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Hitting range balls you didn't pay for

I've done it precisely one time. This was a place with a ball vending machine, machine took my money, I went and picked up a basket full.

With that being said, $5-6 seems a bit much for a small basket. There's one course I play at occasionally that charges $8 for a small (30-35 ball) basket. Its kinda ridiculous. I'd love to see more courses offer a practice grounds membership, I can get out to hit a bucket more often than playing 9/18.
 
There is a muni I don't go to much anymore where I would take the last 10-15 balls over to the short game area. Hit, pick up, hit. I would then leave the balls on the green. One time a guy had an empty bucket and every chip I hit he would pick up and put into his bucket. After about the 3rd chip I asked if he was going to bring them back to me. He dumped the bucket and cursed at me. Sometimes people crack me up.
 
Cant say Ive ever done that. I dont know anyone that would either. I just dont get that mindset

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Never. Like others have said, if I am done and there are some balls laying beside me, I may hit some of those. But I always pay for a bucket - if I can't afford 5.00, then I shouldn't be playing golf in the first place...
 
The only time I have ever done something like that was after I hit a bucket I paid for and wanted to hit a few more to get through an issue or shake a bad shot.

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BIGBALL said:
Never. Like others have said, if I am done and there are some balls laying beside me, I may hit some of those. But I always pay for a bucket - if I can't afford 5.00, then I shouldn't be playing golf in the first place...
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That's not really true nor fair to imply imo. No one should be steeling balls from the range for warm-up imo and that is for certain. I think we all agree with that.

But very many people cant spend the extra 5 for a warm-up. I don't do it myself sometimes simply because sometimes I have to make my golf as cheap as possible so I can try to then afford to golf more often. Many people love golf and struggle financially to pay to play even a few times a month. Its the main reason I walk and don't rent a cart. Every 2and1/2 rounds walking gets me another round of golf. I play more than couple times a month for sure but by walking it helps me do that. Whether its saving 18bucks for a cart, or 5bucks on a warmup bucket the principal is the same. It leaves more money left over to golf again, or even perhaps go to a practice center another day and get a large bucket. It pays for gas perhaps for some to get to a course or the snacks that they brought with them. Or goes towards a new golf shirt or shorts or tees, or a glove, or balls or whatever.

My apologies if that sounds harsh and I don't think I am being harsh :) But if there is one thing no one imo should do, its to imply the logic in your statement. I know technically you wrote that that's what you would do. But imo that's also an implied generalization. If iam wrong I apologize. But Let me ask a question anyway based on your logic and statemtn. If on a fixed budget you had (for sake of discussion) the 35 bucks required to golf at your local course and you didn't have the extra 5 for a warm-up bucket in addition to the golf, would you just stay home? or would you golf? ...............So you see, there are real reasons why one may not afford the "extra5" and also "should never feel" as though they shouldn't be playing in the first place just because they couldn't afford that extra.
 
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I've never taken balls but I do leave buckets sometimes for people after me that may want/need it.
 
Hitting range balls you didn't pay for

If there are some abandoned on the range (someone left them), I'll use those.

Walking onto the range (where balls are hit) and bringing balls back to the hitting area? Only when I'm at a THP event.

 
If I can reach out and grab some on the field, then I will. If someone obviously left and they have left balls behind, I will. Every once in a while I will come across a Pro V ball in my bucket and take it, but I leave a ball behind as a replacement.
 
Nope, I spend the $4 and usually give the half I don't hit to another person on the range.


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Thats a low thing to do. I've seen it done before and its just a bad look.
 
I'll hit my own buckets of balls thank you, but have been known to grab one or two strays for just one or two extra shots after I'm done with my bucket. but they are always within clubs reach from the range box.
 
Only time I did it was at Legacy when they wouldn't 'open the range' for us when they said they would. Grabbed 10 balls or so.
 
I ended my round on a bad note this evening. #9 is adjacent to the range so I grabbed a few balls that landed in #9s fairway, went to the range and hit a few shots. Also hit a few balls I found in the woods during my round out into the range as well ...

Typically I pony up the $3 for a warm-up bag before my round though.
 
ArmyGolf said:
Only time I did it was at Legacy when they wouldn't 'open the range' for us when they said they would. Grabbed 10 balls or so.
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And that dedication is why you have a HOF tag today so I approve!

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GolferMahn said:
I've done it precisely one time. This was a place with a ball vending machine, machine took my money, I went and picked up a basket full.

With that being said, $5-6 seems a bit much for a small basket. There's one course I play at occasionally that charges $8 for a small (30-35 ball) basket. Its kinda ridiculous. I'd love to see more courses offer a practice grounds membership, I can get out to hit a bucket more often than playing 9/18.
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Both DCC and Traces GC offer range memberships now.
 
I don't understand the big deal. I always do this because I only need a dozen range balls for my whole round. That way when I lose one into the woods due to an errant shot I don't bother looking for it. There is no way I'll pay $4 for a bucket of balls when I only need a few on the course. I never understand why people buy balls to golf with when the range is full of them.


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wubears71 said:
I don't understand the big deal. I always do this because I only need a dozen range balls for my whole round. That way when I lose one into the woods due to an errant shot I don't bother looking for it. There is no way I'll pay $4 for a bucket of balls when I only need a few on the course. I never understand why people buy balls to golf with when the range is full of them.


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That there is a pretty funny comment!!

I have probably done that with a couple of balls, but not an entire bucket.
I also don't quite understand why places don't just add a few bucks to the green fee so that the range is included in the price of golf. I am sure there is a good reason, I just don't have it figured out yet.
 
Having worked at a course over the years, it was always a guess, but the owners knew that 30 to 40 percent of the balls on the range were never paid for. A ball dispensing machine ended that..............
 
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Nope. As much as I think you should get range balls with your round, that's stealing.
 
HoosierGolfer said:
Having worked at a course over the years, it was always a guess, but the owners knew that 30 to 40 of the balls on the range were never paid for. A ball dispensing machine ended that..............
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There are some cheapskate members at my club that play range balls for their round. You'll find the balls in the woods or water at parts of the course farthest away from the range.



Makes you want to smack someone.
 
I have never seen that done and wouldn't think of doing it myself.
 
VegasMav said:
Never. I could afford $5.
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Your obviously doing very well... Lol
(Just always wanted to say that! Lol)

I'm amazed people do this!
I mean I will grab a few left over balls from another station from time to time... Usually it's me leaving the balls behind.
 
No I pay for my range balls. The ignorance that shows up at a golf course at times is mind blowing. I would of said something FK
 
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