A lot of that depends on the course. One year I belonged to an old country club. Very nice course, average difficulty, a little on the shorter side. A mis-hit would be find-able among the trees. There was not much water in play and no crazy vegetation. OB was pretty far off line. So even though I was not as good as I am today, I could play a long time without losing a ball.
The courses I play now are more modern. They are longer, have OB that is close, gnarly brush/woods just off fairways and greens, and more water in play. Plus there are some risk/reward situations that include risking the loss of ball. It is very rare to not lose a ball or two, even for a guy with half my handicap.
If you play that type of course and only lose a dozen balls a year, my hat is off to you! And when I make it to your neighborhood, you're giving me strokes!
