What shot am I playing?

[Colin L]

Good answer. So if I'd carried on I'd have ended up playing 5 off the tee (assuming I didn't subsequently find original ball)

I think NR was fine here

Good to know tho, cheers

I did write something on the procedure following the realisation that you had played a bit of a ball but I obviously didn't post it successfully. You had the normal time to find the correct ball. If you had, you would have played your 4th shot. If you had not, it's stroke and distance back to the tee to play, as you say, your 5th shot.

As an additional bit info, the time spend playing a wrong ball does not count in the 3 minute search time. Had you started your search before playing the wrong ball, the clock would have stopped when you played it and restarted when you resumed the search.

 

[Billysboots]

100%

Not a mistake I usually make, but it was exactly where we thought, right make and number, a dafty moment, relieved to find it in spot where you're normally goosed, then DOH!

I’m playing Devil’s Advocate here, but when you say the ball was the right make and number, had you actually added an identifying mark to it? If not, even if you had found what you thought was your ball, and not a shell, how would you actually have known it was your ball?

In my book, if you’re searching in the cabbage for an otherwise unmarked Pro V1 number 1, and you find one, the simple fact you find one in the vicinity yours disappeared isn’t good enough.

I’m possibly going off topic here, as yours was probably marked and you just haven’t said so, but I remain gob smacked at the number of golfers who don’t add a distinguishing mark to their ball, and the number of players who allow playing partners to get away without doing it.

EDIT: I recall playing a comp many years ago when a playing partner put one in the left rough at our 14th, and played no provisional. The four of us in our group set off to look for it, and when I found a ball I asked what he was playing.

“What have you found?”, he asks, immediately making me suspicious.

“No, what are you playing?”, I again said.

He couldn’t tell me, so the three of us had no real option but to ask him to return to the tee and play a provisional. He headed straight for the car park and went home.

A valuable lesson learned that day. Establish on the 1st tee what partners are playing, and what markings have been added. It has the potential to save lots of embarrassing arguments.

 

[IanM]

That's a difficult situation to find yourself in....I once had the "no, you tell me" conversation.

It wasn't pleasant

 

[Swango1980]

I’m playing Devil’s Advocate here, but when you say the ball was the right make and number, had you actually added an identifying mark to it? If not, even if you had found what you thought was your ball, and not a shell, how would you actually have known it was your ball?

In my book, if you’re searching in the cabbage for an otherwise unmarked Pro V1 number 1, and you find one, the simple fact you find one in the vicinity yours disappeared isn’t good enough.

I’m possibly going off topic here, as yours was probably marked and you just haven’t said so, but I remain gob smacked at the number of golfers who don’t add a distinguishing mark to their ball, and the number of players who allow playing partners to get away without doing it.

EDIT: I recall playing a comp many years ago when a playing partner put one in the left rough at our 14th, and played no provisional. The four of us in our group set off to look for it, and when I found a ball I asked what he was playing.

“What have you found?”, he asks, immediately making me suspicious.

“No, what are you playing?”, I again said.

He couldn’t tell me, so the three of us had no real option but to ask him to return to the tee and play a provisional. He headed straight for the car park and went home.

A valuable lesson learned that day. Establish on the 1st tee what partners are playing, and what markings have been added. It has the potential to save lots of embarrassing arguments.

Although of course recommended, there is no requirement to add any additional identification marks on your ball. The rules say for identifying ball, Rule 7.2:

• By finding a ball with the same brand, model, number and condition as the player’s ball in an area where the player’s ball is expected to be (but this does not apply if an identical ball is in the same area and there is no way to know which one is the player’s ball).

Therefore, you do not need to mark the ball. However, it is recommended just in case, on the off chance, there is another ball in the area that is the same brand, model, number and condition.

On your second point, I agree. If I find a ball when searching for someone, I always ask "what are you playing" rather than "are you playing a (Make / Number)?"

 

[ExRabbit]

Although of course recommended, there is no requirement to add any additional identification marks on your ball. The rules say for identifying ball, Rule 7.2:

• By finding a ball with the same brand, model, number and condition as the player’s ball in an area where the player’s ball is expected to be (but this does not apply if an identical ball is in the same area and there is no way to know which one is the player’s ball).

Therefore, you do not need to mark the ball. However, it is recommended just in case, on the off chance, there is another ball in the area that is the same brand, model, number and condition.

On your second point, I agree. If I find a ball when searching for someone, I always ask "what are you playing" rather than "are you playing a (Make / Number)?"

With several of the guys I have played with for 20 years plus, I will ask this question before searching for the ball.

They will say something like 'Callaway 3 with a red dot.'

I'll find it and shout over and ask them 'Was that a Callaway?'

'Yes' they say

I reply 'Sorry Titleist'.

Face drop - and then I let him know - never gets old!

P.S. He started it with me when I joined the club!