Friendly Neighbour...

This happened to a friend of mine earlier this summer, and I've wondered from time to time regarding the situation.

#18 of Champlain, IIRC. Dogleg left with OB on the left (somebody's backyard). Friend is a lefty, slices it into said backyard. The rest of us tee off, and he is about to hit a second shot, when we notice the owner of the backyard picking up the ball, and throwing out into the center of the fairway.

Aside from the good fortune of not losing the golf ball, is there anything else to the situation? Or is he in **** if he refrains from hitting a second ball and instead plays the first which is now in the fairway?

For the record, he did play a second ball counting the first one as lost/OB.

If it hits a fan and goes into the fairway thats where they play it. Should be considered an outside agency. Dunno but thats the way I'd play it.

His ball is OOB ..... sometimes its possible its been thrown back but nobody saw it happen and everyone simply assumes it got a kick off a tree or awesome bounce off a roof etc

Not until it comes to rest. I think!

Since the outside agency picked it up (was not hit by it) and threw it to the fairway (it didn't boundce off his head) then the ball must have been at rest. They saw the outside agency move the ball. The ball is OB.

Ball at Rest Moved
18-1. By Outside Agency

If a ball at rest is moved by an outside agency, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced.
Note: It is a question of fact whether a ball has been moved by an outside agency. In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that an outside agency has moved the ball. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must play the ball as it lies or, if the ball is not found, proceed under Rule 27-1.