Golf ball hunting

Mister Sifter

For years growing up i never bought a golf ball. Myself and my brother would quite often head down to the course just before it was getting dark and look in the rough and trees and marsh for lost balls. We used to find hundreds and had a big bucket in the garage full of them. We used to sell them to neighbours and stuff to try and make a couple of quid, but it meant we always had a good stock of decent balls for competitions and matches.

It's only now that i realise just how bloody expensive balls are to buy. I'm mid 20's now so i'd feel a bit of an idiot hunting for balls. Recently i've been buying them in bulk and as you all know it isn't too cheap.

No real reason for the thread other than to reminisce. I'd love to go back to being 13 or 14 and hunting for golf balls. Used to be great fun.

If you forgot to take a plastic bag to put them in then you'd often run out of pocket space and i often had to stick them in my socks, before cycling home with lumpy ankles.

slumped

Unfortunatley this sort of behaviour now poses a real problem for golf clubs.

Young kids, as young as 4, running onto golf courses DURING COMPETITIONS, robbing golf balls off greens.

They will appear at the first tee soon after selling the balls back.

Not something that clubs want - unless of course you are a member and therefore quite entitled to be there.

I know people who do what you do, and they make a few quid out of it, but is it really worth it?

Play better and buy glasses and then you won't lose any balls!!!

S

Mister Sifter

I should probably have explained better... i was about 12-16 when i was hunting for balls. I did it late on on the holes when all the players had passed through. (There are holes on my home course that are very far from the clubhouse so they would be quiet around an hour or an hour and a half before it got dark in summer).

i never once stole a ball that was in play or went up to people on the course and asked if they wanted to buy balls. I took them all home and most got batetred into the field behind my house.

i was a member of the club (which is private by the way) so i guess that makes a difference too.

i guess it is a problem in or near the city, however, i did this on a course in the country in scotland.

BrianD3

Ah yes, I was an avid ball collector too and never bought a ball. I found far more than I lost so built up a big hoard. Was particularly interested in collecting logo balls. Also, figuring out where exactly to look for balls became something of a skill and an enjoyable activity in itself However my golf game suffered as I spent more time looking for balls than actually playing golf

Like you I now see little point in spending time hunting for balls. As you say it feels a bit silly for a salary earning adult to be looking for balls whereas when you're a kid it's great fun. Another factor is that I believe new balls are actually a lot CHEAPER in relative terms they were years ago. OK Pro V1s and the like are dear but big 18 packs of Top Flite and Pinnacles are now better value than ever. I know people are going to say that these balls are crap and that the Pro V1 is the only ball golfers should use. IMO balls like the Pro v1 are overhyped, overpriced and of little benefit to most golfers unless they are low handicappers which the majority of golfers aren't.

edit: Must also say that I was a member of a club doing this and would never have dreamed of stealing a ball that was in play. And I never pestered anyone about buying balls, got in the way or made a nusiance of myself.

Mister Sifter

I have to say though, when i'm playing now and play is slow or it's quiet i still like to have a wander in the rough and have a wee look for some. doing it on the public courses ain't as much fun though as it's mostly crappy balls.

I still have a big tub of old found balls at home in my garage. think my mum and dad still dig into them too for their bags.

TheDoc

im 19 and i still do it. Me and a mate or two would get a golf buggy, drive round to the lakes, using rakes from bunkers rake in balls

Club dont mind cause we are doing it late summer evenings, amazing the amount of prov's you find

Roar

graeme is this you and your brother???? lol

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ez8_beavis-and-buttheadmrandersonsballs



have to admit i get a bit of a kick when i find a ball or two in the rough. not that i find many of course, cause i hit the fairway every time.. ummm.. yeah.. every time, yes that's it....

GreenHorn

A coupla guys I play with regularly are ALWAYS prowling the lakes and rough with telescopic ball-retriever in hand... I used to laugh and wonder why they bothered... But they turn up a an unreal amount of balls and often 2,3,4 even 5 ProVs every round... It's quite staggering... so, now I kinda keep an eye out for em myself and will usually pull about 4/5 (odd ProV ) balls out of the lakes without trying too hard! Great for winter golf when the ball you use doesn't really make much difference...

Mister Sifter

I take it this is what you were on about JJJJJJJJJJJJJNR?

Dolph Starbeam

haha i used to do the same when i was about the same age, i'd be out golfing all day and then that evening we'd go walking through the tree's and go hunting lol. Was a good laugh with 4 or 5 of us trying to see who could find the nicest ball lol.

Our pro shop in Tullamore sell the Titleist pro v practice balls, 25 for a dozen, the balls seem perfect though so i just buy them now

Trampas

I remember doing up in Pine Valley

found tonnes of balls in the field beside the course

Par72

I used to love looking for golf balls when I was a kid. I'd bring the dog with me who was great at finding them. Around Leopardstown race course was good, especially the heavy rough on the right of the old 8th, it was mostly commando's though and the odd Dunlop 65i.

There's a forest at the back of Delgany golf club that was good too, you'd get a higher quality of ball there.

Kevinmarkham

Guys, you want a real treat? Go to Mahon at low tide at the end of a busy day. Hundreds of balls lying in the estuary. But you'll sink like a stone in the mud if you try to get them. They're so tantalisingly out of reach it leaves you spitting.

When I was about 7 I used to play with my grandad and his buddies, at Greystones. One of them had a dog called Bob, and his owner would simply say, 'go find a ball, Bob' and he'd disappear into the gorse and come back with one in his chops. And the balls were always given to me. Who needs to look for balls when you've got a dog like that.

JJJJNR

LOL erm yeah, does no one use that term at all. Pooching must be a wicklow thing!.. I can see where the similarities can be drawn!.

Used to have a great dog who was mad for golf balls. He was half golden retriever and half springer! used to go off "hunting" and drop them at your feet.

Although that day at the irish open was the best..

stockdam

I used to go out when I was younger after a big open competition and wander down the right hand rough. I found lots of balls and for years I never bought a single ball.

Now at my age I feel a fool hoking for balls. It also slows me down and I'd rather play then look for balls.

thegen

JJJJNR wrote: »

LOL erm yeah, does no one use that term at all. Pooching must be a wicklow thing!.. I can see where the similarities can be drawn!.

Used to have a great dog who was mad for golf balls. He was half golden retriever and half springer! used to go off "hunting" and drop them at your feet.

Although that day at the irish open was the best..

No we used to go pooching for balls and I grew up between Grange and Edmondstown.

Thats what it was known as around Ballyboden to.

soundsham

Graeme1982 wrote: »

I have to say though, when i'm playing now and play is slow or it's quiet i still like to have a wander in the rough and have a wee look for some. doing it on the public courses ain't as much fun though as it's mostly crappy balls.

I still have a big tub of old found balls at home in my garage. think my mum and dad still dig into them too for their bags.

typical scotsman!!

GreeBo

I climbed a well knows evergreen tree just last week and got myself 5 spotless prov's.....and Im 30