Do you carry a provisional ball in your pocket?

[Andy808]

On the whole no but I do in three holes at our place as they have long walks for a provisional ball if the worst happens.
I have even given a playing parnter my provisional ball if mine is safe and theirs, well, isn't!
I don't see it as being defeatest but being sensible and keeping the round time down.

 

[Oddsocks]

I only carry one if I'm leaving my bag a long walk from the tee, keeps play moving and means I don't have to do the walk of shame

 

[Scooby999]

This has been an interesting thread which was a simple question that has shown the vast thought aspects of golf. I started playing 30 years ago and was taught that it was good practice to carry a spare in your pocket so that you didn't slow play and if you thought that you might not find you ball after a shot you hit a provisional.

Got to say all of my playing partners carry a spare with them, we seem to encourage playing a provisional if any of us have a doubt if we saw where a ball landed etc. just seems to speed things up.

 

[Tommo21]

This has been an interesting thread which was a simple question that has shown the vast thought aspects of golf. I started playing 30 years ago and was taught that it was good practice to carry a spare in your pocket so that you didn't slow play and if you thought that you might not find you ball after a shot you hit a provisional.

Got to say all of my playing partners carry a spare with them, we seem to encourage playing a provisional if any of us have a doubt if we saw where a ball landed etc. just seems to speed things up.

Never known this in my 35 plus years in playing.............never once have I come across a guy who said, after hitting one in the rough, I've got another in my pocket.

I wonder.................all you guys who say they carry one, do you tell your playing partners that you carry one before the off.

 

[bluewolf]

I wonder.................all you guys who say they carry one, do you tell your playing partners that you carry one before the off.

Slightly cynical view there.... I play on trust.. I don't need my PP's to let me know if they're carrying a spare ball.. Makes me happier to just trust people..:thup:

 

[3565]

I'm surprised at the number of posters who want little or nothing in their pockets. In my left pocket I have 5 or 6 pencils and at least 2 packs of pocket tissues. In my left back pocket I have 2 tees tied together with cord, a variety of small tees in case I can't find a broken one on par 3s, and 2 pitch mark repairers. In my right back pocket I have a bulging wallet. In my right pocket I have an even wider variety of tees, several coins and proper ball markers and 2 spare balls - and some more pencils. Elegant I am not, but I have everything I need, and then some.

this is sarcasm at its best....... :rofl:

 

[Scooby999]

Again, the trust aspect. You name your ball etc at start of round, again if you play a provisional you say what it is etc.I trust my PP and expect them to trust me. To put it into perspective, I am a triathlete as well as a golfer, jogging back 150 yards to reload after looking for 5 minutes for a ball is no hassle to me, all that will achieve is adding more time to a round of golf............. Common sense and trust!!!!!

 

[LinksTurf]

So often golfers moan about slow play as if there is one thing that contributes to it. In my experience it is often lots of little things that add up to slow play, and whilst carrying a provisional won't alleviate the worst causes, carrying a spare ball is a no brainer really. It's not at all defeatist, and I don't believe it has an impact on how I play the game or what I'm thinking when I'm on the tee. What it definitely does mean is that if I do mess up, I am ready with another ball so I have less impact on my playing partners and those playing behind me.

 

[Tommo21]

Slightly cynical view there.... I play on trust.. I don't need my PP's to let me know if they're carrying a spare ball.. Makes me happier to just trust people..:thup:

Nope..............just asking a simple question because I’ve never come across anyone saying they have one when it was needed to be put in play. Never mentioned anything about trust.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Blimey this is going to be a long one

If im being honest i dont think there is anythign in carrying a spare ball - it doesnt show a weak mind its more than likely down to habit and we all know that golfers are certainly creatures of habit.

I dont have one because it feels awful in my pocket. But there is always one on hand if a provisional is needed.

 

[SocketRocket]

Never known this in my 35 plus years in playing.............never once have I come across a guy who said, after hitting one in the rough, I've got another in my pocket.

I wonder.................all you guys who say they carry one, do you tell your playing partners that you carry one before the off.

Slightly cynical view there.... I play on trust.. I don't need my PP's to let me know if they're carrying a spare ball.. Makes me happier to just trust people..:thup:

Nope..............just asking a simple question because I’ve never come across anyone saying they have one when it was needed to be put in play. Never mentioned anything about trust.

Tommo. If your comment was not about trust then why did you ask if people carrying a spare ball tell their playing partners?

If I play a provisional then I state the marking on the ball I am about to play and the marking on the first ball. This should be enough. If you think other players carrying a spare ball do it so they can drop and pretend it was the original then that really is a matter of trust. We have two feet but dont necessarily use them for kicking balls out from behind trees.

 

[Foxholer]

Never known this in my 35 plus years in playing.............never once have I come across a guy who said, after hitting one in the rough, I've got another in my pocket.

I wonder.................all you guys who say they carry one, do you tell your playing partners that you carry one before the off.

Wouldn't mention it as a matter of course, but I can certainly remember stating what the 'spare' was, as I announced what my first ball was,often enough. Of course, you don't have to announce what your first ball is anyway, but I do that as a matter of course.

 

[Tommo21]

Tommo. If your comment was not about trust then why did you ask if people carrying a spare ball tell their playing partners?

If I play a provisional then I state the marking on the ball I am about to play and the marking on the first ball. This should be enough. If you think other players carrying a spare ball do it so they can drop and pretend it was the original then that really is a matter of trust. We have two feet but dont necessarily use them for kicking balls out from behind trees.

I thought I gave you that answer........just asking a simple question because I’ve never come across anyone saying they have one when it was needed to be put in play. Never mentioned anything about trust.

 

[gryffindor]

I always carry a spare ball - and because I have one to hand I use it maybe more often than some. I don't have a home course so get to play wherever will have me. I don't know if that ball that just rolled off into the first cut is easy to find or not (lost one in the 1st cut at Wentworth South course last week!). I play the provisional for three reasons - a) not knowing if I will find the original b) On an unknown course if my provisional hits the fairway it gives me a good idea where to look in the rough distance wise (normally thirty yards back from where I thought it would be) and c) We all know that provisionals fly straight and true. By hitting one, I have put myself back in a happy mood for the next drive. If I had to go back to my bag for another ball I doubt I would hit one as often, and since they are allowable under the rules, I take every bit of help I can get!

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Two pencils is sufficient. One for each nostril!

Wibble...

Anyways, yes I always carry a frightener...

Yes, I am a hacker...

No, I don't care about bad juju...

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

So often golfers moan about slow play as if there is one thing that contributes to it. In my experience it is often lots of little things that add up to slow play, and whilst carrying a provisional won't alleviate the worst causes, carrying a spare ball is a no brainer really. It's not at all defeatist, and I don't believe it has an impact on how I play the game or what I'm thinking when I'm on the tee. What it definitely does mean is that if I do mess up, I am ready with another ball so I have less impact on my playing partners and those playing behind me.

See you've hit the nail on the head if you stated 'it's not at all defeatist - for me' after stating that it doesn't impact how you play.

This is just one of these things where different folks feel and think differently. So for me as I have never by habit carried a second ball in my pocket (I carry my bag) - as soon as I do I notice - and despite my common sense that tells me that it will make no difference - I just won't take it back to the tee with me - as I don't t want to tempt fate. Yes I know that that is probably silly to many - but it's just how I feel about it. As it happens I rarely lose a ball of the tee (though I did yesterday )

 

[patricks148]

No, don't even take one to a far back tee where you haveto leave your bag 70 yads away.

 

[Robobum]

At my home club, there isn't any treks back to tees so never an issue.

At away clubs, I'll always take my bag back to the tee.

 

[Tommo21]

No, don't even take one to a far back tee where you haveto leave your bag 70 yads away.

Me too, is this a scottish thing.........I've never come across players in east lothian who carry a spare ball.

I played Haddington a few years ago in a lothians event. One of my playing partners hooked his ball up the left into the trees. He finds it in the open past the trees. I thought it strange but when we got to the green he was playing a different ball from the previous hole. He said he changed it on the tee, but forgot to tell us. Let’s say a little discussion came about after that, but I'm sure he had a ball in his pocket.

Thought I would throw that in just to keep the ball rolling.

 

[Mail Man]

Never carry a spare ball in my pocket because I never expect to lose one but if I do then I will take one out of the bag and let my playing partners know about it and then mark it up before hitting it.