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Leftover Range Balls?

V14_Heels

V14_Heels

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Albatross 2024 Club
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I'm a weekend golfer, work a normal 8 to 5 so justifying a membership to a local course doesn't make sense. One thing I have realized at the course I frequent is early in the morning from like 630 am to 8 am the course I play at has a few trash cans loaded with balls. I guess the thought process is most people playing at that hour in the morning are members who have free range access so why deal with bags laying all over the place. Well...this leads to a SURPLUS of balls scattered all over the range tees. I've been showing up and using the range for free because on any other normal day balls that are left all over the tees, chipping green or putting green are up for grabs? But what's the thought here?
 
V14_Heels said:
I'm a weekend golfer, work a normal 8 to 5 so justifying a membership to a local course doesn't make sense. One thing I have realized at the course I frequent is early in the morning from like 630 am to 8 am the course I play at has a few trash cans loaded with balls. I guess the thought process is most people playing at that hour in the morning are members who have free range access so why deal with bags laying all over the place. Well...this leads to a SURPLUS of balls scattered all over the range tees. I've been showing up and using the range for free because on any other normal day balls that are left all over the tees, chipping green or putting green are up for grabs? But what's the thought here?
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I'm pretty certain the course would frown on this.

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I think it is wrong to go to a course and steal range balls. I don't care if they make is easy for you. I would at least go in and purchase the smallest bag/bucket then use left overs.

Also I think the people who gather balls from the chipping green then take to hit on the range are scum.

Nothing about what you describe is ethical and there is no argument to be made to justify it.
 
What you're paying for is using their nice turf to hit off of. The balls you buy are just their way of keeping count of how much to charge you.
 
Pay for the balls. This is stealing from the course. The way I see it is that a warm-up bucket of balls at my home course is $6. For every bucket of warm up balls I leave out there as a pass holder who gets them for "Free" as part of my pass, I'm costing the course $6 in revenue from a golfer that should be paying $6 instead of using my leftover balls. I actually bring my leftovers back into the shop. The nice turf on the range doesn't pay for itself.
 
V14_Heels said:
I'm a weekend golfer, work a normal 8 to 5 so justifying a membership to a local course doesn't make sense. One thing I have realized at the course I frequent is early in the morning from like 630 am to 8 am the course I play at has a few trash cans loaded with balls. I guess the thought process is most people playing at that hour in the morning are members who have free range access so why deal with bags laying all over the place. Well...this leads to a SURPLUS of balls scattered all over the range tees. I've been showing up and using the range for free because on any other normal day balls that are left all over the tees, chipping green or putting green are up for grabs? But what's the thought here?
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Ask the course if it's cool if you hit balls already at the range bays and do what they say.

Unpopular opinion here....The balls are sitting there ready to be hit. They WANT to be hit. If the course is anal about a few extra balls laying around hit for free I think they would make it a priority to scoop them up if they were left behind. Now grabbing fresh ones from the trash cans? Okay now you're pushing your luck.
 
finders keepers losers weepers

it is not stealing to use something that is already paid for
 
That's exactly why whatever balls I don't use on the range go back in the basket and put in the bin. You didn't pay for the balls so you didn't pay for the use of the range.
 
After re-reading the OP, seems like the balls being described are complimentary, in which case I don't think it's cool to go hit them.

Balls dispensed via paid coins/tokens/cards, different ballgame.
 
I appreciate all the opinions. I think stealing is a little dramatic. I definitely think the particular situation I've outlined above is flirting with the line, but I wish you guys could see it to understand it. There's balls EVERYWHERE. I mean I would have to actively separate my bag of 50 that I paid for from the ones that are scattered all over the tees. I mean there's at least a bucket of balls dumped at every tee.

And the chipping green...there's probably 100 balls on it. It's to the point where you have to clean them away or you can't even really chip without hitting another ball. I mean that's cool for those of you that go pick up your leftover balls and take them back to the pro shop. Good for you...I'm never doing that. I'm going to leave the balls I had on the course and let someone else hit them. If I buy 50 balls and hit them all, walk over to the chipping green and there's literally 150 balls laying on the chipping green I'm going to play those. I'm not walking into buy another bag, and I really truthfully don't think that's the expectation at this particular course.

For what it's worth, this isn't a course I don't regular play at. I have a solid $500 in lessons at this course, and play there twice a week. I am an active customer.
 
aljaklaw said:
After re-reading the OP, seems like the balls being described are complimentary, in which case I don't think it's cool to go hit them.

Balls dispensed via paid coins/tokens/cards, different ballgame.
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It's fair, but to the counter point there's no sign that really says they aren't complimentary. There's a barrel of balls, no staff to check a ticket or anything, no body out there actively cleaning them up, like it's just a barrel of balls out there that's not normally there. I've seen staff come out and no one's ever said a thing to me about it. I've had a staff member ask me if I want another bucket before they take the barrel down. So I was really curious to see if other people experience this...it's an odd fine line for sure.
 
aljaklaw said:
finders keepers losers weepers

it is not stealing to use something that is already paid for
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If I'm reading this right, the range balls are left out for members to use before their round. Implying that they're already "paid for" so it's alright to use them is the equivalent of saying the members have already paid for use of the course so it's alright to go play free.

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aljaklaw said:
After re-reading the OP, seems like the balls being described are complimentary, in which case I don't think it's cool to go hit them.

Balls dispensed via paid coins/tokens/cards, different ballgame.
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Just saw this...

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It reminds me of this analogy. Walking through a hotel lobby there is a banquet set up for full in the blank company.

I’m not part of the banquet, but like the company at least. They have a tray of cookies there and I also like cookies.

Nobody else is currently eating the cookies and they were obviously paid for by someone. Is it fair for me to duck in and grab the cookies?
 
I don’t care if a thousand balls were sitting on the range I’m paying for my bucket. It cost money to pay the employees, mow the grass, maintenance of the range etc etc.
 
JB said:
It reminds me of this analogy. Walking through a hotel lobby there is a banquet set up for full in the blank company.

I’m not part of the banquet, but like the company at least. They have a tray of cookies there and I also like cookies.

Nobody else is currently eating the cookies and they were obviously paid for by someone. Is it fair for me to duck in and grab the cookies?
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What kind of cookies? hahaha
 
cwmonroe87 said:
I don’t care if a thousand balls were sitting on the range I’m paying for my bucket. It cost money to pay the employees, mow the grass, maintenance of the range etc etc.
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Forgot to add picking up your left/right/short/backward attempts at hitting balls too.
 
echico said:
I think it is wrong to go to a course and steal range balls.

Also I think the people who gather balls...then take to hit on the range are scum.
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Way over the top reaction, nobody is stealing anything. Calling them scum? Really? Proud of yourself?

Golfer1 pays for a bucket but only hits half of them, golfer2 comes along and finds the 'leftover' balls and hits them. The course already got paid for those balls, is golfer2 supposed to go pay for the leftover balls before hitting them? Making it where the course gets paid twice for the same balls?
 
I’m going inside and paying for my bucket/bag and hitting my bag. If there’s a few laying around leftover from others fair game, but going in without throwing down would be frowned upon.

My range has a range card for members and tokens for paying customers. Anything left on our mats or on the grass are scooped up by range attendants OR given to some of the kids that frequent the range.
 
It's a good thing that people are practicing and, or, making use of driving ranges.
 
V14_Heels said:
It's fair, but to the counter point there's no sign that really says they aren't complimentary. There's a barrel of balls, no staff to check a ticket or anything, no body out there actively cleaning them up, like it's just a barrel of balls out there that's not normally there. I've seen staff come out and no one's ever said a thing to me about it. I've had a staff member ask me if I want another bucket before they take the barrel down. So I was really curious to see if other people experience this...it's an odd fine line for sure.
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The only opinion that really matters here is that of the course. Asking them might be a good way to find that out.
 
*Range Rat said:
Way over the top reaction, nobody is stealing anything. Calling them scum? Really? Proud of yourself?

Golfer1 pays for a bucket but only hits half of them, golfer2 comes along and finds the 'leftover' balls and hits them. The course already got paid for those balls, is golfer2 supposed to go pay for the leftover balls before hitting them? Making it where the course gets paid twice for the same balls?
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In the OP he says "I've been showing up and using the range for free." To me that means when he gets to the course/range he doesn't go inside to check in/pay he looks to see if there are balls out there to hit. Since there are balls that means he can hit the range for free that day. If he goes in and pays for a bucket/bag I don't care how many of the left over balls he hits because he paid to use the facility. Just going in and hitting left over balls is stealing.....no way around it.

I used to have an annual range pass at a course that had free range balls with tee times (den caddies at all stations). Every time I had to check in to let them know I was a pass holder. They had to finally stop leaving balls out and charge for range balls for tee times because scum kept showing up stealing range balls for practice. They now no longer offer range passes. There is an impact to this type of behavior.
 
echico said:
Just going in and hitting left over balls is stealing.....no way around it.
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Yes there is, i just explained that. It's not stealing. The leftover balls have been paid for, the course can't get paid twice for the same balls.
 
Your paying to use the facility not just to hit the balls. I would go in and get a small bucket and then go and hit some of the leftovers. Just showing up and hitting leftover balls is wrong IMO.


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if balls are meant for paying members then imo its then wrong for the non playing member to go and use them.

if it just a matter of a warm up bucket left incomplete then I see no issue at all. Whether its my often frequented course/s or my frequented practice range center. Most all people leaving an unfinished bucket expect another to then finish hitting them. If im hitting a warmup bucket and am called to the tee, the first thing Im doing is leaving them behind for anyone to finish. If I m at the range and don't finish my 100 ball bucket Im leaving them for the next whoever wants them.

Ive supported my county courses with so many greens fees and my range with so many bucket fees for so many years both that I have no issue accepting unfinished balls that are there. I don't go and hit with that intent. I buy my warm up and if the range buy my token. But I will hit whats left over from another in addition. On rare occasion at the course If there are a few balls one left behind and I hadn't planned on hiting a warmup I have no issue hitting those 6,8,10 balls whatever if I decide to. I feel nothing at all guilty about any if this. In fact I think the course is ridiculous with their 6 dollar 20 ball warm up. With greens fees purchased imo a warmup should be just a couple bucks.

All that said I do not ever go to my course with the intent of hitting leftover balls nor of course do I do that at my range practice center. Im a paying customer and I go with intent to pay for what I use. But just that sometimes I get some extra and sometimes I leave mine for another.
 
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