Have you ever lost a ball in the fairway?

[tomvk77]

I didn't loose it. But it was buried in his own pitchmark and I didn't see it at first but when walking I hit it with my shoe, it did cost me a penalty shot.  

[Piz]

18 minutes ago, tomvk77nl said:

I didn't loose it. But it was buried in his own pitchmark and I didn't see it at first but when walking I hit it with my shoe, it did cost me a penalty shot.  

You needn't have penalized yourself for disturbing a plugged ball.  A ball embedded in its own pitch mark can be lifted and placed without penalty.  

[Fourputt]

41 minutes ago, Piz said:

You needn't have penalized yourself for disturbing a plugged ball.  A ball embedded in its own pitch mark can be lifted and placed without penalty.  

Lifted and cleaned, then dropped, not placed.

[klineka]

19 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

Lifted and cleaned, then dropped, not placed.

Yup. Drop. Drop. Place.

What relief is available?

An embedded ball in a closely mown area may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.

What if the dropped ball embeds again on impact?

The player is entitled to drop the ball again, Decision 25-2/2.

What if the re-dropped ball embeds?

The player may, in equity (Rule 1-4), place the ball as near as possible to the spot where it embedded when re-dropped, but not nearer the hole, Decision 25-2/2.5.

[Piz]

10 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

Lifted and cleaned, then dropped, not placed.

I am unaware of any situation in which "lift and clean" does not also include "place".  

[cooke119]

Yes and it really pisses me off! Hit a great shot, you know it is in the fairway but you can't find it. Grrrrr...

 

[Fourputt]

22 hours ago, Piz said:

I am unaware of any situation in which "lift and clean" does not also include "place".  

From Rule 25:

Quote

25-2. Embedded Ball

If a player's ball is embedded in any closely-mown area through the green, it may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.

Actually it only includes "place" in a couple of cases.  The obvious one is when the ball lies on the green when it is lifted.  Second case is when the Preferred Lies local rule is in effect - then the player may lift,clean and place the ball when it lies in a closely mowed area through the green.  In most situations you can only place the ball after dropping twice and failing to have the ball come to rest in a correct location. 

In most situations through the green where the ball is lifted with the intent of replacing it, the player is not allowed to clean the ball, such as a ball that is interfering with another player's stroke, or one that has been lifted for identification.

[NM Golf]

I have had several people pick up my ball in the fairway. I hit it far enough that they don't think it belongs to the group on the tee. It's an issue at my course, people just cannot keep their hands to themselves. 

[Eric C]

I never beat my father at golf, and we probably had 50 or so rounds together, but the one and only time that I was leading on the 18th hole I hit a perfect drive right up the middle of the fairway and thought to myself that I would be checking off that bucket list item.  Couldn't f'ing find it.  My father laughed and laughed as I angrily searched.  Took my penalty like a crying baby and lost by one stroke.

[The Recreational Golfer]

A high tee shot buried itself in a soggy fairway.

[fishgolf]

When playing in WA state, it's not of matter of if but when that will happen to you.  Over the 30 years I lived and played there, it happened several times, particularly in late spring.

[AlDena]

Almost. Just last week. The ball went under the only leaf on the fairway. After driving the cart in circles looking around, I thought of this thread, and found it under that leaf.

[Double Mocha Man]

Finding the single leaf in the center of the fairway is like finding the single divot beyond 280 yards.

[jbishop15]

Hit a drive on the first hole at my home course. Landed right-center, kicked left, as the fairway slopes in that direction. Saw it come to a stop from a tee box, could see it with range finder. Drove up there, it was gone. 

Still have no idea where it went. In the five minutes it took for us to get from the tee box to my dad's tee shot to mine, it vanished. Crazy. 

[Double Mocha Man]

Did a sneaky looking dude wander over from the adjacent fairway in search of his big slice?

[RickPro]

I have, it was dead centre and long. everyone in the group saw it, everyone loved it, and everyone said great shot. all 3 people were short and no where near me, so they all hit and we all walk together to see where my ball is. we get up there and nothing to be found. maybe it went further then i thought, so we pretty much walk all the way to the green on a par 4 and no ball. I didn't think i drove the green, and no ball in sight. we think a bird took it, or a hacker from another hole hit it without looking. So i had to drop in the middle of the fairway and play. weirdest thing that has ever happened. nice sunny day and no one can find it.

[Double Mocha Man]

Years ago I played in a regular Sunday foursome.  One guy, JB, was Irish, had red hair, a hot temper and was built like a wrestler.  On #16 JB smacked a long drive down the middle after the group in front of us had cleared.  We walked up and his drive was nowhere to be found.  JB suspected one of the guys in front of us had taken it... so he walked all the way up to the green to inquire.  Everyone claimed they didn't touch it.  So JB being JB walked over to their greenside bags and proceeded to turn each upside down and shake it.  On the 3rd bag out came his marked Titleist!  None of the thieving SOB's said a word.  JB had a few choice words.  And that was it.