Why oh why oh why....

Westy said:
That's why you need to put some individual markings on with a sharpie marker or something so you know it's yours. I put something on both sides of the ball so I can easily see it no matter how it's sitting.
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Im all for that, but there seems very common markings.

1 dot near the number
1 dot above the middle of the name
2 dots one either side of the number
3 dots in a triangle.

there was a thread here last year, and it was obvious people used very common markings

t
 
I know that there are a lot of 'common' patterns that's why I do something slightly different to cut down the chance.

Probably wise to check before the round with you're playing partners what balls, markings they are using. Doesn't stop this happening if you come across a 'stray'. But would dramatically reduce the chance of this happening to you. Which I'm sure is what you'd want to do.

My m8 puts his initials in big red letters on his ball. Low chance of a mix up there.
 
bladeplayer said:
You couldnt be doing this every shot tho Mashie , could you ? bring on the 6 hour round eh :angry:
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No, only when you "cannot identify it" and in my view that means when you can't see your mark from any angle. It is really a last resort to save you a playing a wrong ball. The thing is to mark your ball in a way that means you can identify from just about any angle.

Just confirming that you can lift the ball to confirm it's yours as a couple of posts implied you couldn't if it wasn't winter rules or if it was in the rough.

OS, gven that the Rule says
1. it's the player's responsibility to play the proper ball
2. advises that the player "should" put an identifying mark on the ball and
3. allows you to pick up the ball to check it

I think there is enough opportunity to avoid a penalty.

Goodness knows how many Titleists there are out there lurking in the rough and I for one don't want to get into a tiff with a fellow golfer about whether his unmarked Titleist ProV1 No1 is or isn't in the same condition as the "wrong" umarked one he's just played from roughly where he hit his ball to in the semi.

Sometimes the Rules are a bit harsh maybe but better that than too many grey areas in my view.
 
Exactly. Takes all of 30 seconds to mark up a ball and quick glance at it when you get to it. Not exactly a hardship is it.

And if that's all you need to do to prevent a DQ or penalty shots that could cost you a win. Small price to pay.
 
birdieman said:
2 stroke penalty for this infringement = score of 7.

Glad for you this wasn't a formal competition or the old cheater tag could be getting put to use.....I'm not being a smart arse, you've gotta be very careful with this type of thing!!
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Yeah fair call.

To be honest it was a 6+ as I picked up (to chuckles from my playing partners) when I realised I couldn't score but as said its a good job I didn't mark it down as a 6 and get another penalty after having called the initial one on myself as soon as I had seen the proper ball or it would have been even worse in the bar - lol

Thank god it was just a freindly and not a comp - still it did cost me a round of beer so it still hurts :) and its definitely a useful learning point.

My mate will do anything for beer - I did wonder if he dropped it ready for me :) A couple of holes earlier he he missed a putt of about 2 foot leaving it short by at least 6 inches which earnt him the 'pink golf ball' we give out for the most feeble shot of the round maybe so he was getting his own back :)

Sharpies to the ready I have a bag full of balls to write on tonight - second mark on the other side of all of them.
 
MashieNiblick said:
No, only when you "cannot identify it" and in my view that means when you can't see your mark from any angle. It is really a last resort to save you a playing a wrong ball. The thing is to mark your ball in a way that means you can identify from just about any angle.

Just confirming that you can lift the ball to confirm it's yours as a couple of posts implied you couldn't if it wasn't winter rules or if it was in the rough.

.
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Yea i understand what you are saying Mashie , & it realy shouldnt be an issue that often.. i was one of those wondering how you were going to check it in the summer but it was in reference to the post ...

"And always always make sure that just because you can see the 3 red dots you marked your Srixon with there isn't a 4th red dot hiding where you can't quite see it"...

Always Would be bit difficult & questionable under normal (non P&P) rules..
 
Oddsocks said:
If the ball found is to be of the same condition, same make, same model & same number to that played, surely it has to be without penalty, if nothing for than for speed of play.
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Sorry OS, but as you said "Rules are Rules". Playing a wrong ball is playing a wrong ball and you can't go around adapting the rules - however unfair it may seem.

It works the other way round as well. A friend, who is a bit like an absent minded professor, played his second just through the green on the 6th at Westerham into the crud behind. Sensibly he played a provisional but did exactly the same thing again. We walked up and soon found a ball. What are you playing? Strata 0 was the reply (well this was a while ago now). OK got it! So he played that one. Hang on a mo said another in our group. What was your provisional? Strata 0 :o Found it. What ball have you just played? Original Strata 0 or provisional Strata 0?

Not only had he not checked that the ball he played was the right one, he couldn't positively identify it anyway as neither were marked. Severe embarrassment.

This is the same man who later lost a matchplay final on the 19th hole as he couldn't positively identify a ball in the rough as his. Same make, same number, same area where it went in, but no identifying marks.

Tough lesson. Mark and check your balls.
 
ok on reflection maybe adapting the rule is not the way forward, i just find it a harsh lesson. you could argue that the only way of marking your ball so it can been seen from any other is 360* on both axis, but if everyone was to mark their ball in this manor it wouldnt be worth marking it.

I just feel for hickory, to confirm 4 factors and still find the ball is incorrect is a bitch(female dog) but atleast this happened in a bounce game where he didnt really lose anything, and the chances of this happening against (4 factors but wrong ball) have to be in the millions if not more.
 
This did happen to me in a comp many years ago. Played a lovely shot with a wrong ball from thick rough over a deep bunker to about 4ft. Started walking to the green only to find my ball about 5 yards further on. As you can guess I didn't manage to replicate the earlier shot. Dumped it in the bunker and ended up with a 7 or even worse. Can't remember if the first ball was identical but iirc it was the same make. In those days I didn't mark my ball :o. Lesson learned. Never happened since.
 
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playing in the summer in a skins match, my mate plaed 2 holes with a different ball before realising and handing me the game on a plate. cant get much worse than that surely;)
 
When I byt a few boxes of balls I always mark them all when I get home. I also then checck that none of the people I am playing with mark their ball in a similar fashion or even play the same ball. If they do then I add another distinctive mark with one of the 4 sharpies I have in the bag. Lesson was learned when I played a matchplay comp and didn't mark my ball, which my opponent knew. Smashed a 3 wood into the middle of the first fairway and set off after it. I waited for him to hack out of the rough just short of the green and then lined up to play. He shouted for me to stop and asked me to identify my ball. He had seen me hit to where I was, I knew it, the whole friggiong world knew it but as I hadn't marked my ball I couldn't claim it to be mine and I forfeited the hole. 1 down! The barsteward wouldn't even lend me a marker to ensure this didn't happen again. I had to get a marker off the group in front and marked all my balls. I was steaming! Played out of mys kin and beat the guy 8 and 6. I then ensured everyone knew what a poor sport he was (not lending me a marker) and refused to play with him again. He is not a popular man.
 
Captainron said:
When I byt a few boxes of balls I always mark them all when I get home. I also then checck that none of the people I am playing with mark their ball in a similar fashion or even play the same ball. If they do then I add another distinctive mark with one of the 4 sharpies I have in the bag. Lesson was learned when I played a matchplay comp and didn't mark my ball, which my opponent knew. Smashed a 3 wood into the middle of the first fairway and set off after it. I waited for him to hack out of the rough just short of the green and then lined up to play. He shouted for me to stop and asked me to identify my ball. He had seen me hit to where I was, I knew it, the whole friggiong world knew it but as I hadn't marked my ball I couldn't claim it to be mine and I forfeited the hole. 1 down! The barsteward wouldn't even lend me a marker to ensure this didn't happen again. I had to get a marker off the group in front and marked all my balls. I was steaming! Played out of mys kin and beat the guy 8 and 6. I then ensured everyone knew what a poor sport he was (not lending me a marker) and refused to play with him again. He is not a popular man.
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This is something Iv'e not heard of before as I thought marking your ball wasn't a rule,just something you do yourself so you can identify your ball,so you take away any chance of playing a wrong ball.

Is this a rule for matchplay or any form of golf?
 
captainron, i applaud your self control. i dont condone violence in our gentlemans sport, but right there, that would be one man with a very sore nose...... that is very underhanded and nothing but a poor show.
 
and hopefully the swear police will be on leave so i can tell you exactly what just went through my mind...

" hello... is that the samaritans... yes i need to talk to someone... the end is near...."
 
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