Monthly poll 1 - how do you mark your golf ball?

[JezzE]

Afternoon all,
Hope you're all getting plenty of golf in and holing your fair share of putts...
Two polls for you again this month, this one asking how you mark your golf ball, and the second in a moment asking what is the oldest club in your bag.
With regards to this one, obviously there are a million and one ways to mark a ball, so I've had to categorise them broadly... apologies in advance if I have missed your particular moniker (for example, if you like to create a work of art to rival Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel...)

 

[Aztecs27]

Erm..."none of the above".

I put a "#27" on the top right hand side of the ball logo on each side - it denotes my American Football shirt playing number.

I guess it could go down as "initials", so I've voted for that.

 

[daveyc2k2]

Usually 2 blue or black dots either side of the brand of ball on both sides.

 

[Jay1]

Always the same. 2 red dots, one above and one below the end of the logo.

 

[duncan mackie]

I always use pick ups and they usually already carry some 'additional' markings - so I use those ....is this the same as 'don't mark them'?

 

[Monty_Brown]

I store my golf balls overnight in a jar of finest Alba truffles, then I take a well-trained pig with me to the course to sniff them out.

That or some dots.

 

[One Planer]

I fill the "O" and "A" of Wilson Staff with a red marker

 

[bladeplayer]

Black dot, in the dimple just high right of the number on the ball ..

 

[daymond]

None. I put two smiley faces on opposite sides of the ball.

 

[bladeplayer]

Just a question to the 1 "dont mark them" if you were asked in matchplay to confirm it was your ball or to identify it in a search , how would you do so ? just curious ?

 

[bobmac]

 

[JezzE]

None. I put two smiley faces on opposite sides of the ball.

Sorry - meant to put an option for 'other' in there!

Can't add it now, but will go through the poll at the end and add up all the 'others' so keep posting if you fall into that category

 

[JezzE]

Just a question to the 1 "dont mark them" if you were asked in matchplay to confirm it was your ball or to identify it in a search , how would you do so ? just curious ?

Interestingly I would say marking them at club level in the way that we now do is a relatively modern phenomenon. In the old balata days, a pro who I caddied for occasionally would typically mark his ball by making one or two tiny indents with a tee-peg in the soft balata cover.

There is no obligation within the Rules to mark your ball, only a strong recommendation that you should do so, and I guess some balls would have logos on that could act as identifying marks. Equally, most of my balls have a suitable scuff mark or nick by which they could be identified.

Decision 12-2/1 refers to a scenario in which a player, who hasn't marked his ball, finds a ball with the brand name and number he was using in the area in which his ball presumably came to rest...

Q - In the area in which his ball presumably came to rest, a player finds a ball of the same brand, model and identification number as the ball he is playing. The player assumes it is his ball, even though it does not carry an identification mark as suggested in Rule 12-2, and plays it. Should the player be considered to have played a wrong ball?

A - No, unless (1) there is clear evidence that, because of the ball's condition, it is not the player's ball or (2) subsequently it is established that another ball of the same brand, model and identification number was lying in the area at the time the player played and either ball, from a condition standpoint, could be the player's ball.

Simpler just to put a mark on it though really!

 

[philly169]

I'm marking a st George's cross at the mo for queeny, used to have a smiley face... Can't think of anything to stick..

 

[thecraw]

the
craw



That's what i write, so I went for initials.

 

[rosecott]

the
craw
That's what i write, so I went for initials.

Came across a few of them in charity shops.

 

[fundy]

red circle round the number and an alignment red line round the equator

 

[Slicer30]

Black dot on either side of the <z-star> alignment. When I line up my tee shots, it should leave a mark on the clubface

 

[bladeplayer]

Thanks Jezz just an incident in one of the other threads where one of the guys found a ball with the same name & number as he was using , only for his playing partner to say his had actualy gone in about 20 yards further up , & they found his ball where the guy said ..

Sorry to drift a bit here , on the 1st tee we tell the guys the ball & marking we are using ? (ie Titlest 1 black dot beside the number) are we obliged to do this ? is this a rule or just courtsey ? we always do it anyhow ..

 

[mcbroon]

I add another number beside the ball number so that they add up to 7.

So I said initials.