Player plays different ball from which he quoted on tee at start of round!

[rulefan]

A few years ago when refereeing a county competition of 180 players, after the 1st round I noticed a youngster fishing out umpteen balls from a wide stream in front of the 18th green.
As it happened, I was allocated this territory for the 2nd round. When it finished I had a look in the stream and of the 30+ balls I fished out, all but 3 or 4 were titleist. About 50% had black dots and 50% red dots. They were almost equally divided into 2 or 3 dots.

 

[jim8flog]

I had to speak to one of our group about putting markings on his ball and showed him mine. Next time I played with him he had a marked up his balls in the identical fashion to mine!!

 

[Colin L]

I had to speak to one of our group about putting markings on his ball and showed him mine. Next time I played with him he had a marked up his balls in the identical fashion to mine!!

What it is to be a role model.

 

[jim8flog]

Just a bit of a pain when he plays the same make as me, luckily he plays a different model.

 

[Orikoru]

There have been posts to this forum where people have found themselves playing with someone who is using an identical ball, complete with markings, which they subsequently established had been lost and picked up.

As to your own, why a different hole? I can't be alone in (1) playing the same ball and number from time to time and losing balls in the same general area on the same holes ie making the same mistake more than once! I've certainly found balls I've previously lost when looking for another I've hit in the area - so far never the same make and markings though (mainly because I play pre marked pickups!).

So not that far fetched really.

So you're talking about finding a ball that you lost the previous week?? That seems even less likely to me. Once it's gone it's gone!

 

[Kellfire]

At my last club, people would generally returned lost balls to people where they were identifiable from the markings. I assumed that was an exception rather than the norm!

 

[Scoobiesnax]

I always have 2 balls in my pocket (at the start of the round anyway ) One is a yellow Titleist and the other is a white Titleist and both have my GC branding on it. I may also put a circle with a couple of black/red/green dots on the ball too - I have had people take the mick out of me, because my ball has so many marks on it, but at least it gives me comfort that when I go into the rough I can identify my ball. I do this as I know during a round that I will go into the rough as I'm a high handicapper and will probably hit a provisional as well. Gives me comfort that both balls are easily identifiable as ball 1 and ball 2. OCD possible.....

 

[Imurg]

So you're talking about finding a ball that you lost the previous week?? That seems even less likely to me. Once it's gone it's gone!

Fragger has some Tour Sorts with his name emblazoned on them....sad but true...
A couple of weeks ago we found one in a bunker on the opposite side of the green from where his ball was - in the other bunker
We think it's a ball he lost earlier or had been found by a group a couple of holes behind us - they'd booked a drive through trees and into this bunker and couldn't find it.
I've found balls I've lost a week or two after the fact and not always where I thought I'd lost them