Do you have a ball retriever in your bag?

[Jaytee]

Do you have a ball retriever in your bag?

I never considered having one because I have always preceived a negative stigma attached to having one. Same as playing a ball that is anything but white in colour or playing from the red tees (neither of these I will ever do).

Then last Sunday I watched my newbie friend retrieve like a total of 20 balls during the round. Including one of my pulled shots into the lake. Now Im having second thoughts.

[thekathrynorchard]

I personally think pulling 20 balls out of the water is tremendously insulting to those behind you. Sure in the random event no one is waiting...OK. I don't have one nor will I carry one. If I can't reach my own ball with my wedge from the side of a hazard within 1-2 minutes of looking it's gone. Part of the game of golf is knowing you will infact lose balls at some point. I wouldn't tether my ball to my belt to ensure I could get it back at all costs nor would I toss a ball retriever in my bag ;).

[Jaytee]

Oh, yeah, we were playing as a pair during twilight and there was no one behind us. Otherwise I would never have let him do that.

[guitarman]

Do you have a ball retriever in your bag?

I never considered having one because I have always preceived a negative stigma attached to having one. Same as playing a ball that is anything but white in colour or playing from the red tees (neither of these I will ever do).

Then last Sunday I watched my newbie friend retrieve like a total of 20 balls during the round. Including one of my pulled shots into the lake. Now Im having second thoughts.

I have a ball retriever but seldom ever use it. Usually if my ball goes in the water its in the middle somewhere and its gone. I don't like fishing balls out of the water that have been there for a while. I just don't like wet balls. (Ok don't start:D ) Ball hawking is something that doesn't really appeal to me. Half the time if it takes me more than a minute to find my own ball I drop another.
I have thought of taking it out of the bag but the wife ends up in a lot of small creek like water and she gets freaky about losing a ball.

[davevandyk]

nah, if the balls are in the water, there is a reason for it! I don't want someone else's ball... if it didn't work for them, i don't want it!! :)

[nearace]

have not had one in the bag for over ten years,only after the fear of water went away;)

[leftintherough]

I only take one when I play with my sons. They both love to find water. Saves me a fortune in lost balls.

Otherwise, I do not carry one.

[hannah]

If I can't reach it with a 3 iron not worth the trouble, saw my buddy slip into the drink trying to get a ball out and man was it funny.
But when we look back it could of been bad becuse he went right down in the water over his head and he's scared of water. We fished him out and he did finish the round, I was stunned that he was able to finish off the last 2 hole's. If I only had a camers with me!!.

[guitarman]

Hmm. It seems I'm the only one that voted that I carry one. Maybe I'll just leave mine at home from now on. for all the retreivable balls I put in the drink anyway, it hardly seems worth it.

[trunckslammer1]

When I was a member at a private course, I always have one in my bag. We have a stream that runs along 7 holes. Because it is a private course we have a lot of members playing ProV's. All I usually do when I am playing is to walk along the stream. I have never had to buy more then a dozen Prov's in the time I have been playing with them. I am one of the fastest players on the course and also well known for my ball hawking. Sometimes I would walk into the woods alongside the hole while going to my ball in the fairway:D and come out there with at least a dozen balls of which at least half are ProV's. Every year, I give away about 200 balls to friends who are beginners and they are all pretty good balls like Nike, calloway etc.
Now, being a trunckslammer, no such luck. Courses I play have very deep rivers and there is not a lot of time during a round to go ball hawking.

[Greywolf]

Nope, never owned one of those.

[goshawk]

I do carry one when I'm playing certain courses (i.e. Bushwood). The streams are pretty shallow and if one of our balls rolls in, I can just scoop it out. Besides, it doesn't take up that much space in my big bag. So sometimes I'll forget it's in there until I get to the range on the course. I'm not going back to my truck just to drop it off!


I never considered having one because I have always preceived a negative stigma attached to having one. Same as playing a ball that is anything but white in colour or playing from the red tees (neither of these I will ever do).


Why won't you play from the forward "red" tees? I've had a lot of fun playing these tees when paired with 3 ladies (I play as a single almost all the time). It's a different look at the course, and you'll need to use different clubs than you're used to using from the 'blues". Give it a shot sometime.

[Grass Roots Tour]

Why won't you play from the forward "red" tees? I've had a lot of fun playing these tees when paired with 3 ladies (I play as a single almost all the time). It's a different look at the course, and you'll need to use different clubs than you're used to using from the 'blues". Give it a shot sometime.


A great player recently told me his college coach often had the guys play the front tees in order to ingrain in their heads they should always break par. I thought this was a great idea although I havent tried it yet.

[dks_34]

If I put a ball in the water it can stay there! LOL. Although I play with 2 gentlemen who both carry ball retrievers and anytime their ball goes near the water - out it comes. I've actually walked way ahead of them when I see that. Ok if you have lots of time but to keep up with the pace of play - put the thing away!!!

[Cybergolfer]

My game got so bad I had to regrip my ball retriever

[goshawk]

My game got so bad I had to regrip my ball retriever

I didn't know Swain did ball retrievers! Should I get on the waiting list?:D

[Grass Roots Tour]

My game got so bad I had to regrip my ball retriever


Thats an old joke, but a good one. :rofl:

[owenmxz600]

no I don't have one... Im not that CHEAP, come on people keep the fishing to the lakes

[tjhayko]

I had one that I won at a tournament during my first year of golf. I kept in in my bag until my buddy broke it ;)

[pa-ping]

I carry one as well . Once in awhile they come in handy. Not that I spend all my time looking for balls .

[Caniac 68]

If you carry a ball retriever you are a hack, period. Along with the following,

Tubes in your bag to divide your clubs
Covers for your irons
Wearing two gloves
Having a score counter
The golf ball plunger on the end of your putter
The wire brush to clean your clubs
Using a Sharpie to mark a Pinnacle

Seriously, a ball retriever shows a lack of confidence, trust your game enough to put it away and keep it out of the water hazards.

[guitarman]

If you carry a ball retriever you are a hack, period. Along with the following,

Tubes in your bag to divide your clubs
Covers for your irons
Wearing two gloves
Having a score counter
The golf ball plunger on the end of your putter
The wire brush to clean your clubs
Using a Sharpie to mark a Pinnacle

Seriously, a ball retriever shows a lack of confidence, trust your game enough to put it away and keep it out of the water hazards.

And your a hack for paying so much attention to who has "hack" identifying equipment.
Seriously though whats wrong with being a hack?
By the way I fall under #2 and kind of #6 in your hack list. I don't have a wire brush but something even hackier. I have a little nylon brush on the end of a small water bottle that dispenses water and a bit of dish soap to wash my irons after every hit. I do # 2 to cut down on the bag chatter on my forged irons. But as of tommorrow that iron covers will be history as I'm buying a cart bag that locks the iron shafts in so the don't clang together. You may want to put that on your hack list.

[Big Shooter]

Of course I do, when you carry 20-25 clubs, what's another piece of equipment!!?? :D :$ :rofl: :help:

[Bellyhungry]

Played Tiburon GC at Naples, FL once....Saw a lot of Pro Vs at the edge of water hazard and wondered why people did not bother to pick up these balls, after all, they are within reach easily. I thought perhaps people there were so well-off that they couldn't bother with their balls.....Subsequently, I helped myself with a few of them...

At the half way house, I brought up the topic to a course worker.

He deadpanned 'Gators'.

[trunckslammer1]

If you carry a ball retriever you are a hack, period. Along with the following,

Tubes in your bag to divide your clubs
Covers for your irons
Wearing two gloves
Having a score counter
The golf ball plunger on the end of your putter
The wire brush to clean your clubs
Using a Sharpie to mark a Pinnacle

Seriously, a ball retriever shows a lack of confidence, trust your game enough to put it away and keep it out of the water hazards.

I carry a ball retriever with pride, so by your defination I am a HACK with a total lack of confidence in my game

[johnthegolfer]

I have one in my bag but haven't used it in a couple of years. It fell into bottom of the bag and I can't reach it! (I suppose I could remove all my clubs and turn the bag upside down to get it out... but....)
Any ball that goes in the water is a naughty ball (after all, it wasn't me that mis hit the ball, it must have had some flaw or else it would have hit the middle of the fairway/green) and I don't want to see it again anyways!

[dekker]

Played Tiburon GC at Naples, FL once....Saw a lot of Pro Vs at the edge of water hazard and wondered why people did not bother to pick up these balls, after all, they are within reach easily. I thought perhaps people there were so well-off that they couldn't bother with their balls.....Subsequently, I helped myself with a few of them...

At the half way house, I brought up the topic to a course worker.

He deadpanned 'Gators'.

That's dead funny! The first time my buddy went there he went into the weeds to look for lost balls and came out with quite a few. He told the cart girl who stared at him with open moth and blurted something about moccasins and 'gators. She tactfully said he is very brave.

[hamiltonhacker]

If you carry a ball retriever you are a hack, period. Along with the following,

Tubes in your bag to divide your clubs
Covers for your irons
Wearing two gloves
Having a score counter
The golf ball plunger on the end of your putter
The wire brush to clean your clubs
Using a Sharpie to mark a Pinnacle

Seriously, a ball retriever shows a lack of confidence, trust your game enough to put it away and keep it out of the water hazards.

I carry a ball retriever and I keep a sharpie in my bag to mark my pinnacles (or top flites or whatever inexpensive balls I happen to be playing). However, I don't ball hawk but I have used it to help friends playing expensive balls fish their mishits out of a shallow water hazard beyond the reach of their 3 iron.

Also it doesn't matter if you are playing a ProV1 or a pinnacle, if soemone else in your foursome or playing around you (i.e. playing the other way down a parallel fairway) happens to be using the same brand of ball, you need to be able to identify your ball if you both happen to hit into the same area.

If that makes me a hack then I guess I am a hack.

[guitarman]

If that makes me a hack then I guess I am a hack.

Well, by one persons opinion anyway.

[Bellyhungry]

I carry a ball retriever and I keep a sharpie in my bag to mark my pinnacles (or top flites or whatever inexpensive balls I happen to be playing). However, I don't ball hawk but I have used it to help friends playing expensive balls fish their mishits out of a shallow water hazard beyond the reach of their 3 iron.

Also it doesn't matter if you are playing a ProV1 or a pinnacle, if soemone else in your foursome or playing around you (i.e. playing the other way down a parallel fairway) happens to be using the same brand of ball, you need to be able to identify your ball if you both happen to hit into the same area.

If that makes me a hack then I guess I am a hack.

I do carry a wire brush from Walmart to clean my clubs...Like most people, I don't use a wet towel to clean my club. Not if most courses charge $2+ for a bottle of H2O and couldn't be bother at the beginning of the round.

[Feherty Fan]

I do carry a retracable ball retriever in one of the side pockets of my bag and only use it for pulling my own ball out of shallow ponds or streams. Never for ball hawking. If that makes me a hack, so be it...

[thekathrynorchard]

I have a finger nail brush attached to a towel to clean my clubs. That is surely more ghetto than a wire brush. I should probably get around to looking for a better brush one of these days :p.

[goshawk]

If you carry a ball retriever you are a hack, period. Along with the following,

Tubes in your bag to divide your clubs
Covers for your irons
Wearing two gloves
Having a score counter
The golf ball plunger on the end of your putter
The wire brush to clean your clubs
Using a Sharpie to mark a Pinnacle

Seriously, a ball retriever shows a lack of confidence, trust your game enough to put it away and keep it out of the water hazards.

That's being pretty presumptuous.
I don't really consider myself a "hack", but I do carry a Sharpie to mark my balls, a wire brush for the grooves on my wedges, covers for my forged irons and a ball retriever that I explained in a previous post on this thread.
By the way, that retriever saved a big problem yesterday. My playing companion hit a tee shot to the edge of some bushes. He went over to hit his second and (fortunately) noticed the ball had rolled up next to an eastern diamondback taking a nap. He didn't want to risk poking the ball away with his driver (he thought it was too short!) so I made good use of the 12' retriever.

[guitarman]

That's being pretty presumptuous.
I don't really consider myself a "hack", but I do carry a Sharpie to mark my balls, a wire brush for the grooves on my wedges, covers for my forged irons and a ball retriever that I explained in a previous post on this thread.
By the way, that retriever saved a big problem yesterday. My playing companion hit a tee shot to the edge of some bushes. He went over to hit his second and (fortunately) noticed the ball had rolled up next to an eastern diamondback taking a nap. He didn't want to risk poking the ball away with his driver (he thought it was too short!) so I made good use of the 12' retriever.

You just have absolutely no confidence that you could have gone over and picked up that ball without waking the diamondback. You hack.:D

[racmbs]

If you carry a ball retriever you are a hack, period. Along with the following,

Tubes in your bag to divide your clubs
Covers for your irons
Wearing two gloves
Having a score counter
The golf ball plunger on the end of your putter
The wire brush to clean your clubs
Using a Sharpie to mark a Pinnacle

Seriously, a ball retriever shows a lack of confidence, trust your game enough to put it away and keep it out of the water hazards.

I carry a retriever, cover my irons, and use a Sharpie to mark my balls.

BTW, what's your HDCP hack and do you have the game to back up your big yap?

[nearace]

I carry a retriever, cover my irons, and use a Sharpie to mark my balls.

BTW, what's your HDCP hack and do you have the game to back up your big yap?that sounds like a challenge match?if so count me in:eek: I also have a sharpie lol.

[guitarman]

that sounds like a challenge match?if so count me in:eek: I also have a sharpie lol.

I don't have a sharpie. Should I get one? Not that I need one for hack status as my iron covers more than qualifies me.

[landlord]

I went to GolfTown to buy one and they told me I'd have to come back when I was 65.

[nearace]

I went to GolfTown to buy one and they told me I'd have to come back when I was 65.thats not funny but I am laughing:rofl: :rofl:

[racmbs]

I went to GolfTown to buy one and they told me I'd have to come back when I was 65.

They told me the same thing...my way around that was I said it was for my grand-pappy.

[goshawk]

thats not funny but I am laughing:rofl: :rofl:

ME TOO!!:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

You just have absolutely no confidence that you could have gone over and picked up that ball without waking the diamondback. You hack.:D
I'd rather use my hack tool....no need waking up a snake that's having an afternoon nap just to retrieve a ProV!:D

[el tigre]

My hackiness score:

I have a golf ball retriever, though I rarely use it anymore.
My bag has 14 dividers and a putter well (so I get 1/2 point for that).
I have and use covers for my irons.
I have and use winter golf gloves (they come in pairs).
I don't have a score counter (my fingers and toes are usually enough).
I used the golf ball plunger when I had sciatica (its in my bag somewhere).
I have and use a wire brush for my clubs.
I use the Check-Go thing and a Sharpie to mark my balls.

Do I win something?

[goshawk]

Terry, I beat you. I also have a score counter (it's my GF's, but I keep it in my bag for some reason).:D

[trunckslammer1]

I carry a retriever, cover my irons, and use a Sharpie to mark my balls.

BTW, what's your HDCP hack and do you have the game to back up your big yap?

I was wondering when you are going to comment, you...hack you:D

[Toughpar3]

Yes, I do....and when used appropriately there is nothing wrong with it :D

Its like having a bit of insurance in your bag. When you spend $$$ on golf balls its nice to know that ball that went into the hazard has a chance at being rescued.

TP3

[Biffm1]

I have one... I usually use it to pick up my drive rather than walk the 15 feet.:rolleyes: I carry a sharpie but am too lazy to mark my balls...The best is, I own, and carry a "ball marker, divot tool, tee holder, with a velcro job for my glove - all-in-one thingy" on my hip. I hate having anything in my pockets.

[Benny]

I dont have 1 cause if I hit 1 in the water I figure that little white ***** can stay in the water and drown :D

[Knockz]

I have one in my bag that i won at a golf tourney. Before i got it I had a thing with water. If there was any water then my ball would go in it. I have used it a couple times and happy about it. These balls aren't cheap and I'm not rich so whenever I find a ball I keep it.

[Flog]

I have one in my bag that i won at a golf tourney. Before i got it I had a thing with water. If there was any water then my ball would go in it. I have used it a couple times and happy about it. These balls aren't cheap and I'm not rich so whenever I find a ball I keep it.

Welcome aboard, Knockz.

My son had a retriever but it broke and we never replaced it. We used it a few times, not that much. We seldom have time to search for lost balls as we struggle to just keep up with the group in front, for the most part.
I do use a wire brush and towel, faithfully. I'm not sure why that would make me a hack-- wanting the grooves to be clean-- but so be it. I have no problem with hack-status. Tell it like it is, I always say.

[Zuggy]

Hi,
Sorry, I do not understand all the negativity about having a ball retriever in your bag. I do have one and it is not to be a "Ball Hawk" but to keep my feet dry! If I drop one into the water and I think that I might have a chance getting it back, it is because it rolled into the water from the fringe. If I fire one in then it is gone and that is my punishment for not setting up right. And yes I do loose allot of balls. So every one that does not have one, take a five dollar bill, roll it up and toss it into the nearest water hazard and walk away.

[Louie]

I carry a retriever, cover my irons, and use a Sharpie to mark my balls.

BTW, what's your HDCP hack and do you have the game to back up your big yap?

Let's do dis chit. I'm a 2.3. So me, you and your retriever and say: Let's play for some $$$.:rofl: :D

No I don't cary one never have never will.

[Chigu]

If you carry a ball retriever you are a hack, period. Along with the following,

Tubes in your bag to divide your clubs
Covers for your irons
Wearing two gloves
Having a score counter
The golf ball plunger on the end of your putter
The wire brush to clean your clubs
Using a Sharpie to mark a Pinnacle

Seriously, a ball retriever shows a lack of confidence, trust your game enough to put it away and keep it out of the water hazards.

Tell #3 to 'Tommy 2 gloves' WINNER of the last big Break. Don't think he's a hack!! I wear 2 gloves on the course, I Just find it more comfortable. Ya I am a hack though (about high 80's to low 90s).

[xander.uk]

I do

only to retrieve my own and my playing partners balls.

I play a course ( every week ) that has alot of deep drainage ditches........the only ways to ge you ball back are a retriever or to climb down into what is often mud.

I prefer to use a retriever :)

[nearace]

Let's do dis chit. I'm a 2.3. So me, you and your retriever and say: Let's play for some $$$.:rofl: :D

No I don't cary one never have never will.how many strokes you giving me?be kind louie.