A Big Boo Boo

[Diane]

I played on Saturday and one of the women in my group hit someone else's ball - it was from the group two foursomes behind us - one guy had hit into our fairway. Talk about blunders - oy. What do you consider to be the worst transgression someone can commit on the golf course?

[Johneli]

Originally Posted by Diane

I played on Saturday and one of the women in my group hit someone else's ball - it was from the group two foursomes behind us - one guy had hit into our fairway. Talk about blunders - oy. What do you consider to be the worst transgression someone can commit on the golf course?

Most faux pas are easily forgiven. But lack of golf etiquette and cheating are not.

[petermo]

Originally Posted by Diane

I played on Saturday and one of the women in my group hit someone else's ball - it was from the group two foursomes behind us - one guy had hit into our fairway. Talk about blunders - oy. What do you consider to be the worst transgression someone can commit on the golf course?

The only blunder is failing to identify her ball before she hit. This type of thing isn't unusual but it's irritating as heck because of the penalty involved. The other party can replace the ball since as far as he's concerned she's an outside agency. On the other hand if it was deliberate.............................

[Diane]

Originally Posted by petermo

The only blunder is failing to identify her ball before she hit. This type of thing isn't unusual but it's irritating as heck because of the penalty involved. The other party can replace the ball since as far as he's concerned she's an outside agency. On the other hand if it was deliberate.............................

I know it wasn't deliberate, but IMO there is no excuse for not being able to identify your own ball.

[Wazmankg]

I've done this before. It's embarrassing but hardly some grievous transgression. As petermo mentioned the offender is the only one who's penalized here. In the grand scale of things this isn't even close to hitting carelessly hitting into a group not out of range or from a rules standpoint purposely violating a rule.

[Pistol]

We had one happen to us on Sunday. I played in a BIG 4 person scramble with over 250 players playing 3 9s. On one of our holes we can drive a ball into the next fairway which comes back into us. We hit our shots and was looking for one of our players ball which he hit long and left. As we was looking we asked the guys on the next hole if they saw a ball. One of the players reached down in his cart and said, "is it a Pro V1 with a logo, I found one back there (pointing up toward our green)?" Sure enough, it was my partners ball. Why on earth would you ever pick up a ball that is not that far away from a fairway during a tournament?

[Diane]

Originally Posted by Pistol

Why on earth would you ever pick up a ball that is not that far away from a fairway during a tournament?

Pistol - you're asking a lot of questions lately to which there are no good answers. If you find any, let me know because I often wonder what on earth people are doing on the course and why.

[Darth Fader]

Originally Posted by Diane

What do you consider to be the worst transgression someone can commit on the golf course?

Without a doubt,any form of intentional cheating.

[ringin]

I realize I'm not answering the OP's question here, but since this was the act that started the thread, do you have to witness someone either hitting your ball, or picking your ball up in order to replace your ball without penalty. Meaning, you hit your ball in the fairway, and when you get there it's gone and you've seen other people near the area your ball was, can you infer that they may have hit or picked up your ball? What do the rules say here?

[Pistol]

Originally Posted by Diane

Pistol - you're asking a lot of questions lately to which there are no good answers. If you find any, let me know because I often wonder what on earth people are doing on the course and why.

I know, I must be hitting mid-life crisis or something.

[mr3856a]

Originally Posted by Pistol

Why on earth would you ever pick up a ball that is not that far away from a fairway during a tournament?

Why would you ever pick up a ball that wasn't yours, period? I absolutely HATE this. I've had so many clowns come along and pick up my ball, then they always tell you "oh, I didn't see you." I didn't ask if you could see me - there are other players on the course, you know it isn't your ball, SO LEAVE IT THERE!!!!



There, I feel better now.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Diane

I played on Saturday and one of the women in my group hit someone else's ball - it was from the group two foursomes behind us - one guy had hit into our fairway. Talk about blunders - oy. What do you consider to be the worst transgression someone can commit on the golf course?

Not settling up on bets.

Not offering to buy a round if it is your turn.

Hitting on the beverage cart girl.......I just think this is sleazy, sorry guys.

Not offering me one of your fine cigars after I have given you one multiple times before( this is a transgression that is currently in play)

[C-Tech]

Sunday before last, I played with a married couple and another single. The other single, not once but twice, played the ball of the married guy by mistake. The first time the married guy was miffed, but forgiving. The second time, he was downright upset and I don't blame him.

I normally mark my ball so that it is identifiable regardless of which side of the ball is up. That saves a lot of heartache on everyone. I think it is the responsibility of the player to identify his ball before he hits it, but having good markings on it eliminates a lot of potential problems.

[C-Tech]

Originally Posted by mr3856a

Why would you ever pick up a ball that wasn't yours, period? I absolutely HATE this. I've had so many clowns come along and pick up my ball, then they always tell you "oh, I didn't see you." I didn't ask if you could see me - there are other players on the course, you know it isn't your ball, SO LEAVE IT THERE!!!!



There, I feel better now.

I agree... I don't know how many times I have found a ball lying in a fairway and left it only to have players top a hill looking for it a few minutes later. Fortunately, I had left it where I found it, so I could just point to it instead of pick it sheepishly out of my pocket and try to put it back where I found it.. I have had that happen in reverse may times. Ask the guy if he saw a ball and he reachs in saying something like, "Well, I found this one about xx yards back there......sorry"

[Diane]

Originally Posted by C-Tech

I agree... I don't know how many times I have found a ball lying in a fairway and left it only to have players top a hill looking for it a few minutes later. Fortunately, I had left it where I found it, so I could just point to it instead of pick it sheepishly out of my pocket and try to put it back where I found it.. I have had that happen in reverse may times. Ask the guy if he saw a ball and he reachs in saying something like, "Well, I found this one about xx yards back there......sorry"

I never pick up balls on any course for this reason - you never know if someone is looking for it. Besides - who needs a ball that much.

[GolfSavage]

Originally Posted by mr3856a

Why would you ever pick up a ball that wasn't yours, period? I absolutely HATE this. I've had so many clowns come along and pick up my ball, then they always tell you "oh, I didn't see you." I didn't ask if you could see me - there are other players on the course, you know it isn't your ball, SO LEAVE IT THERE!!!!



There, I feel better now.

I see nothing wrong with picking up a ball if I am absolutely certain it has been abandoned. For instance, yesterday on the third hole, a long par 5, I was over in the right rough with my son looking for his ball, and found a brand-new-looking Pro V1. There are no adjacent holes from which this ball could have been hit (road along the right side, lake and houses along the left). No one in our group was playing Pro V's, the group ahead were all finishing up putting, and the group behind were just approaching their green on the previous par 3 (and there was no way anyone hitting from that par 3 could have hit a ball where we were looking, some 500+ yards away).

Two holes later, par 4, no adjoining fairways, houses on the left, lake and more houses on the right. We watched the group ahead make their second shots, all from the left side of the fairway/left rough. We hit our tee shots once they cleared. As we're waiting to make our second shots while they finished chipping up and putting out, I walked down by the lake running along the right side of this hole to watch the fish that are bedding. As I walked along the edge, I found three balls in the thick grass, about 3 feet from the water. There's no one behind us on the tee yet, and none of us hit it over that far right. Two were Top Flites and one Pinnacle, so I gave them to my son to use.

On other courses, where adjoining fairways and such make it possible for unseen players to hit into your playing area, I won't pick up a ball. But I'm also not going to let perfectly good golf balls lay there and get chopped up by the mowers if I am certain they are abandoned. Those of you claiming to NEVER pick up found golf balls may not be liars, but you're also not being realistic or considering all possible circumstances.

[Diane]

Originally Posted by GolfSavage

Those of you claiming to NEVER pick up found golf balls may not be liars, but you're also not being realistic or considering all possible circumstances.

Savage - I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't EVER pick up any golf balls. I am lucky in that I don't have to buy golf balls - I have dozens here that were given to me by business associates or my brother and father got in various tournaments, but won't play. I have no need to pick up a golf ball on the course.

[C-Tech]

I quit pickin em up because my carry bag gets too heavy....

[PA PLAYA]

If you ever do it in an official tournament, you'll most likely never do it again. LOL....

A few seasons back, my friend was leading the final round of the club championship. He was ahead by a couple of strokes, and mistakenly hit his playing partner's ball to within a few feet of the hole. The playing partner naturally thought nothing of it.... thought that he was addressing his own ball. He then hit the other guy's ball. They didn't know it until after they marked on the green. Both guys were penalized, and my friend lost all of his composure and never recovered, costing him a real chance at closing the deal and winning.

It's one of those things that you look back on and you just question how careless you can be playing the game sometimes.

[GolfSavage]

Originally Posted by Diane

Savage - I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't EVER pick up any golf balls. I am lucky in that I don't have to buy golf balls - I have dozens here that were given to me by business associates or my brother and father got in various tournaments, but won't play. I have no need to pick up a golf ball on the course.

And I don't doubt it a bit. After all, you apparently play the same course most of the time, and you know that at that particular venue it's common for balls to cross into the wrong fairway. Also, as far as I can tell from another thread, you prefer to leave those wayward balls as bait so that you can take aim at players encroaching on YOUR fairway!