Oh, was that YOUR ball?

[reedf]

Two paralell fairways separated by about 25 yds of nasty thick grasses/weeds full of ball stealing gremlins! If your ball rolls the slightest bit into the grass, it's lost! So.... I'm hitting my driver off the tee and of course I slice it badly! Not sure if it made it over the grass, I hit a provisional. There are a couple crossover areas cut in the grass, so I peek over into the other fairway to see if I can see my first ball. The lady on the green with her husband then asks me if I'm playing a top-flite, I said yes and she tosses me my ball from her pocket! I know the rules say to drop where the ball was originally at, but how can you figure that out when you're told "I found it over there somewhere"? Being a after work 9 hole practice round, I just played my provisional. How was I supposed to "guess" where my drop really should have been???? If it were up to me, the middle of the fairway on a perfect lie looked good!

[tristanhilton85]

Just ask here where it was and if the best she can do is point and say over there some where I guess you just have to make a guess yourself

[Fourputt]

You have to make an honest estimate and go with it.  Not much else you can do.

[saevel25]

Quote:

I know the rules say to drop where the ball was originally at

Really its try to get as close as you can. The spirit of the game is that they trust you to be honest enough, and not think, "Eh i think this is a better angle, or maybe a bit closer"

So i would just ask her, were did you find it, and just pick a spot that seems reasonable. If she doesn't know then try to guess were you think it might have been. You've probably hit that slice before and know in a general area were it might have landed..

[turtleback]

And this is why I never EVER pick up a ball on the golf course.  I can afford to buy my own golf balls.

[Dave2512]

Originally Posted by turtleback

And this is why I never EVER pick up a ball on the golf course.  I can afford to buy my own golf balls.

Same here. I'm there to golf not hunt for balls. I see it all the time. Last weekend I was out with my folks and I hit a slice from #11 tee. My ball landed next to a bunker between the #11 and #17 fairway. On the way over to my ball the group on 17 came up asking if we saw any balls, they were looking for a Titleist. I saw a Bridgestone in the rough on the way over to my ball. Figured it was just lost or a 2nd shot from the 17 group, it was pretty close to the green. The Titleist kid walks up to it, says "found it" and plays it.

[Lost-Ball]

If people are that hungry for golf balls just go look in the woods for a min. Hit a shot left off the tee yesterday that I thought went into the woods and found about 10 like new pro v 1's and a yellow tri speed.

[Macca400]

Is there actually a written rule for a scenario like this where someone picks up your ball? Surely most rules are written without things like this in mind. I'd probably just go to where she roughly pointed and take a drop.

Why pick up a ball in play..?

[Dormie1360]

Originally Posted by Macca400

Is there actually a written rule for a scenario like this where someone picks up your ball? Surely most rules are written without things like this in mind. I'd probably just go to where she roughly pointed and take a drop.

Why pick up a ball in play..?

You'd be surprised.

Actually, a lot of rules are written with this happening.  Often, a player will pick up a ball when they think that they are applying a rule correctly, when they're not.  Sometimes this leads to putting the ball back in play incorrectly.

Rule 18 covers ball at rest moved, (that includes balls picked up).  Rule 19 covers balls in motion that are deflected or stopped.  Rule 20 helps in explaining how to put the ball back in play.

Why pick up a ball?  Well, as in the OP's scenario it can happen by accident....by the player, partners, opponent, caddies, spectators, dogs, bird, etc.

If you're able to understand the term "Outside agency" in the definitions and then absorb rules 18 and 19, you're way ahead of the curve.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Macca400

Is there actually a written rule for a scenario like this where someone picks up your ball? Surely most rules are written without things like this in mind. I'd probably just go to where she roughly pointed and take a drop.

Why pick up a ball in play..?

There are idiots on every course who seem to think that any ball whose owner is more than 15 yards away from it is somehow public property.  I've actually had a person come into our fairway to play his errant tee shot, then pick up my buddy's ball as he headed back to the hole he was supposed to be playing.  We were abut 100 yards off the tee on our way up the fairway when it happened.  There is no limit to the stupidity of some people.

[Macca400]

Originally Posted by Dormie1360

You'd be surprised.

Actually, a lot of rules are written with this happening.  Often, a player will pick up a ball when they think that they are applying a rule correctly, when they're not.  Sometimes this leads to putting the ball back in play incorrectly.

Rule 18 covers ball at rest moved, (that includes balls picked up).  Rule 19 covers balls in motion that are deflected or stopped.  Rule 20 helps in explaining how to put the ball back in play.

Why pick up a ball?  Well, as in the OP's scenario it can happen by accident....by the player, partners, opponent, caddies, spectators, dogs, bird, etc.

If you're able to understand the term "Outside agency" in the definitions and then absorb rules 18 and 19, you're way ahead of the curve.

May need to read up a bit i think I understand the fundamental rules of golf though this forum has made me feel a bit neurotic about rules lol

Originally Posted by Fourputt

There are idiots on every course who seem to think that any ball whose owner is more than 15 yards away from it is somehow public property.  I've actually had a person come into our fairway to play his errant tee shot, then pick up my buddy's ball as he headed back to the hole he was supposed to be playing.  We were abut 100 yards off the tee on our way up the fairway when it happened.  There is no limit to the stupidity of some people.

Brass necked! When I was a young tike we would go up to the golf course and pinch the odd ball.... But don't like touching any ball now unless I'm 100% sure its mine. Or its lying in some out of bounds in some heavy  vegetation. What is the ruling on touching a ball to check it is yours? say if the logo and number is obscured?

[Jimdangles]

I HATE PEOPLE!!!! My biggest pet peeve in the world is somebody picking up balls that aren't theirs. That hole was pretty much ruined for you and luckily you found it. had she not said anything you would have had some penalty strokes when your ball was in play. All because some lady wanted a top flite? it wasnt even like a tour ball. So irritating.

[slodsm]

Originally Posted by Lost-Ball

If people are that hungry for golf balls just go look in the woods for a min. Hit a shot left off the tee yesterday that I thought went into the woods and found about 10 like new pro v 1's and a yellow tri speed.

Ditto, I was on my 9th hole yesterday morning, topped a ball with a 4i and it came up nice and short and in a ditch/creek that runs through the middle of the fairway. I was determined to find my ball since it's dry (drought) and came out with 2 pro v1's, several e6/7's, and more maxfli/wilson/topflight balls than I know what to do with.

And no yellow Titleist DT Solo dangit. By the time I have enough control to hit a ball with that much spin, I won't have to buy balls for a year at the rate I'm collecting tour balls from the woods/ditches.

[Lost-Ball]

gotta confess i did this today was around 6pm and i faded one alittle too much and ended up under some trees. well a few yards away from my ball was a new shiny pro v 1. i hang around for a min and look around and no ones around so i figure why not give the ball a new owner. a min later two guys some shooting over from 2 fairways away looking for ..... u know what. i dont know who felt more embarrassed. me for picking up his ball or him for hooking it 2 fairways over. i mean really it was at least 150 yards left of hit fairway.

[rustyredcab]

Originally Posted by turtleback

And this is why I never EVER pick up a ball on the golf course.  I can afford to buy my own golf balls.

If there is any chance at all that a ball could be someone's who has yet to claim it, I leave it. Any chance.

But if there is zero chance that the ball is anything but abandoned, I always pick it up. Extra balls on the course slow do play as guys think there ball is the one they see, only to get top the ball as it is their turn and discover that it is not their ball. Thus discovering that they need to search for their ball. I pick up balls that are clearly not going to be claimed. My home course has many holes where no ball could come from another hole. So, if you find a ball and it not from your group, it was abandoned by an earlier group. We also have lots of events -- many are scrambles. Guys leave balls all over the course because they are planning to play from someone else's ball.

BTW, I never play these volunteer balls because I am a ball snob and only play one brand and model at a time. I really do pick them up to clean up the course and avoid confusion for other groups.

[zeg]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

But if there is zero chance that the ball is anything but abandoned, I always pick it up. Extra balls on the course slow do play as guys think there ball is the one they see, only to get top the ball as it is their turn and discover that it is not their ball. Thus discovering that they need to search for their ball. I pick up balls that are clearly not going to be claimed.

Me too. If there's a group on the adjoining hole, then I don't touch any ball unless I'm checking whether it's mine. If not, I'll have a good long look around and pick it up if I'm satisfied there's no chance it's from a live group. It drives me crazy finding abandoned balls when I'm looking for my own, and I'd gladly put up with the very occasional accident in exchange for fewer balls. On well-kept courses where stray balls are regularly swept up, this isn't a big deal, but not all courses are so well maintained.

I've only once, in about 75 rounds, made a misjudgement on this front, which to me seems like a reasonable error rate. Also like you, I'm not really interested in playing the found balls, although occasionally I use them in the shag bag.

[Paradox]

There are so many ball hawks at my home course that you really don't have to worry about running into too many mistaken identities.  The downside to all the hawks is that you can easily have your ball snatched if the right person comes along since there are a lot of blind shots.  Some people are so quick to pick up balls because "no one is around" but I'd say that 75% of the time, that ball is in play.  Only pick up balls where you can tell for certain that no one else is playing around you in any direction.

[rustyredcab]

Originally Posted by Paradox

[...]

Only pick up balls where you can tell for certain that no one else is playing around you in any direction.

+1

There are a number of holes on my home course with no adjoining holes on any side. Found balls could only have come from someone playing the hole you are currently playing before you arrived. If not your group, then it is abandoned.