Is this cheating?

[sawtooth]

My eyesight isn't that great anymore and I've been using my distance measuring device to spot my ball.

It occurred to me that this could be considered the start of the ball search even though I could be a couple hundred plus yards away from the area.

I never hold anyone up doing this , it's often whilst I'm waiting for my pp to hit the ball or some other natural break in play.

Is it cheating to do this then take 3 minutes when I arrive at the search area? Or should the clock start as soon as I start looking from afar?

 

[PhilTheFragger]

The 3 minutes starts when you arrive in the area where you think your ball went.

So you are fine , all you are doing is possibly saving a bit of time, which is good ?

 

[Imurg]

I think there's a difference between spotting your ball and searching for it.
If you're able to see it from 200+ yards with a laser then you won't be searching for it when you get to the area.

 

[sawtooth]

Yeah I can't say that it's a real advantage looking for a ball 200 yds away or whatever, but it's just in case I'm challenged.

There are times though where it's not necessarily rough , but there are trees and the ball hits them and could go anywhere.

It's surprising how far you see with the scope. Sometimes depending on conditions, it's easier to see a ball from a bit of a distance rather than being right inside the search area , if you know what I mean, usually bright sunshine, dew, etc,

 

[RichA]

I have no interest in rangefinders, but I like the idea of help to get an idea where my ball has gone.
Middle-aged eyes aren't what they were and the patch of slightly darker long grass, 10 yards from the third tree and in line with the barn, looks very different when you get there compared to when you were 200 yards away. Distance vision is a nightmare once the 20/20 vision starts to go.
I normally don't find the ball or find it by chance 30 yards from where I started looking.
Suddenly found myself looking at monoculars on Amazon.

 

[Colin L]

Suddenly found myself looking at monoculars on Amazon.

So your reading glasses are ok?

 

[Swango1980]

My eyesight isn't that great anymore and I've been using my distance measuring device to spot my ball.

It occurred to me that this could be considered the start of the ball search even though I could be a couple hundred plus yards away from the area.

I never hold anyone up doing this , it's often whilst I'm waiting for my pp to hit the ball or some other natural break in play.

Is it cheating to do this then take 3 minutes when I arrive at the search area? Or should the clock start as soon as I start looking from afar?

If this was considered cheating, then so should simply watching your ball in the air and trying to watching it land. Nobody will tell you "you were watching that ball bounce, and seeing if you could see it come to rest from the tee, so your search has now started". If they did, let the mocking commence

 

[tobybarker]

I thought you cant use any device to help you find your ball (eg your dog or even a torch?). I must read the rules again

 

[Swango1980]

I thought you cant use any device to help you find your ball (eg your dog or even a torch?). I must read the rules again

What about people acting as ball spotters?

 

[tobybarker]

What about people acting as ball spotters?

I wish! But I'm happy to admit I can find nothing in my rules book about using an outside agency or device. So could I train my dog to find my ball for me, if he was allowed on the course?

 

[PJ87]

My eyesight isn't that great anymore and I've been using my distance measuring device to spot my ball.

It occurred to me that this could be considered the start of the ball search even though I could be a couple hundred plus yards away from the area.

I never hold anyone up doing this , it's often whilst I'm waiting for my pp to hit the ball or some other natural break in play.

Is it cheating to do this then take 3 minutes when I arrive at the search area? Or should the clock start as soon as I start looking from afar?

Sounds fine to me

My watch auto tracks every shot

So as I walk gives me the distance from the last one that I've hit (in comp mode aswell)

So what I do is if my driver has been hit wayward (or another club) I'll go right this is my average, and a poor one is this so once I get to the poor distance I'll start looking

Found my ball a lot more now days .. rAther than selling myself short or getting my bearings wrong

 

[Swango1980]

I wish! But I'm happy to admit I can find nothing in my rules book about using an outside agency or device. So could I train my dog to find my ball for me, if he was allowed on the course?

If your dog was allowed on the course, I can't see anybody penalizing you simply because your dog just so happens to find your ball.

 

[MadAdey]

I would not have thought it would be cheating in any way. You are allowed to use a RangeFinder and I would not have thought that using to look where your ball ended up is giving any type of advantage. The rules that prohibit items are normally to stop a player having an unfair advantage, but like slope meters on the rangefinders.