconds, max.  If I find another ball in the woods, I will pick it up and put it on the side of the fairway for the next guy.  I play NXT Tours and will occasionally keep on of those or a Pro V1.  Usually I find balls that are cut or have moss growing on them.

Last year, at our league course, we almost always found Callaway balls when looking for ours.  I mean a disproportional amount, like 75% of the balls found were Callaway.  We came to the conclusion that either Callaway balls are very popular, or people who play Callaway hit into the woods a lot! (just kidding Callaway fans).

[golf4fun12]

sorry for stepping on people's toes about wilson balls. should I have said noodle ball? haha. jk

just saying it can slow down pace. especially when you play with someone who will search for golf balls in every freakin lake we pass. it slows everyone down. I don't say anything, cause I don't know these people. I just keep hitting and marching along hoping he gets the idea that he has to stop and keep up.

[Tomboys]

I have this "thing" (maybe OCD) where I don't like playing used balls--unless they're my own, so I don't even bother picking up golf balls that I find.  Ocassionally, I will find a really clean ProV1, but that happens maybe a couple of times per season.

I play ProV1 practice balls and they have the word "PRACTICE" printed in big bold letters on the ball.  It's been years since I've had someone try to take my ball.  However, if in the future someone did try, then I figure I'd just walk up and say, "Hi, I think you may have picked up my ball.  It has my name on it.  I'm Mr. Practice."

[golf4fun12]

Originally Posted by Tomboys

I have this "thing" (maybe OCD) where I don't like playing used balls--unless they're my own, so I don't even bother picking up golf balls that I find.  Ocassionally, I will find a really clean ProV1, but that happens maybe a couple of times per season.

I play ProV1 practice balls and they have the word "PRACTICE" printed in big bold letters on the ball.  It's been years since I've had someone try to take my ball.  However, if in the future someone did try, then I figure I'd just walk up and say, "Hi, I think you may have picked up my ball.  It has my name on it.  I'm Mr. Practice."

I'm still laughing as I type this. Hi, I'm Mr. Practice. hahaha

[Fourputt]

The quickest way I know of to piss off the players behind you is to wander around hawking lost balls.  You're supposed to be out there to play golf.  Do your shopping at the mall.

[Zeph]

Originally Posted by golf4fun12

just saying it can slow down pace. especially when you play with someone who will search for golf balls in every freakin lake we pass. it slows everyone down. I don't say anything, cause I don't know these people. I just keep hitting and marching along hoping he gets the idea that he has to stop and keep up.

I don't search for balls myself anymore, but when I did, I never slowed down the pace of play of course. I searched while waiting for something, when there are few people on the course, when looking for someone's ball etc. I don't mind people looking for balls as long as it doesn't hinder the pace of play or they take my balls.

[golf4fun12]

Originally Posted by Zeph

I don't search for balls myself anymore, but when I did, I never slowed down the pace of play of course. I searched while waiting for something, when there are few people on the course, when looking for someone's ball etc. I don't mind people looking for balls as long as it doesn't hinder the pace of play or they take my balls.

I understand what you are saying and I agree with you. I understand if the course is empty and no one is on the course and you have time between holes to look for golf balls, go ahead. it's okay if you are playing by yourself and no one is behind you. because you are not holding anyone back. if you are playing with some strangers and there is a group behind you and you are looking for golf balls, then there is a problem. it's just rude.

I played with this one person one time who took every single golf ball he ever saw on the course. I got a little embarrassed because he took a golf ball just off the fairway and assumed it wasn't anyone's ball and the group who tee'd off the next hole came over and yelled at him cause he took the ball. they saw him from the tee box, that's what they said. then he threw it on the ground and said.... "here, it was over there somewhere." like it was no big deal. when he walked away, I actually apologized for him to the guy who's ball he took. this turned out to be funny cause I found out later that the guy who took the ball is a doctor who retired cause he had to much money. hahahahaha. He was kinda grumpy, but he was nice to me. I see him once in a while at the course and I always say Hi.

[1puttit]

Reminds me of the time I want out as a single for a quick nine after work.Course was wide open with no one in front of me. Found 5 Nike One balls in the first few holes. Seemed like every hole there was a Nike ball a few feet off the right side of the fairway.  Finally catch up to the guys in front of me on the eighth hole. There's a 16- 18 year old kid, dressed like a tour pro, with a nice power fade. Kid tees off, ball goes into right rough. He walks up about 40 yards farther than where his ball went,  looks for 2 seconds, and drops another ball. When I walk up the right side, there's his ball, a brand new Nike One. Daddy must have some $$ cause that kid was throwing away a small fortune in balls.

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Last year, at our league course, we almost always found Callaway balls when looking for ours.  I mean a disproportional amount, like 75% of the balls found were Callaway.  We came to the conclusion that either Callaway balls are very popular, or people who play Callaway hit into the woods a lot! (just kidding Callaway fans).

[tristanhilton85]

Originally Posted by Gerald

Balls that are not your own are mostly property of the course you are playing at, or they can be of another player, but they are not yours !!!

I am no saint, if I bumb into a Pro V1 in an impossible place, I will put it in my bag, but all of the rocks end up in the clubhouse where we have a bin for ball for the youth players.

Besides that I rather concentrate on the game, than spending time on finding balls that are not mine.

Last week standing at the first tee, took a brandnew Pro V1x out of a sleeve, hit a 250 yds push to the right and it landed on another fairway, Yelled FORE ! and saw it landing middle of the next fairway ...... my buddies also hit their balls and I went to my ball....... the group on the other fairway had found a brandnew Pro V1x, put it in their bag .......

Anyway we asked them to give it back, it took some ..... to get my ball back, totally pissed off ....... why can't people keep their hands of balls that can not be theirs ....... reported the guy and he is banned for a month !!!

So the balls in the woods/bushes/lakes are the property of the course but it's ok to steal them if they are good balls such as Pro V1s?  Interesting.

Anyways... I don't go looking for them...  I think that it's a waste of time especially since I play at a course that is busy and there is always a group right ahead and right behind you.  I barely even spend anytime looking for my own ball so that the pace of play will stay up.

[itching4scratch]

:I remember one round where I was playing by myself and I was stuck behind a foursome, I purposely spent my "waiting time" looking for lost balls, and by the time the round was over, I couldn't fit any more in the front pouch of my bag!!!  Luckily there was nobody playing behind me.  This was a fairly nice course, and the balls I found ranged from Top Flite to ProV1.  I play one specific ball too, but it's nice to have a bag-load of shag balls to mess with or give away. I like ProV1x, NXT and DT Carry, so I kept those :)

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Gerald

Huhhhh ......

Balls that are not your own are mostly property of the course you are playing at, or they can be of another player, but they are not yours !!!

I'd have to dispute this.  Maybe in Europe they are, but here lost balls are just lost.  Finders keepers.  But first make certain that what you are picking up is really lost, and not just temporarily astray.  And I reiterate - what ever you choose to do, don't hold up traffic in the process of "finding" those abandoned balls.

[Stretch]

I swear there are guys at our club who go out primarily to fish for balls. Playing golf seems entirely incidental. This probably reflects badly on me, but if one of these is peeking out of a bag my snap assessment of the owner is: Tool.

[glk23]

If the course is open and I am not holding anyone up, I will spend time looking for lost balls.  Balls in poor shape or quality go into a bag that I donate back to the local driving range.  This has allowed me to try out many different types of balls without having to buy a sleeve or dz.  Found enough quality two piece balls last season to keep from buying any in the fall/winter when things are soft and wet in my area.

[peskypole46]

I enjoy searching for lost golf balls. Most of the balls I play are ones I have found. Yes, I am too cheap and poor to spend money on golf balls (college student). Because I spend so much of my time up in the rough anyway, might as well pick up what I find. That being said I don't spend lots of time searching for balls if there are golfers behind me and I make sure the balls I pick up are truly lost.

[BradMatejo]

I do pick up balls if it is clear they are truly lost.  I don't go out of the way, just what I find along the way.  Most go into the bucket in my garage, but I'll keep a few of the better ones in my bag as throw-away balls for those shots where there's a good chance of hitting into water.

What I find fun/interesting are the logo balls I find.  I have found some neat ones.  I usually play a cheap little muny course, and last summer I found one from Trump National.  What that ball was doing on my course is anyone's guess!

[tanktwo2]

Finding like new Prov1's is like Christmas for me!

[golf4fun12]

Originally Posted by tanktwo2

Finding like new Prov1's is like Christmas for me!

haha. I know it's weird, but I feel the same way. I mean, it is only a golf ball. but it really does feel like Christmas.