What do you do with golf balls that you find that you would have no intention of gaming?

[TourSpoon]

If I am on a hole with an adjoining fairway I leave it, even if I don't see anyone around. If it is an isolated hole, I will throw it in the basket of the cart for the course or I may just leave it. If it is a high spin premium ball it goes in the shag bag, but again, it has to be on an isolated hole.

[Wisguy]

Originally Posted by Mac62

I won't go anywhere near a ball that I even remotely think might possibly be in play by another golfer.  I've had my ball in play picked up by greedy ball-hawkers too many times, know the feeling and won't be "that guy".

In the worst round I played since the first year I picked up the sport I kept slicing or hooking my ball into the adjacent fairway (when it wasn't going into a marsh or pond) and there were several groups of drunken tools in front of us and behind us zipping around in carts, while I was walking kind of slowly, partially because it was incredibly hot, partially because I twisted my ankle.  I lost 3 balls to the drunks zooming in on my ball and swiping it.  The one time I caught up with one of the carts and asked for my ball, they denied they had picked up any balls, which didn't put me in a calm, reflective mindset condusive to a good round of golf.  Unfortunately, this round happened to be a work golf outing and I had just started there, so I felt rather humiliated by the time I added up my 123 strokes, including penalties from around a dozen balls hit OB.

When I find balls and am not interested in playing them, I'll typically either leave them at the back of the next tee box, where someone else can pick them up and keep them if they want, or if I'm near the range and I don't have anyone playing right behind me, I'll take a little mid-round practice and wack them onto the range.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Mac62

Quote:

Originally Posted by NM Golf

I don't have anything to do with any golf balls but my own. I wish more people did the same. At least they could wait for my ball to quit rolling before they pick it up.

I won't go anywhere near a ball that I even remotely think might possibly be in play by another golfer.  I've had my ball in play picked up by greedy ball-hawkers too many times, know the feeling and won't be "that guy".

I figure for most members here that should be a given.  It has to be a no chance situation before I'd consider touching a stray ball.  Even then, if there is the remotest doubt, I leave it.  I can't imagine that anyone who can afford to play wouldn't be able to keep themselves in golf balls.  If they can't, then they can't afford the game.

[Paradox]

I pick up the ones I stumble across in tall grass hazards. They are definitely abandoned and I usually find them by stepping on them or walking right on top of them.  I never "look" for abandoned balls, though.  Any that I find that are playable..I throw to my dad who just plays for fun to spend time with me.

[Golfingdad]

Nothing.

[onephenom]

take them to the driving range for a few extra free balls :)

[boogielicious]

If there are in the fairway or an obvious open spot, I leave them in case someone is playing them.  If they are in the woods, I pick them up and give them to my playing partners if they want them.  I played with two college guys last summer and they were delighted to get the balls.  Found a lot that day.

[Midway]

If I'm sure they are abandoned I'll pick them up and bring them home for my kids who hit them around the yard. Some of the better balls I give to my buddies.

[Meltdwhiskey]

I usually drop them near the next tee box.  Someone will probably want it.

[Rick Martin]

I get a kick out of reading some of the golfers who had to post that they don't pick them up.

Most of us are avid golfers here and aren't morons who'd pick up some else's ball. Doesn't take Inspector Clouseau to figure out if a ball is being played by golfer elsewhere and still is in play.

Some of us may be hacks, but give us some credit.

[Meltdwhiskey]

What he said.

[MS256]

Originally Posted by Rick Martin

I get a kick out of reading some of the golfers who had to post that they don't pick them up.

Most of us are avid golfers here and aren't morons who'd pick up some else's ball. Doesn't take Inspector Clouseau to figure out if a ball is being played by golfer elsewhere and still is in play.

Some of us may be hacks, but give us some credit.

I thought it was funny myself. Like those of us that would pick up a golf ball in the woods on an empty course are inferior human beings to them.

We do have enough common sense to not pick up a ball if there's a chance somebody is playing it.

When we got to the 16th hole yesterday I hit my tee shot with a 3 wood and since there was nobody behind us my son and I decided to hit another ball with a driver to see if we ran out of room at the end of the fairway. He hit his fine but I hooked mine to the left side of the fairway and over close to another green where some guys were hitting their tee shots. When I got down there I saw a ball still in my fairway but also pin high for the other green but about 20 yards long and 60 yards left of it. Pretty sure that was my ball because it would have taken a horrible shot from those guys for it to be theirs but since it wasn't the ball I had been playing with, and I didn't have it marked, I left it there just in case it could possibly be their ball. Somebody probably got a brand new Pro V1 out of the deal. If not the mower will get it.

[NM Golf]

Originally Posted by Rick Martin

I get a kick out of reading some of the golfers who had to post that they don't pick them up.

Most of us are avid golfers here and aren't morons who'd pick up some else's ball. Doesn't take Inspector Clouseau to figure out if a ball is being played by golfer elsewhere and still is in play.

Some of us may be hacks, but give us some credit.

Easy to say until you lose the club championship by a stroke because some "Inspector Clouseau" idiot picked up your ball. Yes, that happened to me. We saw the guy reach down and pick up a ball in the area where my ball went. He refused to admit he had done so and would not show us the ball he picked up and without definitive proof you must go back and re-tee. I have some jackass pick up my ball at least 3-4 times a year. Heck I've had it happen twice already this year. I hit the ball a long way and people always say, "I didn't see anyone." So I won't give you or anyone else credit. If it's not my ball I leave it alone, always, no exceptions.

It happens enough that I even had my ProV1's personalized with "this is not your ball" on them. Didn't help. lol

[jamo]

I don't often pick up golf balls because I have a huge bag of crappy rocks in my trunk that I already don't know what to do with. Sometimes I'll take them to the short game area at the driving range. It's not ideal to use different good balls that what I use on the course but the green there isn't kept in the bets shape anyway, so I'm not looking for 100% realism anyway.

[newtogolf]

Originally Posted by Rick Martin

I get a kick out of reading some of the golfers who had to post that they don't pick them up.

Most of us are avid golfers here and aren't morons who'd pick up some else's ball. Doesn't take Inspector Clouseau to figure out if a ball is being played by golfer elsewhere and still is in play.

Some of us may be hacks, but give us some credit.

Depending on the course you're playing it's not always obvious if the ball is still in play, especially courses that have fairways that share common woods.  No one is claiming to be superior, we just don't think it's worth potentially ruining another golfers round for a shag bag ball.

[MS256]

Originally Posted by NM Golf

Easy to say until you lose the club championship by a stroke because some "Inspector Clouseau" idiot picked up your ball. Yes, that happened to me. We saw the guy reach down and pick up a ball in the area where my ball went. He refused to admit he had done so and would not show us the ball he picked up and without definitive proof you must go back and re-tee. I have some jackass pick up my ball at least 3-4 times a year. Heck I've had it happen twice already this year. I hit the ball a long way and people always say, "I didn't see anyone." So I won't give you or anyone else credit. If it's not my ball I leave it alone, always, no exceptions.

It happens enough that I even had my ProV1's personalized with "this is not your ball" on them. Didn't help. lol

Not looking for "credit" but when I am the only human on the course it's very unlikely that ball laying in the woods is being played.

One good thing about it is that if we recognize the mark on the ball we give it back to it's original owner. I get balls back like that fairly often because everybody knows how I mark my ball. Sometimes it's a little embarrassing because sometimes if my ball is worn out I whack it far down into the woods (intending to lose it) and the next week somebody gives it back to me. I always thank them and then wonder if they thought I hit that bad of a shot accidentally.

[Rick Martin]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Martin

I get a kick out of reading some of the golfers who had to post that they don't pick them up.

Most of us are avid golfers here and aren't morons who'd pick up some else's ball. Doesn't take Inspector Clouseau to figure out if a ball is being played by golfer elsewhere and still is in play.

Some of us may be hacks, but give us some credit.

Depending on the course you're playing it's not always obvious if the ball is still in play, especially courses that have fairways that share common woods.  No one is claiming to be superior, we just don't think it's worth potentially ruining another golfers round for a shag bag ball.

If there's any doubt, of course, leave it alone. But some of us play on courses where there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever.

[Fourputt]

Those of you who argue in favor of picking them up - are you so destitute that you have to risk taking someone's ball?  Especially when they are just going in a shag bag or to waste on the range where they already have plenty of balls?  I'm a long way from being anything like rich, but I can afford to buy my own balls, and to pay for them on the range when I go there.