3 minute search rule

[duncan mackie]

So I’m not a good golfer, and I don’t understand the rules. What I will say is I’ve been educated and have texted the gentleman concerned told him no hard feelings from my perspective. I suppose after years of playing golf and witnessing all manner of cheating and people taking longer than 3 minutes to find a ball I got a bit lax on that ruling. In the summer I think 3 mins ok but in the winter with leaves everywhere it’s twice as hard to find the ball. But I didn’t really get anyone agree. Finally I’d like to apologise for any insults I threw about, I was still in a state of annoyance from the days golf. No excuse.

Excellent post all round.

As with large puddles of water in bunkers, large quantities of leaves on the fairways (often combined with a likelihood of copious mud) are really a matter for the course management rather than the ruling bodies. That said it is without doubt hugely frustrating (as I observed when my fellow competitor played one of his best ever drives in a Q comp last week and we were unable to find it despite knowing it was right in the middle of the fairway!)

We are currently too wet to get the leaf blowers out, so it's a problem. They tried on one fairway and got complaints about it being churned up....sometimes no one wins and you just have to look forward to better times.

 

[67 under par]

From what I recall, none of the scratch boys I’ve played with think that much of themselves, because in golf terms it’s nothing. You’ll never get anywhere in the game at your level. Plus 3,4 that’s the minimum level to start thinking you’re something!

By the way I am over 50 so it isn’t that bad. I’ve never wanted to be a professional because as you correctly point out 1 handicap ain’t winning money on the tour. But I regularly beat so called pros at pro ams. I have been lower but being a shop keeper never really appealed to me as there’s not really any money to be made. I’m just a club golfer who has been playing since a child. I’ve been educated on here, maybe a bit long in the tooth and seen numerous variations of cheating some obvious others have took a keen eye to spot. As I’m sure you can imagine cheating at a sport you love is a real crime and you are only cheating yourself at the end of the day. I’ve never knowingly breached any rule as for my main point of 3 mins I just think it should go back to 5 mins as this time of year there is so many leaves on the floor it takes longer to find. This is all I was saying.

 

[67 under par]

I'm finding it rather amusing that the sharks took 4 minutes rather than 3 minutes to smell the blood of a new member before attacking.

I agree, and I bit like an idiot. Never mind I’ll stick to talking to people about such things face to face and get some real life answers. I’m sure there are people who time themselves but not that many from my experience.

 

[Swango1980]

So I’m not a good golfer, and I don’t understand the rules. What I will say is I’ve been educated and have texted the gentleman concerned told him no hard feelings from my perspective. I suppose after years of playing golf and witnessing all manner of cheating and people taking longer than 3 minutes to find a ball I got a bit lax on that ruling. In the summer I think 3 mins ok but in the winter with leaves everywhere it’s twice as hard to find the ball. But I didn’t really get anyone agree. Finally I’d like to apologise for any insults I threw about, I was still in a state of annoyance from the days golf. No excuse.

Your original question / observation is a fair point. Rarely do people actually time the search, and plenty of players clearly take too long to find their ball, and get away with it. But, it is like speeding. Plenty of people do it, but once you get caught by a speed camera, you just have to accept you were in the wrong, no defence (the evidence in your case is interesting, if you were 10 seconds over you'd expect someone to have been timing it, otherwise it is hardly clear and obvious). The problem in your point was how you came across, rather than the point itself.

In the summer knockouts this year, I hit a decent drive just off the fairway. Unbelievably, couldn't find it. So, after around 3 or so minutes, I decided to go back to the tee, and found my ball sitting about 10 yards back from where myself and opponent were looking. I was devastated, but picked it up and went back to the tee, even though my opponent said I could play on with my original. How many golfers would have played on with their original, quite a few I suspect?

On the flip side, we were playing a doubles league match 3 or 4 years ago. After tee shots, I went to left to help one opponent look for his ball, my partner went to right to help the other opponent look for his. I probably spent more than 5 minutes helping the first guy look for his, at which point he called it a day. We then went over to the other side, where they were STILL looking. Although I lightly suggested we've probably had enough time (hint hint) they continued to look for probably another 5 minutes, or more. He then found it, and played on. It really wound me up. Yes, I should have been stronger and said he has had way over 5 minutes, but at the same time you don't want to bring any tensions into a match where the social aspect is also important. But, I had really hoped he would have done the right thing and called it himself.

 

[Orikoru]

😂😂

😂😂 you time yourself. With an actual stopwatch? Shall I tell you what happens in real life. You look for your ball until everyone has played their shot and walks as far as where your ball is. This happens in every club up and down the country. No one actually times you. As for handicap adjustments I’m 52 and have been of 1 or less for 25 odd years so I don’t get touched. It’s not cheating in my book as everybody does it. It’s not moving the ball. It’s a rule that you need to put some sort of timescale on but in reality as long as your group are keeping up with the pace of play and it’s not taking forever, normally it’s less but sometimes more than 3 mins. If you find it at 3 mins 10 sec do you think you should lose 2 shots. I think I can guess your answer. But I’m afraid if people were honest, maybe not you, this isn’t very often kept too. Btw I still won but I had the hump with the stickler as did the rest of the lads.

Haha, I tried to explain this once before but they weren't having it. In here: https://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/threads/3-minutes-to-find-ball.102006/ we had a great time discussing it for 30 pages. It was a personal favourite topic of mine. I've never played with anyone who actually timed 3 minutes, and if I did I'd find it a bit over-the-top and unnecessary - we play for fun after all. But plenty on here feel differently, that was certainly established.

P.S. the things written under our names like 'head pro' and so on are just defaults set by the forum after you get a certain number of posts. We're not writing them in and it doesn't actually reflect anything about our real status. Just letting you know since you referred to someone having 'head pro' there earlier.

 

[robinthehood]

Haha, I tried to explain this once before but they weren't having it. In here: https://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/threads/3-minutes-to-find-ball.102006/ we had a great time discussing it for 30 pages. It was a personal favourite topic of mine. I've never played with anyone who actually timed 3 minutes, and if I did I'd find it a bit over-the-top and unnecessary - we play for fun after all. But plenty on here feel differently, that was certainly established.

P.S. the things written under our names like 'head pro' and so on are just defaults set by the forum after you get a certain number of posts. We're not writing them in and it doesn't actually reflect anything about our real status. Just letting you know since you referred to someone having 'head pro' there earlier.

Quality thread that was 😂

Tbf I time myself as it's easy to see on my forerunner watch.
For others I'm helping, when I know it's time up I'll say so and then walk off.
Up to them what they do from there.

 

[67 under par]

Haha, I tried to explain this once before but they weren't having it. In here: https://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/threads/3-minutes-to-find-ball.102006/ we had a great time discussing it for 30 pages. It was a personal favourite topic of mine. I've never played with anyone who actually timed 3 minutes, and if I did I'd find it a bit over-the-top and unnecessary - we play for fun after all. But plenty on here feel differently, that was certainly established.

P.S. the things written under our names like 'head pro' and so on are just defaults set by the forum after you get a certain number of posts. We're not writing them in and it doesn't actually reflect anything about our real status. Just letting you know since you referred to someone having 'head pro' there earlier.

Oh I didn’t realise that sorry. Well all’s well that ends well. Got quite a bit more sense today and except hole heartedly that I could of been a lot politer. It’s the essex in me we are a tad aggressive. Sorry. I wish all contributors the best. I’ll get myself a stop watch 😂

 

[oltimer]

How many realise that the 3 mins start when the owner of the ball starts searching, not when the rest have played a caught him up to join in the search.. when the clocks go back we increase the number of seconds per minute to 90 and another 10 secs if there are fallen leaves about.

 

[Orikoru]

Quality thread that was 😂

Tbf I time myself as it's easy to see on my forerunner watch.
For others I'm helping, when I know it's time up I'll say so and then walk off.
Up to them what they do from there.

I still don't time myself or anyone else, but as you said earlier I'm more likely to give up way before the time anyway when I think chances of finding it are remote. And for someone else's ball I'll just start walking off and mumble something about the three minutes probably being up.

 

[Swango1980]

Haha, I tried to explain this once before but they weren't having it. In here: https://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/threads/3-minutes-to-find-ball.102006/ we had a great time discussing it for 30 pages. It was a personal favourite topic of mine. I've never played with anyone who actually timed 3 minutes, and if I did I'd find it a bit over-the-top and unnecessary - we play for fun after all. But plenty on here feel differently, that was certainly established.

P.S. the things written under our names like 'head pro' and so on are just defaults set by the forum after you get a certain number of posts. We're not writing them in and it doesn't actually reflect anything about our real status. Just letting you know since you referred to someone having 'head pro' there earlier.

In the final of the summer singles match play this year, on the 6th one of the guys went left into the trees with his drive. When they got up there, and were about to go in the trees to look, his opponent said "right, I'll just start the 3-minute timer on my trolley". So, some people do time it, albeit rarely.

 

[Orikoru]

Oh I didn’t realise that sorry. Well all’s well that ends well. Got quite a bit more sense today and except hole heartedly that I could of been a lot politer. It’s the essex in me we are a tad aggressive. Sorry. I wish all contributors the best. I’ll get myself a stop watch 😂

No worries mate. Stick around, we often have exciting debates about rules and other things - who says golf is boring?

 

[Orikoru]

In the final of the summer singles match play this year, on the 6th one of the guys went left into the trees with his drive. When they got up there, and were about to go in the trees to look, his opponent said "right, I'll just start the 3-minute timer on my trolley". So, some people do time it, albeit rarely.

I already know from the comments in that previous thread that some people do time it. I'm just saying I've never played with anyone who did - which is why I was surprised when those on here said they did. I have a feeling my club and our members have a more relaxed attitude than a lot of other clubs.

 

[Slab]

Haha, I tried to explain this once before but they weren't having it. In here: https://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/threads/3-minutes-to-find-ball.102006/ we had a great time discussing it for 30 pages. It was a personal favourite topic of mine. I've never played with anyone who actually timed 3 minutes, and if I did I'd find it a bit over-the-top and unnecessary - we play for fun after all. But plenty on here feel differently, that was certainly established.

P.S. the things written under our names like 'head pro' and so on are just defaults set by the forum after you get a certain number of posts. We're not writing them in and it doesn't actually reflect anything about our real status. Just letting you know since you referred to someone having 'head pro' there earlier.

Wait just a rootin'-tootin' minute, are you seriously saying you haven't won on tour!

 

[patricks148]

i started taking a stopwatch out with me in Matchplay games this year, the main reason being I'm pretty straight off the tee most of the time and in the first few games guys i was playing and inevitably giving shots to where taking more tha the 3 mins looking for their balls, to which you don't have much say in them breaking the rules if you don't time it. So i got a cheap stopwatch, (i did have a 5 min timer on my Motocaddy trolley with an alarm) got it purely for my benifit as i mentioned before because people where taking more that 3 mins and i was on the fairway most of the time

 

[Orikoru]

Wait just a rootin'-tootin' minute, are you seriously saying you haven't won on tour!

No, that one is real obviously.

 

[67 under par]

How many realise that the 3 mins start when the owner of the ball starts searching, not when the rest have played a caught him up to join in the search.. when the clocks go back we increase the number of seconds per minute to 90 and another 10 secs if there are fallen leaves about.

Well in that case I’ll let them look for a few minutes then bowl up and say it’s 3 mins from now. Would this be within the rules?

 

[Orikoru]

Well in that case I’ll let them look for a few minutes then bowl up and say it’s 3 mins from now. Would this be within the rules?

Yeah search only begins when you arrive and begin searching. It doesn't account for others searching on your behalf. In the other thread I posed it the other way round as well, you arrive where your ball probably is, but stand still with your eyes shut waiting for your playing partners to get there so they can help you - otherwise you're harming your chances of finding it by starting the search on your own!

The rules are silly sometimes.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Well in that case I’ll let them look for a few minutes then bowl up and say it’s 3 mins from now. Would this be within the rules?

Yes, but not a great way to make friends. It depends how social you want the round to be.

 

[williamalex1]

Oh goodie

Another one to add to my list 👍

Maybe related to Cabbie

 

[67 under par]

Yes, but not a great way to make friends. It depends how social you want the round to be.

This is the second time this has been said. Maybe down here we just find little loopholes to situations, but I’m not short of mates, I have a laugh wherever I go. I think people who time others would struggle much much more. If you are a timer are you popular ( with real people not assholes ) In my experience them sorts are not liked at all. Have a laugh be a bit chilled. Not annaly retentive.