This is my opinion: if the ball is on someone’s property and you can reach it with your club, then you should pull it out with your club (not hit it), then take the penalty.

If you break someone’s window, hold harmless or not, you should fess up and make a claim under your Homeowner’s insurance to pay for it.

That’s in the spirit of good sportsmanship, isn’t it?

If one of the guys(including me) hits a ball into someone's yard we will try to get it with a ball retriever. If we can't reach it, the ball stays in the yard.
Playing at Bonifay, on Ft. Walton a person has a sign in their yard that says "Feel free to retrieve your golf ball". Nice. On the other hand playing Bogart executive par 4 hole, if you slice into yards there are signs in several yards that say "KEEP OUT". And they will yell at
golfers who try to get their golf balls.
:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

The fact that you “heard” that in signing at closing you are agreeing to golfers coming on your property is completely wrong.
I live on a golf course and that is not done on closing.
The poster who stated that this is trespassing is correct.
That being said, I am also a golfer who occasionally hits a ball in someone’s yard.,
If it’s close and clearly visible I’ll go pick it up. Most property owners feel the same way.
What we resent is golfers who walk in our flower beds, dig through our bushes and walk on our patios.
You wouldn’t want a neighbor doing that in your landscaping ...don’t do it over some dumb little ball you can’t hit straight.

That's funny(NOT). Speaking of the One Percenters(and Bonifay), I've played there with my Weds group, and there is a guy on one of their courses(it escapes me which one, but I think it's Pensacola?), and his backyard is full of cameras?! I've never met him, but the guys say he's a real jerk?! He comes out and yells at people, if they get anywhere near his line. You'll know it when you drive by it(he's on the left). FORE!!!

I do not care if a golfer comes into my yard to pick up a ball. I certainly do care that he/she pays for a broken window.

Ohiobuckeye
 

I agree with you about breaking a window. People that buy homes on G.C. know they could get a window broke out. Do they think, “Oh good I can get that bad window fixed for FREE if someone puts a golf ball through it”. It’s alright for the home owner to think he can make someone pay for a window but you can’t get your ball even if it’s on the property line. I’ve golf courses where people will have a bucket full of balls & they’ll say help yourself. If people don’t want to get a window knocked out, “Don’t buy a home on the Golf Course”. I bet nobody complained about paying 100 to $150,000. more for a home to have a Golf Course view.

On one Executive course....(Mira Mesa, I believe).....a homeowner has a sign outside their lanai. It says, simply...."If you hook...you may look." It's nice that some folks are that thoughtful.

If any of you lost ball golfers read the Common Etiquette Rules Printed by the Villages a few years ago you would know the Etiquette:

NEVER RETRIEVE A BALL from the yard of a resident. Report any damage to private property to the homeowner.

PLAYING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED beyond the property line of our resident homes, even if not designated by white out-of-bounds stakes.

It is private property...

That's a pretty callous point of view. Yes, you don't have to pay according to the legal system, but there is also such a thing as a Moral Code. Obviously you forgot it.

about 100 yds. down on the left of Destin #4

They couldn't of built the homes any closer to the fairway then they did on that hole. Good thing it's one of the widest fairways and the traps are out of range, if you hit it out of bounds, that's a big hook.

I don't think so. I routinely hit it 30-40 yds. past the left bunker, more if I play the white tees. The right bunker isn't even really in play, unless you tee off with a 9 iron. You basically have to hit a duck hook or a really short pull to get it on this jerks property, but I've seen it happen.

I live on Seminole golf course snd get many balls in my yard. I do t mind golfer picking up their ball just don’t hit it from my yard. Once a year I put my bucket of balls out that I have retrieved to give back to golfers.

When I was a golf ambassador, we were told that golfers could not go on private property to retrieve a ball. I live on a golf course and I do not want strangers in my yard.

Out of Bounds

Leave it, it private property.

So, if hit you’re car parked in street or in parking lot I don’t have to pay for it cause you parked on street or in parking lot. You damage, you pay, if you got ANY integrity.

Ohiobuckeye
 

Yes it’s a callous point but I didn’t say it’s writing in stone what I said but you would be amazed how many people agree with me. I’ve hit balls in yards but if wanted my ball back I would ask & if I broke a window out I would go to that home & tell them. That would be the moral thing to to do. But I still think golf balls will get in their yards & the home owner should know that when they buy that home. I’m just being realistic not callous!

I was thinking of #3 that has the homes close on the left side. On #3 hole and #4 there is so much room on the right, I just aim for the right side and if it goes in the rough, you really can't tell the fairway from the rough on a lot of the holes at Bonifay. Sometimes the rough is a better lie. Destin to Bonifay is my favorite 18, I do not care for Pensacola. Kenya to Hemingway is my other favorite if I had to pick a couple of setups.

Personally, I would never enter someone's yard to pick up one of my golf balls. To me it is common courtesy. On several occasions, I've had a homeowner actually grab the golf ball and hand it to me.

Either way, the cost of a golf ball I buy at Walmart is not worth the invasion of privacy.

Ohiobuckeye
 

Now you’re talking about cars not homes! You’ll have to ask someone else about this. I know what happens if you break a car window out, this happened to me. So I don’t have to agree or disagree. Have a nice day Topspinmo!