Golden retriever playing with ball...

chippa13 · June 28, 2019

This was a new one on me today. I hit my ball over a fairway side tree to a somewhat blind landing area. Ee get down to where we think the ball should be but couldn't find it. After a brief search one of the guys I'm with finds my ball much closer to the woods than any of us thought it would be, and about 10 feet from a dog that apparently lived on the other side of the woods. As I go to hit my ball the dog starts barking like crazy and after we pulled away I saw the dog searching the area where I had hit from. We were all pretty cretain that the dog had moved my ball from the first cut to the woodside scruff grass but didn't see it happen.

Is this one of those "tough luck, play it as it lies moments" or could I have moved the ball back to where we all reasonably thought the ball was before the dog intervened?

KyGolf · June 28, 2019

If you didn't see it happen, it didn't happen. Play on.

SNIPERBBB · June 28, 2019

If you have KVC that the ball was moved by an outside influence (the dog) you can replace the ball in the original spot.

In this case, KVC would be hard to make a case for unless the ball was soaked in saliva.

Wendy123 · June 28, 2019

Rule 9.6 covers this. You must have knowledge or virtual certainty that the dog moved the ball.

Lord Helmet · June 28, 2019

Did you ask the dog? What did he say?

chippa13 · June 28, 2019

> @"Lord Helmet" said:

> Did you ask the dog? What did he say?

He wouldn't say, just kept mentioning something about little Timmy down in a well.

North Butte · June 28, 2019

I was on an out-of-town "buddy trip" years ago with a small group. During our final round a dog (probably from the adjacent housing development, he had a collar) took a liking to one guy's golf ball. Three different times on three different holes he came streaking by us after my friend hit his shot, grabbed the ball and disappeared with it. All three times we just let the guy drop where the dog has snatched the ball but it was hilarious. Of course we spent the rest of the day asking him whether he'd been rubbing bacon on his balls and so forth.

Colin L · June 28, 2019

> @"North Butte" said:

> I was on an out-of-town "buddy trip" years ago with a small group. During our final round a dog (probably from the adjacent housing development, he had a collar) took a liking to one guy's golf ball. Three different times on three different holes he came streaking by us after my friend hit his shot, grabbed the ball and disappeared with it. All three times we just let the guy drop where the dog has snatched the ball but it was hilarious. Of course we spent the rest of the day asking him whether he'd been rubbing bacon on his balls and so forth.

The player was right to substitute another ball as his original was not immediately recoverable. He should however have placed it not dropped it. See Rule 9.6.

North Butte · June 28, 2019

> @"Colin L" said:

> > @"North Butte" said:

> > I was on an out-of-town "buddy trip" years ago with a small group. During our final round a dog (probably from the adjacent housing development, he had a collar) took a liking to one guy's golf ball. Three different times on three different holes he came streaking by us after my friend hit his shot, grabbed the ball and disappeared with it. All three times we just let the guy drop where the dog has snatched the ball but it was hilarious. Of course we spent the rest of the day asking him whether he'd been rubbing bacon on his balls and so forth.

>

> The player was right to substitute another ball as his original was not immediately recoverable. He should however have placed it not dropped it. See Rule 9.6.

I'll be sure to send him an E-mail and let him know he was DQ...

DavePelz4 · June 28, 2019

> @"Lord Helmet" said:

> Did you ask the dog? What did he say?

I'm sure if the dog was asked where the ball was found he'd say Rough.

chippa13 · June 28, 2019

Reminds me of an old joke: A guy walks into a bar with his dog and the bartender tells him his dog has to stay outside. The guy tells the bartender that his dog is special and can talk. The bartender tells him to prove it. The guy turns to his dog and asks, "What's on the top of a house?" The dog replies, "Roof". The bartender is skeptical and tells him to do better. The guy then asks the dog, "Who was the greatest Yankee." The dog replies, "Ruth." The bartender has had enough and throws them out. On the sidewalk, the dog looks up at his owner and asks, "You think I should've said DiMaggio?"

antip · June 29, 2019

> @"North Butte" said:

> > @"Colin L" said:

> > > @"North Butte" said:

> > > I was on an out-of-town "buddy trip" years ago with a small group. During our final round a dog (probably from the adjacent housing development, he had a collar) took a liking to one guy's golf ball. Three different times on three different holes he came streaking by us after my friend hit his shot, grabbed the ball and disappeared with it. All three times we just let the guy drop where the dog has snatched the ball but it was hilarious. Of course we spent the rest of the day asking him whether he'd been rubbing bacon on his balls and so forth.

> >

> > The player was right to substitute another ball as his original was not immediately recoverable. He should however have placed it not dropped it. See Rule 9.6.

>

> I'll be sure to send him an E-mail and let him know he was DQ...

Not DQ, just score correction if the event has not closed, no change otherwise. This is a rules thread after all.