[shinesw]

I always mark my ball now, especially if I'm playing a provisional I mark it differently. A buddy of mine is new to golf and did what is mentioned in the OP. We were hit into, or at least he was (with no "FORE" or anything which is why I didn't notice). So my buddy hits his shot, and then notices a golf ball nearby. He scoops it up and thinks nothing of it. About 5 minutes later, a guy drives up to us on the green and apologizes for hitting into us. I said I didn't notice because I didn't hear a "fore" so I was fine. Then he asks if anyone picked up his ball. My buddy said yeah, sorry, didn't know anyone hit into us so he figured it was from someone else.

I explained to my buddy that this wasn't cool, however after thinking it was near enough to him and they didn't yell fore that was kind of alright with me.

[vNZsk39B]

I honestly don't understand what's so difficult about leaving a ball where it is.
If it's out on the course and you didn't hit it there, then it's not yours, so leave it be.

[desmond001]

I honestly don't understand what's so difficult about leaving a ball where it is.
If it's out on the course and you didn't hit it there, then it's not yours, so leave it be.

I leave it unless there is no way it can not be lost. I play a course where there is only two instances of holes running adjacent to each other (and on the first set there is a creek running between the two that they would have to jump to get across). On the other 14 holes, if you find a ball, it's lost (links style course).

[bppstorr]

I don't even want anybody else's golf balls. I play the golf ball I do for a reason. Does me no good to grab a ball I won't use.

[limpoporanique]

I don't even want anybody else's golf balls. I play the golf ball I do for a reason. Does me no good to grab a ball I won't use. My thoughts exactly.

[vNZsk39B]

I leave it unless there is no way it can not be lost. I play a course where there is only two instances of holes running adjacent to each other (and on the first set there is a creek running between the two that they would have to jump to get across). On the other 14 holes, if you find a ball, it's lost (links style course).

Actually, I was going to say something like that but it tends to complicate things by offering "permissions" for when it's acceptable, but yes, I agreee that there are some places on a course where a found ball is obviously "lost" and is then fair game.

Here on Long Island there are four County tracks that were all designed by the same guy back in the 60's and so they all are similar in layout and all have at least two or three instances of adjacent fairways and "crossover" tee shots. Most people recognize this and understand that a ball found in these areas most likely belongs to someone who just hit it there from some nearby tee and most folks leave them be.

But there are always the ones who simply cannot resist the temptation even if the ball and it's markings are clearly not theirs.
Whenever I wipe a tee shot and it ends up in one of these areas, I usually excuse myself from the group so I can get a head start on finding it before the zombies from the other fairway get near it.

There are always zombies out there somewhere.

[FilmCriticAwezume]

Its easy for me,i am one of the very few at my home course who puts a putting line on thier balls and i use a red or green marker and,when i do see another ball with a line it almost always black.I also tend to game "unpopular" golf balls(FG tour,C:25,50 elite(winter ball)HOGAN tour deep,MG C4 tour and now callaway's I(z))so that makes it even easier.Adding to all of that W/S balls are easily identifiable by the panhead dimples and callaway's by thier hex dimples.Even with all of that i have witnessed what you are talking about many times,i have had to yell 30 yards away while driving to my ball cause someone had already started thier backswing on my ball and i had already driven by thier ball,it was 40 yards short of mine.I really cant understand why you would not make sure you are about to hit your own ball instead of someone elses,it takes all of 2 seconds to look.

[EliteFranceska]

I agree. I hit a Vision X3 ball into the rough last week and some guy was lining up to hit it. I asked him what kind of ball he was playing and he said he didnt remember. The vision balls arent found in America very often I wouldnt figure so I told him it was probably mine. He left and walked around looking for another one. I dont get it either.

I was going to say the exact same thing for me this weekend!! Testing these Vision balls you would think people would at least know the brand of ball they are playing!!

[inhitoemits]

I mark mine with 2 dots ( blue , black or red ) on either side of the number on all my balls

Hmmmmm, that's precisely how I mark my balls, although it's always with blue dots. Still, the odds of a similar mark and ball brand and ball number are slim.

There was one time, I was on the course with a couple of buddies. And this dog comes galloping over, eyeing one my buddies balls. He was like, "hey dog, that's not your ball." The dog then took a playful stance, did a couple of sidesteps, picked up the ball, and took off running. My buddy proceeded to chase him all over the course. It was the craziest thing to see. Can't believe that dog didn't know the ball wasn't his. (sorry, I know were all venting about idiots on the course, but it reminded of the story, had to post it).

[Cnbaapuy]

This is an annoyance of mine, but the thing that is worse is the people who pick up your ball and pocket it because they "found it" while looking for theirs and you weren't up to it yet to lay claim.

This happened to me on 18 Friday, I saw where my ball landed in the rough just in front of a sand trap. When I got about 30 yards from where my ball was I saw a guy in a cart angling back towards his hole. When I got to where my ball was, it was gone. I was pissed, I ended up having to drop a new ball to finish the hole. Although it was probably wrong of me, I didn't bother to assess myself a penalty stroke since I had seen where the ball landed and came from a stop off the tee.