Golfers moral dilemma?

Question

I was hitting range balls at a local course. In the bucket of balls I find a brand new ProV1x. At this range 99% of the balls used are Top Flite range balls; I know some courses recycle water balls for the range, I wouldn’t consider picking up a ProV from a course like that. This particular ball was lost during play, I assume. It’s a $4 ball!

Do I keep it and play with it?

Do I return it to the pro shop?

Do I hit it into the range?

Is this ball damaged goods, spiritually tarnished, bad karma?

Answer 1

If you find a ball and no one else is around, it is usually deemed to be "lost" and is yours to keep, if you want it.  Most of the time you will find a ball in overgrown grass or off in the woods if you go searching for your own lost ball or taking a leak.  It's bad form to start picking pro-v's off the fairway, however.

A ball found in a range bucket is definitely free game, since it had to go through at least 3 people before it got to you.  Happy birthday!

No bad karma about it, man.  That's good karma.  That ball wants to be played, and played well next time.

Answer 2

Although I see what some of the others are telling you, the right thing to do is to hit it at the range just like any other ball.  it is their ball now not yours.  After golf is a "gentleman's game".

Answer 3

You might be OK to keep it, but then again there could be some bad Karma attached.  I have found for example that if my ball hits a tree or the cart path and gets a scuff on it and I take out a new ball on the next tee - I invariably hit it (the new one) OB or in the water on the very next shot.  So I always keep a ball in play as long as I can until it is lost.  So here is a nice ProV that just sort of shows up in your hand, I dunno.  It might be a good luck ball or it might not.  But don't worry about "stealing" it from the range, it just wandered into their bucket somehow and if you don't take it the next guy who sees it will.

Answer 4

Hahaha dude keep it.  I think if you returned it to the pro shop people would laugh at you honestly.  Don't hit in on the range, save it for when you play.  And remember "finders keepers".

Answer 5

If this ball was on a golf cource and you are sure that it is LOST, you can pick it up.

On the range and in a bucket like your example, it is theft!

Go give back the ball. Maybe they will let you have it.

Answer 6

I'd keep it.  Like you said, I'm sure someone hit a wayward shot that made it to the driving range and got mixed in with the range balls.

If it's a lost ball, the course/driving range didn't pay for it, so they aren't out any money.  To me it's no different than finding a ProV1X on the course.

Answer 7

basically what happened is some rich jabron hit all of his range balls and felt like hitting one or two more balls so he picked grabbed this ball out of his bag and hit it on the range.  honestly if i was the golf course owner i wouldn't care if you took it and actually i would want you to take it.  the reason range balls are range balls is they don't travel as far as normal balls.   alot of ranges are only 250 yards so if they just put a bunch of regular balls out there people would keep hitting them over the fences.

Answer 8

Personally if it did not have a range "stripe" on it I would take it because it obviously belong to someone else and got recycled into the course. I would keep it and play it. It could have good karma to it and you might shoot well!

Answer 9

Every time I get momentum, it fades quickly. Karma sucks, man. But, finders keepers. Play it!!!

Answer 10

Yea if it didn't have a range stripe and wasn't all beat up i'd definitely keep it. Like you said, this range didn't really recycle balls. it'd be a shame to leave such a gem to be hacked at by some weirdo. you might as well take it because if you don't , you know someone else eventually will. consider it a diamond in the rough (pun completely intended) and play it till it's done!

Answer 11

I've had this experience a number of times as several of the courses that I play have the range running parallel to one of the holes.  It isn't uncommon to find ProV1, Nike One, and other high quality expensive balls in your range bucket.  Very rarely do you ever see them marked as range balls.  In these instances I usually put them into my bag and keep them.  I keep a handful of shag balls in my bag for days that I'm not hitting particularly well - so I usually replace it with one of those balls.

Answer 12

Are you serious?  Do you really think this is a moral dilemma?  Put the ball in your bag - Then when you tee off and shank it, I'll be in the group behind you to pick it up and put it in my bag.

Answer 13

Ha dude keep it. If somebodys bad enough to hit it into the range than thats just your luck. Its free game for anyone. I've worked at a golf course. If they missed picking balls like that after cleaning them then its just a free ball. They keep the ones they find so you should too.

Answer 14

If it's at the range, then it's a range ball.  That is how I look at it.  You don't know how many times that ball has been hit even though you found it amongs a bunch of Top Flite balls.