Jack Bowling wrote:

And ravens once and a while come in and
>pick up a ball just for something to do. However, I have no evidence that
>ravens eat golf balls.


Out here in POrt Alberni, there are stories of Bald Eagles that have
descended and removed golf balls from the fairways. This may have only
occurred once, perhaps it thought its egg had fallen from the nest? Not
likely, anyway, the eagle apparently dropped the ball farther up the
fairway. I don't know about golf rules when balls are relocated by
*natural* means.
In this case, would the golfer not get a "double-eagle"?
Cheers,

Don Cecile
Port Alberni, BC, CANADA V9Y 6Z5
eMAIL: dcecile at cln.etc.bc.ca