Losing a golf ball on the course can be difficult to swallow, for a number of reasons, but it happens to us all from time to time.
The best golf balls on the market are a worthwhile but often costly investment, but it's not just the monetary implications that frustrates golfers when they are forced to reluctantly abandon their stranded companion in the weeds, the water or past the dreaded white stakes.
If you added up the average number of golf balls an amateur loses per round, and times that by the number of members at the average club, it's unbelievably really that any of us can actually get out on the course past the sea of discarded balls.
Still, as someone who has lost more than their fair share, I actually believe that some ways are more irritating than others.
Whether unfair, unjust or simply unbelievable, I can't help but have a minor meltdown each time I face one of these particular examples...
7 Worst Ways To Lose Your Golf Ball (Ranked)
Before we kick off this list, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the worst ways to lose your golf ball.
Whether you have dumped a brand new Titleist Pro V1 in the water hazard with your first hit or you have tearily said goodbye to the old faithful that helped you break 90 for the first time, I want to hear about it.
Drop me a comment in the box below and let's share some of your best stories.
Right, on with the list - starting with No.7...
7. Brand New Ball
How many times has an amateur golfer gone into the pro shop before their round, parted with their hard earned money to buy a set of shiny new golf balls and then proceeded to lose two of the sleeve of three before reaching the halfway house?
I would argue that is more common than a birdie for some golfers, but it doesn't make it any easier to accept.
I once heard from a friend and PGA pro that you should always play with your best ball, as opting for an old 'dispensable' one is sending the wrong message to your brain about expectations, but my gosh - that strategy can get expensive.
6. Out Of Bounds
Firstly, learning the rules around red, yellow and white stakes is an essential lesson for every amateur golfer - but losing a ball over the dreaded out of bounds line (white) is a test of your mental patience.
It's a tale as old as time. Golfer hits the fairway with a great tee shot, has an approach into the green to set up birdie but fans the ball out to the right and watches it sail over the white stakes to never be seen again.
Unless you have an internal out of bounds, the likelihood is you are never seeing that ball again, but the penalty shot that follows makes it twice as tough to accept.
5. Water Hazard
Hitting the ball into the water is a pretty unique feeling on the golf course, which I have realised can be broken down into the three stages.
Firstly, you know pretty early on that your ball is doomed, but you might still hold a slither of hope. Then, the ball plops into the drink and shatters any misguided hope you had of a miraculous skip or lucky bounce off a rock.
Finally, the realisation that you will be facing a penalty and often another shot over the water (depending on where it crossed) means your brain is just scrambled enough to increase the likelihood of a second visit to the watery grave.
In some scenarios, you could go full Woody Austin from the 2007 Presidents Cup and take the shot on from the water, but as this particular example evidences - the results are often not worth the sacrifice.
4. Semi Rough
I am a realistic man. If I wildly hit the ball off the planet, into the knee high weeds or the thickest of bushes, I will quite quickly accept my fate and dip into the front pocket of my bag.
However, hitting a relatively acceptable shot into the semi rough and having no concerns whatsoever about its safety can sometimes set you up for a world of pain.
As you amble over to the expected location of your ball and survey the scene, you realise your ball is absent without leave.
Has someone else hit it? Did a bird fly off with it? Many possibilities flash in and out of your mind, but the hard truth is that your ball has somehow disappeared.
The ultimate definition of an unlucky break perhaps, but I like to believe it combusted under the force applied by my club - at least that's what helps me sleep at night.
3. First Tee Shot
The first tee box shot of the day can be a daunting experience for even the most experienced of golfers, but most manage to get their ball away into a position that is at least playable.
That said, I can recall a number of times that I have optimistically paid my entry fee to the competition, diligently gone through my golf warm up, followed my pre-shot routine to the letter and still blocked it out to the right and into the weeds that lay in wait.
Three of the tee on the first is rarely the recipe for success, but for me the crushing realisation of what's to come over the next four hours is enough to seriously test my passion for the game.
2. Autumn Leaves
The oranges and browns of an autumnal golf course are a sight to behold, with the rustic bareness of the trees and the crispness in the air making it the best time of year to play golf.
That's what I would say if I was a rationale human being who hasn't been recently burned, but instead I'll say this... I hate Autumn leaves.
The scene of devastation as the ground is littered with the wet, soggy remanence of a summer fading in the rear view mirror provides a landscape which endlessly frustrates golfers - as it's impossible to see your golf ball.
Why, after I have hit a spectacular shot (unlikely I know - but stay with me), should I be punished because it has rolled under a leaf and out of sight.
Three minutes pass, I'm back on the tee and instantly longing for Spring.
1. Blind Approach/Tee Shot
Blind tee shots (or approach shots) - where you can't see the fairway or green you are trying to hit due to elevation changes - are popular features on many golf courses around the world.
I suppose for decent golfers they are less troublesome, as they have a pretty good idea of how far they've hit their shot and can relatively closely predict its shape and final destination.
However, for an improving (albeit high-handicap) golfer like myself, I really can't get on board with them.
Golf is hard enough when I can see the flight and eventual landing area of my golf ball, especially with some of the potential risks I have outlined above, but making me do so with absolutely no idea where my ball has landed is simply ludicrous.
And I'll tell you one thing for free... I am not walking back down the hill and up again just to hit another that I might not find. So should I hit a provisional on every blind shot to double my chances of finding it?
Marshalls, CCTV, GPS tracked balls or some sort of sonar device might be the solution - or we could just agree that blind shots are overrated and move on.
