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PRO VS US Losing Balls

Posted in: General Golf Discussion

Brian Watson Professional Champion
Go to Last Reply 103 Views 7 Replies 1 Like
As I was playing last week I wondered this. We all drive our balls one or two go left or right. We all watch the balls, but when we get there and look they are not to be found. Maybe they are hiding under a leaf or nestled in the rough. So, here came my thought, when pros do this during a tourney they have marshall and balls spotters down the fairway. How may strokes would that save us if there was someone watching our balls fly from the fairway and mark them for us when we go astray. Its not to say it would save a lot of strokes but I know I have taken plenty of penalties for lost balls I know I was standing right over.
mickchild Professional Champion
# 1 11/13/2009 9:29:46 AM
Absolutely! I've always thought the same thing. Those two or three strokes worth of penalties we sometimes end up applying to our scores for balls we just can't find - nobody wants to hold up the game for a lost ball - would likely not exist if we had TV crews and marshalls looking after them for us.
cogolfer1 LowIndex
# 2 11/13/2009 9:33:40 AM
I don't know how many strokes it would save, i do know that it would save you A LOT of balls though.
Goynes42 Professional Champion
# 3 11/13/2009 10:25:53 AM
It has the potential for saving a TON of strokes. A lost ball is technically OB (stroke and distance). You gotta go back to the spot where you last played, drop and hit. That's two strokes there. A lost ball can really ruin a good round. And by the way, sure they have all the ball spotters there, but they also have a whole freakin' gallery lining the hole! All of whom are eager to find and point at the pro's errant golf ball. Remember the 3rd round of the US Open this year? When Ricky Barnes almost lost a ball in the high rough around the 18th green? The gallery yelled and pointed him right to the ball. Not to say he wouldn't have found it eventually, but if he didn't...he'd have to go back to the fairway and play his FOURTH shot.
72Wannabe Legend
# 4 11/13/2009 11:33:29 AM
And by the way, sure they have all the ball spotters there, but they also have a whole freakin' gallery lining the hole! Goynes....not only does the gallery find the ball, most of the time, unless airmailed over the entire gallery, the ball never really leaves the tree line because it has hit someone in the gallery. There would be alot of balls traveling 20-30 yards deeper into trouble without the gallery line...something else we duffers don't get the benefit of.
Mongo68 Legend
# 5 11/13/2009 1:04:40 PM
I can't even count the number of times I've lost a ball just off the fairway with NO possibility that it was in water. If I'm playing in a tournament, then the rules are the rules, but if it's casual play, I will NOT take a penalty for a ball that I clearly saw land in te rough or bounce in. I will take my normal distance from my previous spot using my trusty GPS and hit from a distance where I typically would have hoit that club. The pros have a HUGE advantage with galleries lining the fairways keeping them in play. Everytime I can't find my ball the most common thing I say is "where are my thousands of adoring fans to find my ball for me". I played a course in central PA 2 years ago. I lost 11 balls in the rough, 7 of them hit the fairway and rolled or bounced off. I'm sorry, but I have a hard time in casual play adding 22 strokes to my score for a ball that I KNOW is practically right under my feet.
greenjacket13 Legend
# 6 11/13/2009 2:08:26 PM
yep, i would say i lose anywhere from three to six balls a round. some i know are gone forever like the ones that splash or the ones i see go 20 yards into the woods, but there are a bunch where i basically know where they are and just can't see them and have to let it go and play on. that gets in your head a little too which can cause even more strokes. if you think about it, it can cost you anywhere from two to eight strokes a round, easy. i need to start hitting a little straighter i guess. plus how many balls do you find looking for yours that someone else had to give up on?

Brian Watson

Professional Champion

Go to Last Reply

103 Views 7 Replies 1 Like

As I was playing last week I wondered this. We all drive our balls one or two go left or right. We all watch the balls, but when we get there and look they are not to be found. Maybe they are hiding under a leaf or nestled in the rough. So, here came my thought, when pros do this during a tourney they have marshall and balls spotters down the fairway. How may strokes would that save us if there was someone watching our balls fly from the fairway and mark them for us when we go astray. Its not to say it would save a lot of strokes but I know I have taken plenty of penalties for lost balls I know I was standing right over.

mickchild

Professional Champion

# 1 11/13/2009 9:29:46 AM

Absolutely! I've always thought the same thing. Those two or three strokes worth of penalties we sometimes end up applying to our scores for balls we just can't find - nobody wants to hold up the game for a lost ball - would likely not exist if we had TV crews and marshalls looking after them for us.

cogolfer1

LowIndex

# 2 11/13/2009 9:33:40 AM

I don't know how many strokes it would save, i do know that it would save you A LOT of balls though.

Goynes42

Professional Champion

# 3 11/13/2009 10:25:53 AM

It has the potential for saving a TON of strokes. A lost ball is technically OB (stroke and distance). You gotta go back to the spot where you last played, drop and hit. That's two strokes there. A lost ball can really ruin a good round.

And by the way, sure they have all the ball spotters there, but they also have a whole freakin' gallery lining the hole! All of whom are eager to find and point at the pro's errant golf ball. Remember the 3rd round of the US Open this year? When Ricky Barnes almost lost a ball in the high rough around the 18th green? The gallery yelled and pointed him right to the ball. Not to say he wouldn't have found it eventually, but if he didn't...he'd have to go back to the fairway and play his FOURTH shot.

72Wannabe

Legend

# 4 11/13/2009 11:33:29 AM

And by the way, sure they have all the ball spotters there, but they also have a whole freakin' gallery lining the hole!

Goynes....not only does the gallery find the ball, most of the time, unless airmailed over the entire gallery, the ball never really leaves the tree line because it has hit someone in the gallery. There would be alot of balls traveling 20-30 yards deeper into trouble without the gallery line...something else we duffers don't get the benefit of.

Mongo68

Legend

# 5 11/13/2009 1:04:40 PM

I can't even count the number of times I've lost a ball just off the fairway with NO possibility that it was in water. If I'm playing in a tournament, then the rules are the rules, but if it's casual play, I will NOT take a penalty for a ball that I clearly saw land in te rough or bounce in. I will take my normal distance from my previous spot using my trusty GPS and hit from a distance where I typically would have hoit that club. The pros have a HUGE advantage with galleries lining the fairways keeping them in play. Everytime I can't find my ball the most common thing I say is "where are my thousands of adoring fans to find my ball for me".

I played a course in central PA 2 years ago. I lost 11 balls in the rough, 7 of them hit the fairway and rolled or bounced off. I'm sorry, but I have a hard time in casual play adding 22 strokes to my score for a ball that I KNOW is practically right under my feet.

greenjacket13

Legend

# 6 11/13/2009 2:08:26 PM

yep, i would say i lose anywhere from three to six balls a round. some i know are gone forever like the ones that splash or the ones i see go 20 yards into the woods, but there are a bunch where i basically know where they are and just can't see them and have to let it go and play on. that gets in your head a little too which can cause even more strokes. if you think about it, it can cost you anywhere from two to eight strokes a round, easy. i need to start hitting a little straighter i guess. plus how many balls do you find looking for yours that someone else had to give up on?

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