Question:
Yesterday, I hit a beautiful 5 wood off the fairway, straight up a slight hill. The ball did not quite clear the top and we both saw it roll over a small ridge in the center of the fairway. I was looking forward to a short chip shot onto the green and par. However when we got there, The ball wasn’t there. It was gone, we looked and looked and never did find it! Very very strange.indeed. It got me to thinking. Why are golf balls so easy to lose, I mean there are so many time when I seem to know exactly where I have hit the ball only to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls. Sheila
Response:
Apparently really, really cheap golf balls do not run away and hide. I was playing with a guy yesterday who used to play with Pro V1’s. He has had some physical problems and his swing went south causing him to lose balls by the dozen so he switched to the cheapest Pinnacle’s he could find at Wal-Mart. Same bad swing and can’t lose a ball for trying.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yesterday, I hit a beautiful 5 wood off the fairway, straight up a slight hill. The ball did not quite clear the top and we both saw it roll over a small ridge in the center of the fairway. I was looking forward to a short chip shot onto the green and par. However when we got there, The ball wasn’t there. It was gone, we looked and looked and never did find it! Very very strange.indeed. It got me to thinking. Why are golf balls so easy to lose, I mean there are so many time when I seem to know exactly where I have hit the ball only to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls. Sheila
Response:
Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls.
Yes, and it is very frustrating. Being the pessimist I am, I usually blame a group on an adjoining fairway for lifting it; how else can I explain a ball being lost in plain sight? Now that the Fall has arrived, I am sure I will be losing beautifully stroked shots under leaves on the fairway. BTW, when my playing companions agree with me that the ball ought to be right there, in the fairway, I do not give myself a penalty shot when I drop. Since I do not enter any of my scores for handicap purposes, I feel nothing wrong when doing so. If a ball lands near trouble and I can’t find it, I drop and take a penalty.
Response:
A golfer who can’t find balls. There’s a joke there somewhere. I’ll get back to you….
Response:
Interesting…….And if I can see my ball in the pond, it’s not really a penalty.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls. Yes, and it is very frustrating. Being the pessimist I am, I usually blame a group on an adjoining fairway for lifting it; how else can I explain a ball being lost in plain sight? Now that the Fall has arrived, I am sure I will be losing beautifully stroked shots under leaves on the fairway. BTW, when my playing companions agree with me that the ball ought to be right there, in the fairway, I do not give myself a penalty shot when I drop. Since I do not enter any of my scores for handicap purposes, I feel nothing wrong when doing so. If a ball lands near trouble and I can’t find it, I drop and take a penalty.
Response:
I’m all ears now 
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A golfer who can’t find balls. There’s a joke there somewhere. I’ll get back to you….
Response:
I have had this problem frequently. Sometimes as many as 3 times in a single round. More than a few times my playing partners and myself were certain we knew where the ball landed and rolled but could not find it. More than once it was in clear rough (mown but longer than the fairway) with no trees, holes, water, or any other obstruction. There was one I did stumble on, it was embedded in soft mud such that the top of the ball was below the ground level. I started a similiar thread not long ago and someone posted this link: http://www.visiball.com/demo.htm They sell glasses that seem to block all the green leaving the ball more visible. The price if $39.95, a bit steep for a single purpose item like this. I posted a question asking if anyone actualy used these and received no response. If they actually work, they might be worth the cost just for the frustration factor. Take care, Bryan
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yesterday, I hit a beautiful 5 wood off the fairway, straight up a slight hill. The ball did not quite clear the top and we both saw it roll over a small ridge in the center of the fairway. I was looking forward to a short chip shot onto the green and par. However when we got there, The ball wasn’t there. It was gone, we looked and looked and never did find it! Very very strange.indeed. It got me to thinking. Why are golf balls so easy to lose, I mean there are so many time when I seem to know exactly where I have hit the ball only to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls. Sheila
Response:
to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls.
Interesting. Possibly the foreshortened upward angle made you misjudge its speed, and it kept on going. Around here, with desert courses, it’s easy to lose balls in what looks like a clear space of brushy hardpan, because the bushes have voids and leaves and bracts ground-squirrel holes under them. I was playing my Dad one day and he hit a nice drive (on the hole behind my backyard, as a matter of fact) that hit the middle of the fairway and splashed up some casual water near a sprinkler valve box. We knew exactly where to find it, but it wasn’t there. Our best guess is that it burrowed into the soft ground so deep that we couldn’t feel it by walking over it. There are also these ball-eating tufts of tall yellow grass that look like the hair on those troll dolls. They’re usually planted so the tufts are in a row separated by a foot. I’ve actually gone up to the one I know I saw my shot go into (third from the right, etc.) and dissected it with a club and been unable to find the ball. –Blair "Y’know, if you just hit them in the cup, you don’t get that."
Response:
A golfer who can’t find balls. There’s a joke there somewhere. I’ll get back to you….
Take your time.
Response:
Yes, I have suffered through the same problem. Hit balls on the course, sure that it went someplace, then I either don’t find it, or find it after looking a while. It has happened where I practice too, but there, the ball went shorter than it appeared to have gone. Very rarely, if ever, has it gone longer than it appeared to go. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yesterday, I hit a beautiful 5 wood off the fairway, straight up a slight hill. The ball did not quite clear the top and we both saw it roll over a small ridge in the center of the fairway. I was looking forward to a short chip shot onto the green and par. However when we got there, The ball wasn’t there. It was gone, we looked and looked and never did find it! Very very strange.indeed. It got me to thinking. Why are golf balls so easy to lose, I mean there are so many time when I seem to know exactly where I have hit the ball only to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls. Sheila
Response:
I hit some last week that I SAW land on the middle of the fairway. I couldn’t find them for the life of me. I notice the grass was getting a little long, however. Reiver
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yes, I have suffered through the same problem. Hit balls on the course, sure that it went someplace, then I either don’t find it, or find it after looking a while. It has happened where I practice too, but there, the ball went shorter than it appeared to have gone. Very rarely, if ever, has it gone longer than it appeared to go. Yesterday, I hit a beautiful 5 wood off the fairway, straight up a slight hill. The ball did not quite clear the top and we both saw it roll over a small ridge in the center of the fairway. I was looking forward to a short chip shot onto the green and par. However when we got there, The ball wasn’t there. It was gone, we looked and looked and never did find it! Very very strange.indeed. It got me to thinking. Why are golf balls so easy to lose, I mean there are so many time when I seem to know exactly where I have hit the ball only to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls. Sheila
Response:
the bushes have voids and leaves and bracts ground-squirrel holes under them.
"…and bracts *and* ground-squirrel holes…" I wasn’t making up a rodent species there. Bracts, btw, are the pink parts of bouganvillea; they’re halfway between being a leaf and a petal. They’re lovely on the vine. They’re a pestilence on the ground. –Blair "I got bracts in places you don’t want bracts. Funny places."
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I hit some last week that I SAW land on the middle of the fairway. I couldn’t find them for the life of me. I notice the grass was getting a little long, however. Reiver Yes, I have suffered through the same problem. Hit balls on the course, sure that it went someplace, then I either don’t find it, or find it after looking a while. It has happened where I practice too, but there, the ball went shorter than it appeared to have gone. Very rarely, if ever, has it gone longer than it appeared to go. Yesterday, I hit a beautiful 5 wood off the fairway, straight up a slight hill. The ball did not quite clear the top and we both saw it roll over a small ridge in the center of the fairway. I was looking forward to a short chip shot onto the green and par. However when we got there, The ball wasn’t there. It was gone, we looked and looked and never did find it! Very very strange.indeed. It got me to thinking. Why are golf balls so easy to lose, I mean there are so many time when I seem to know exactly where I have hit the ball only to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls. Sheila
Illegal in competitions but OK in friendly play was a golfing friends solution to the lost ball. He put a dab of his wife’s perfume on each ball and his little cocker spaniel had no problems finding the ball Phil – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
Yes, I have suffered through the same problem. Hit balls on the course, sure that it went someplace, then I either don’t find it, or find it after looking a while. It has happened where I practice too, but there, the ball went shorter than it appeared to have gone. Very rarely, if ever, has it gone longer than it appeared to go.
So true, so true, we always start searching way past where the ball went.
Response:
Why are golf balls so easy to lose, I mean there are so many time when I seem to know exactly where I have hit the ball only to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls.
Because there are too many assholes that pick up every freakin ball they find on the course, never thinking for a second it could belong to another player.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I hit some last week that I SAW land on the middle of the fairway. I couldn’t find them for the life of me. I notice the grass was getting a little long, however. Reiver Yes, I have suffered through the same problem. Hit balls on the course, sure that it went someplace, then I either don’t find it, or find it after looking a while. It has happened where I practice too, but there, the ball went shorter than it appeared to have gone. Very rarely, if ever, has it gone longer than it appeared to go. Yesterday, I hit a beautiful 5 wood off the fairway, straight up a slight hill. The ball did not quite clear the top and we both saw it roll over a small ridge in the center of the fairway. I was looking forward to a short chip shot onto the green and par. However when we got there, The ball wasn’t there. It was gone, we looked and looked and never did find it! Very very strange.indeed. It got me to thinking. Why are golf balls so easy to lose, I mean there are so many time when I seem to know exactly where I have hit the ball only to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls. Sheila Illegal in competitions but OK in friendly play was a golfing friends solution to the lost ball. He put a dab of his wife’s perfume on each ball and his little cocker spaniel had no problems finding the ball Phil
Phil, I can just see that one as I try to explain to the starter why I shouold be allowed to take my golden retriever onto the course with me. I don;t know of any courses that will allow a dog on them….sounds like a great idea tho Phil
Response:
Yesterday, I hit a beautiful 5 wood off the fairway, straight up a slight hill. The ball did not quite clear the top and we both saw it roll over a small ridge in the center of the fairway. I was looking forward to a short chip shot onto the green and par. However when we got there, The ball wasn’t there. It was gone, we looked and looked and never did find it! Very very strange.indeed. It got me to thinking. Why are golf balls so easy to lose, I mean there are so many time when I seem to know exactly where I have hit the ball only to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls.
This extremely common occurrence is the most frustrating part of golf.
Response:
Why are golf balls so easy to lose, I mean there are so many time when I seem to know exactly where I have hit the ball only to have to search for the little bugger. Any of you other golfers have such problems with your golf balls. Because there are too many assholes that pick up every freakin ball they find on the course, never thinking for a second it could belong to another player.
When I hit my ball to an adjoining fairway that could be true. But I lose my ball on MY fairway. More often, I lose my ball in the first cut, where it looks as though the grass is too short to hide a ball, but it isn’t. When I miss my drive here, one of three things can happen: 1. The ball sits up nice and high – making my next shot easy. 2. The ball is deep in the grass and I don’t find it – stroke and distance. 3. The ball is deep in the grass and I need to blast it out. I might get lucky and succeed, but probably won’t. Which is why I need to stay on the fairway.
Response:
Illegal in competitions but OK in friendly play was a golfing friends solution to the lost ball. He put a dab of his wife’s perfume on each ball and his little cocker spaniel had no problems finding the ball Phil
Please tell me what rule would make this illegal. It is certainly not unusual equipment. Women and men wear various type of perfume and and assorted sents. So I happen to get a drop or two on the ball. It certainly doesn’ty make it fly straigher or further. Admittidly the dog is a diferent story. However, why would any committie get all upset about makeing golf balls easier to find? Bryan.
Response:
When I hit my ball to an adjoining fairway that could be true. But I lose my ball on MY fairway. More often, I lose my ball in the first cut, where it looks as though the grass is too short to hide a ball, but it isn’t. When I miss my drive here, one of three things can happen: 1. The ball sits up nice and high – making my next shot easy. 2. The ball is deep in the grass and I don’t find it – stroke and distance. 3. The ball is deep in the grass and I need to blast it out. I might get lucky and succeed, but probably won’t. Which is why I need to stay on the fairway.
You missed a few. 4. The ball burrows under a pile of grass from the mower or leaves from trees. Lost ball. 5. The ball plugs in soft dirt. Lost ball. 6. The ball hits a tree root and skitters off sideways 20 to 50 yards. Lost ball. 7. The ball runs into casual water and disappears from view. Lost ball. These can all happen in the fairway too, except it’s not a tree root that sends the ball skittering off to the side, it’s a sprinkler head. Story Time There is a par5 hole at my home course with a sharp dogleg left at 150 yards out. You simply have to hook your tee shot to stay in play, unless you want to take a gamble on threading through the trees and going backwards up the adjoining fairway and popping a wedge over the trees at the green. I’ve done that, but never intentionally. I guess the other choice is to play a 7I to the corner and deal with 350 yards to the small, hard green with two ponds in front, two bunkers to the sides, and a swimming pool behind, but that isn’t fun. Last night I tried to play it smart, so I set up to hook a 4I. I caught the tee shot as pure as can be, but my clubface must have been open because it double-crossed me and sliced out into the street. I thought it was lost for sure. So I hit a 4I provisional and this went high as the treetops and straight into the right hand rough. I walked up and saw a ball sitting in the fairway 20 yards past my provisional shot. It was my first shot. It had bounced off the street and 60 yards back onto the course. The moral is that sometimes luck works for you too. Cheers, Loren
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – When I hit my ball to an adjoining fairway that could be true. But I lose my ball on MY fairway. More often, I lose my ball in the first cut, where it looks as though the grass is too short to hide a ball, but it isn’t. When I miss my drive here, one of three things can happen: 1. The ball sits up nice and high – making my next shot easy. 2. The ball is deep in the grass and I don’t find it – stroke and distance. 3. The ball is deep in the grass and I need to blast it out. I might get lucky and succeed, but probably won’t. Which is why I need to stay on the fairway. You missed a few. 4. The ball burrows under a pile of grass from the mower or leaves from trees. Lost ball. 5. The ball plugs in soft dirt. Lost ball. 6. The ball hits a tree root and skitters off sideways 20 to 50 yards. Lost ball. 7. The ball runs into casual water and disappears from view. Lost ball. These can all happen in the fairway too, except it’s not a tree root that sends the ball skittering off to the side, it’s a sprinkler head. Story Time There is a par5 hole at my home course with a sharp dogleg left at 150 yards out. You simply have to hook your tee shot to stay in play, unless you want to take a gamble on threading through the trees and going backwards up the adjoining fairway and popping a wedge over the trees at the green. I’ve done that, but never intentionally. I guess the other choice is to play a 7I to the corner and deal with 350 yards to the small, hard green with two ponds in front, two bunkers to the sides, and a swimming pool behind, but that isn’t fun. Last night I tried to play it smart, so I set up to hook a 4I. I caught the tee shot as pure as can be, but my clubface must have been open because it double-crossed me and sliced out into the street. I thought it was lost for sure. So I hit a 4I provisional and this went high as the treetops and straight into the right hand rough. I walked up and saw a ball sitting in the fairway 20 yards past my provisional shot. It was my first shot. It had bounced off the street and 60 yards back onto the course. The moral is that sometimes luck works for you too. Cheers, Loren
LOL! I had a similar thing happen to me. A ball went way out of bounds but somehow ended up at the edge of the green. The only thing I can come up with is that it hit a tree. I had already hit another off the tee, however when I found it. Reiver
Response:
with: LOL! I had a similar thing happen to me. A ball went way out of bounds but somehow ended up at the edge of the green. The only thing I can come up with is that it hit a tree. I had already hit another off the tee, however when I found it.
The second shot off the tee was a provisional shot, right? As I interpret rule 27-1, you can play the provisional ball until you reach the spot where the original ball is likely to be. As long as you have not hit a stroke with the provisional at a spot equal or nearer the hole to where the original ball is located, you incur no penalty.
Response:
with: LOL! I had a similar thing happen to me. A ball went way out of bounds but somehow ended up at the edge of the green. The only thing I can come up with is that it hit a tree. I had already hit another off the tee, however when I found it. The second shot off the tee was a provisional shot, right? As I interpret rule 27-1, you can play the provisional ball until you reach the spot where the original ball is likely to be. As long as you have not hit a stroke with the provisional at a spot equal or nearer the hole to where the original ball is located, you incur no penalty.
Actually, it’s 27-2b: "The player may play a provisional ball until he reaches the place where the original ball is likely to be. If he plays a stroke with the provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place, the original ball is deemed to be lost and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1)." And 27-2c: "If the original ball is neither lost nor out of bounds, the player shall abandon the provisional ball and continue play with the original ball. If he fails to do so, any further strokes played with the provisional ball shall constitute playing a wrong ball and the provisions of Rule 15 shall apply." Rule 15-2. Match Play "If a player plays a stroke with a wrong ball except in a hazard, he shall lose the hole." 15-3. Stroke Play "If a competitor plays a stroke or strokes with a wrong ball, he shall incur a penalty of two strokes, unless the only stroke or strokes played with such ball were played when it was in a hazard, in which case no penalty is incurred. The competitor must correct his mistake by playing the correct ball. If he fails to correct his mistake before he plays a stroke from the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole of the round, fails to declare his intention to correct his mistake before leaving the putting green, he shall be disqualified." Peter