Sun in your eyes rule?

[Asheville]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

This isn't exactly fair though. I didn't lose my ball due to sun in my eyes, however it was twilight and I nailed my drive. Even mid-day you can lose sight of a ball when you hit it really good. Either way, it started down the right center of the fairway and disappeared from view. I know I hit a draw on most every good drive and figured it would have landed and rolled left center/left edge of the fairway about 270ish or better from the feel. Unfortunately never found the ball. I didn't drop or anything just called it a night since it was getting pretty dark. My best guess is that I hit it even better than I had assumed and the ball went around 300 and rolled out of the left side of the fairway into a bunker that was holding water *which would lead to another question about standing water in a bunker*. I've seen plenty of drives take crazy bounces and shoot off in a direction that you'd never even think to look, or shots that fly 20+ yards further than expected and you don't find them until you are driving to the next hole. While it's no doubt an escape excuse for some, that doesn't change the validity of it being true in others.

Just to satisfy myself that your world is so harsh and unfair, I looked up Lost Ball. Alas, your sad tale does meet the test.

A ball is deemed “ lost ” if i t is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes ....

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Asheville

Just to satisfy myself that your world is so harsh and unfair, I looked up Lost Ball. Alas, your sad tale does meet the test.

A ball is deemed “lost” if it is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes ....

I'm not saying the rule is not fair, I am saying that his response that it's a cop-out is not fair. Your sarcasm is unnecessary.

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by Asheville

A ball is deemed “lost” if it is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes ....

That's another question I have. What is deemed an adequate search for a lost ball.

Obviously, a group of golfers playing Nintendo or standing around smoking don't count as "searching" for a ball.

What is the definition of an adequate search?

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Lihu

That's another question I have. What is deemed an adequate search for a lost ball.

Obviously, a group of golfers playing Nintendo or standing around smoking don't count as "searching" for a ball.

What is the definition of an adequate search?

I believe it's just 5 minutes, whether the person looks diligently or lackadaisically.

[TJBam]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

This isn't exactly fair though. I didn't lose my ball due to sun in my eyes, however it was twilight and I nailed my drive. Even mid-day you can lose sight of a ball when you hit it really good. Either way, it started down the right center of the fairway and disappeared from view. I know I hit a draw on most every good drive and figured it would have landed and rolled left center/left edge of the fairway about 270ish or better from the feel. Unfortunately never found the ball. I didn't drop or anything just called it a night since it was getting pretty dark. My best guess is that I hit it even better than I had assumed and the ball went around 300 and rolled out of the left side of the fairway into a bunker that was holding water *which would lead to another question about standing water in a bunker*. I've seen plenty of drives take crazy bounces and shoot off in a direction that you'd never even think to look, or shots that fly 20+ yards further than expected and you don't find them until you are driving to the next hole. While it's no doubt an escape excuse for some, that doesn't change the validity of it being true in others.

Yes it is frustrating.  And maybe not fair.  But then again neither is that damn rule about not being able to take a practice swing in the bunker.  Don't argue it with me, send an email to the USGA!

[TJBam]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

I'm not saying the rule is not fair, I am saying that his response that it's a cop-out is not fair. Your sarcasm is unnecessary.

Oops, as far as my response, I wasn't trying to accuse anyone of using a cop-out.  I was just likening the phrase "sun was in my eyes" to other childhood tales of excusably poor performance.  It is too cliche to not poke fun at.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by TJBam

Yes it is frustrating.  And maybe not fair.  But then again neither is that damn rule about not being able to take a practice swing in the bunker.  Don't argue it with me, send an email to the USGA!

Lol, I wasn't saying the rule isn't fair, just the attitude that anyone who "loses it in the sun" is copping out. Rules are rules, fair or not.

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

I believe it's just 5 minutes, whether the person looks diligently or lackadaisically.

Yes, I looked kind of diligently, while my kids (and nephews) looked more to the lackadaisical side.

It's summer vacation ).

[Shorty]

No wonder there are so many claims of sub 80 scores when a person loses a ball off he tee and a dozen members share his desire to think it isn't actually lost. I love the idea of the lost ball being "easily findable" without the sun. FFS the ball is lost. You are playing 3 off the tee.

[boogielicious]

That is why it is really important to watch you playing partners tee shot.  Here in the fall, the low sun can make it very hard to find the ball.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Shorty

No wonder there are so many claims of sub 80 scores when a person loses a ball off he tee and a dozen members share his desire to think it isn't actually lost.

I love the idea of the lost ball being "easily findable" without the sun.

FFS the ball is lost. You are playing 3 off the tee.

Not sure anyone actually said it wasn't a lost ball. I was just saying it is easier to lose a ball if the sun is in your eyes as opposed to when it isn't, even if the shot is a good one.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

Must be nice for the pros to have people down the fairway to stick a flag next to their ball wherever they hit it. Wonder if they would shoot higher with the same rules and no one to spot their balls for them like us. The longer you hit a ball, the longer it goes wayward.

[Shorty]

Must be nice for the pros to have people down the fairway to stick a flag next to their ball wherever they hit it. Wonder if they would shoot higher with the same rules and no one to spot their balls for them like us. The longer you hit a ball, the longer it goes wayward.

I doubt whether any of them could break 90 without this massive advantage. Again ....let's just dream up some BS to narrow the gap.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by whatwoodtigerdo

Must be nice for the pros to have people down the fairway to stick a flag next to their ball wherever they hit it. Wonder if they would shoot higher with the same rules and no one to spot their balls for them like us. The longer you hit a ball, the longer it goes wayward.

I'm sure they'd be more likely to lose a ball here and there, but they'd still play much better than most of us. That being said, I've thought about how nice it would be to have someone spot my ball for me when I play a shot off the fairway, hah.

Originally Posted by Shorty

I doubt whether any of them could break 90 without this massive advantage.

Again ....let's just dream up some BS to narrow the gap.

Let's not act like there isn't any advantage to having a small army of people locating every ball hit. That's not to say that the pros are anywhere near bad enough that it'd cause them to shoot scores so bad they'd look like an average player. At most they'd see a couple added strokes over the course of a tournament. That, however would typically cost them a lot of money when it comes to the standings at the end.

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

This isn't exactly fair though.

The rules don't say golf is fair. It's just like life in general.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Rulesman

The rules don't say golf is fair. It's just like life in general.

Seriously, everyone is taking that as me saying the rule isn't fair. It was directed towards the attitude of the person saying that anyone that says they lost a ball due to the sun being a cop-out.

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by Shorty

No wonder there are so many claims of sub 80 scores when a person loses a ball off he tee and a dozen members share his desire to think it isn't actually lost.

I love the idea of the lost ball being "easily findable" without the sun.

FFS the ball is lost. You are playing 3 off the tee.

Yup, I got that.

Actually, my daughter automatically counts everything that way when it comes to scoring me. No matter what '3' off the tee, unless it's pretty obviously on the fairway...

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Lihu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asheville

A ball is deemed “lost” if it is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes ....

That's another question I have. What is deemed an adequate search for a lost ball.

Obviously, a group of golfers playing Nintendo or standing around smoking don't count as "searching" for a ball.

What is the definition of an adequate search?

There is no such thing in the rules as an "adequate" search.  A search is a search.  The player has a maximum of 5 minutes to perform a search, and the time begins when he or his caddie arrive at the area where the ball is thought to be.   It doesn't matter if they are actually searching or not, the clock is still ticking.  It doesn't matter if they choose to stand around as you suggest, the clock is running, and after 5 minutes the ball is lost.