Dealing with a cheat.

[PerryGroves]

Used to be an unwritten rule to never pick up a ball during a comp...
My ball had seen a lot of action that round, wasn't exactly prime pickings...

Don't think it worries them Damo......it's more that its free. I always think it's a shit life being that tight.

[Kelsey86]

I think that might have happened to me a little while ago too, and to make it even worse I was having a really good round for me at +3 through 14 holes. Sprayed the drive a bit right into the trees between the 15th and 16th fairways, walked up there and it was nowhere to be seen. There was a group coming down 16 at the same time so who knows, either one of them nicked it or it copped a weird bounce off a tree that we couldn't see and wasn't where we thought.
Being Stableford I just took a wipe but I was annoyed for the rest of the round.

[BUSHY]

Used to be an unwritten rule to never pick up a ball during a comp...
My ball had seen a lot of action that round, wasn't exactly prime pickings...

Happened to a friend of mine a few years back.

We watched them pick it up, walk away, sprayed Aeroguard on it and rubbed the markings off.

3rd hole of the club champs.

[WBennett]

Is it cheating when you pick up an abandoned ball near a bloke having a swim?

[markTHEblake]

Yep, definitely my ball...Someone I mentioned it to today suggested I could have proceeded citing outside interference due to us believing where the ball should have been.Was going to look it up but haven't yet.

This is a really tough rules question, but i am very sure there would have to be some supporting evidence other than "its impossible to have finished there".What i do know is that if a ball at rest is moved ( or nicked) by an outside agency you put it back, but if the player didnt know it was moved, he is not penalised for playing next shot from a wrong place.

[damoocow]

This is a really tough rules question, but i am very sure there would have to be some supporting evidence other than "its impossible to have finished there".

I still haven't looked it up.....but I actually hadn't even considered the option of it being picked up by another player at the time.....if I had I would have likely played two balls and asked for a ruling prior to the score being submitted,

[markTHEblake]

I still haven't looked it up.....but I actually hadn't even considered the option of it being picked up by another player at the time.....if I had I would have likely played two balls and asked for a ruling prior to the score being submitted,

Rule 9.6 https://www.randa.org/rog/the-rules-of-golf/rule-9
Your scenario depends heavily on the principle of "Known and Virtually Certain" https://www.randa.org/rog/definition...tually_certain
read all 3 examples shown here and apply to your situation.

Also - you needed to have heard the "call from up the hill" within 3 minutes of starting to look for your ball. If after, then all the above is moot, ball is already lost.

[AndyP]

Is it cheating when a player looks for a ball for more than, way more than, three minutes? A guy in my group on the weekend looked for a long time which included all of us at some stage. He did end up going back to the tee to hit another one, then found his first ball on his way back.

[goughy]

Not so much a cheat story, more a poor form story?
Played mid week comp last week at home club Keperra.
Hole 15. Downhill right dogleg par 4 with water at bottom of hill left.
Tee shot sprayed right, over trees at bottom of hill, 3 of us saw it clearly over the trees enough to all call FORE.
Following group walking towards where ball was assumed to have landed.
Get to bottom of hill, can't find ball, three of us looking.
Then hear a call from up the hill from group behind us asking if I was playing a taylor made 0...My ball...
Walk back up the hill. Probably about 180 m...It's my ball...20 m from where I teed off, but on the other fairway near the previous green.
Scratch my head and think wtf. Wasn't until we discussed it later that we think we know how my ball got there. No proof of course..

Yep, happened to me years ago, before I new what a discussion forum was and before I'd heard of rec.sport.golf. Lost ball in the trees, washed hole, found my ball three holes later in the middle of the 9th fairway, which was nowhere even close to adjacent to where I lost it. Surely whoever played it by accident would have known straight away it was theirs; it was a Dunlop Titanium Distance after all - like hitting a brick.

[petethepilot]

Is it cheating when a player looks for a ball for more than, way more than, three minutes? A guy in my group on the weekend looked for a long time which included all of us at some stage. He did end up going back to the tee to hit another one, then found his first ball on his way back.

I believe by heading back to the tee you are declaring it lost…..so the first ball being found is irrelevant Andy!

[Monsta]

Is it cheating when a player looks for a ball for more than, way more than, three minutes? A guy in my group on the weekend looked for a long time which included all of us at some stage. He did end up going back to the tee to hit another one, then found his first ball on his way back.

Once he headed back to the tee that is declaring the ball lost. Cannot play his original ball (but 3 min time limit is also exceeded)

[LeftyHoges]

Is it cheating when you pick up an abandoned ball near a bloke having a swim?

Wow, what a specific circumstance...

I wouldn't necessarily call it cheating, just a ****ing low dog act.

Poor bastard that had something as unlucky as that happen to them.

[AndyP]

I believe by heading back to the tee you are declaring it lost…..so the first ball being found is irrelevant Andy!

Once he headed back to the tee that is declaring the ball lost. Cannot play his original ball (but 3 min time limit is also exceeded)

I confused the question by adding what he ended up doing. I know that the ball is lost once you play another one, and he didn't play the original. The question was about searching for too long; I guess it is cheating, although not as bad as some other forms.

Some people just can't give a ball up. I've declared my own ball lost after a few minutes, and my playing partners sometimes keep looking, and I have to insist that they stop.

[Monsta]

I confused the question by adding what he ended up doing. I know that the ball is lost once you play another one, and he didn't play the original. The question was about searching for too long; I guess it is cheating, although not as bad as some other forms.

Some people just can't give a ball up. I've declared my own ball lost after a few minutes, and my playing partners sometimes keep looking, and I have to insist that they stop.

Andy
To some people those balls are expensive and in limited supply ! Probably only used for 4 rounds.

[AndyP]

Andy
To some people those balls are expensive and in limited supply ! Probably only used for 4 rounds.

It's more the two shots that burns me up, and it's more frustrating when it is in an area where you think it should be found.

[Monsta]

It's more the two shots that burns me up, and it's more frustrating when it is in an area where you think it should be found.

Im over the moon if I finish a round with the same ball (havent been over the moon for a while)

[thecollective]

I confused the question by adding what he ended up doing. I know that the ball is lost once you play another one, and he didn't play the original. The question was about searching for too long; I guess it is cheating, although not as bad as some other forms.

Some people just can't give a ball up. I've declared my own ball lost after a few minutes, and my playing partners sometimes keep looking, and I have to insist that they stop.

That is so annoying, especially when the group behind is waiting. I’m like ‘stop looking please and play your ball’ but then you get the sympathy that you don’t want or care about


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[Webster]

I believe by heading back to the tee you are declaring it lost…..so the first ball being found is irrelevant Andy!

Once he headed back to the tee that is declaring the ball lost.

Incorrect.

[LeftyHoges]

Incorrect.

This.

A ball is ONLY lost after three minutes of searching have elapsed or another ball has been put into play.

[goughy]

Andy
To some people those balls are expensive and in limited supply ! Probably only used for 4 rounds.

That's me, but I'd give up no issues! With the amount I end up in the trees, I hate holding those behind us up! I don't think a lot of people realise just how short 3mins actually is - it goes real fast when looking for a lost ball. But the big time waster is having to head back to the tee to hit another - which I generally won't do in a Stab round. I'm lucky enough that even in my current condition I can run there and back. But that's a huge amount of time gone, when you add in the time looking for the ball.

[ParkRoyal]

A few years back had a kid come and nick all 4 balls from on and around a green. Ran after him and said that he needed to hand them back, he did so, plus about 4-5 others!
He was walking with his mum who was oblivious to what had happened, mum and kid apologised after explaining what happened.

[ParkRoyal]

That's me, but I'd give up no issues! With the amount I end up in the trees, I hate holding those behind us up! I don't think a lot of people realise just how short 3mins actually is - it goes real fast when looking for a lost ball. But the big time waster is having to head back to the tee to hit another - which I generally won't do in a Stab round. I'm lucky enough that even in my current condition I can run there and back. But that's a huge amount of time gone, when you add in the time looking for the ball.

I generally keep a 2nd ball on me now, stuff the people who think your setting yourself up.

The 3rd at Tas is a notorious ball eater, but blokes that have played there for years and send it all over the shop still refuse to bring a spare ball, even when playing from the backs so they have to waddle off 50 meters to their bag and then back, plus they'll spend another 5 looking for thier pill.