(1)lost ball & (2) putting green

Question
Club Championships! 1. We have birds who (sometimes) badly damage our putting holes. When and by whom can those holes be repaired when we have reached the green. (There is no local rule to cover this)
(2) I hit a ball off the tee. It hits a tree, neither myself or my marker sees where it lands. The 2 we are playing with say we know where it is and go to the area. Unaware that it is in an area where elephants go to die - I  go towards the ball - as I get closer I decide I don't want to find it as it will be impossible to hit or take the correct relief - before I can declare it lost - one of the other players says they have found it. It is impossible to hit - no point dropping - no better lie. Question , because someone else has found it before I have declared it lost - what options do I have. I know I can declare it unplayable and go back to the tee but my playing partners are not part of "my" match - can I disregard the fact that they have found my ball. (I know I could still have gone back to the tee but at that stage the field was jamming up, I was under pressure & in the end I stupidly tried to hit my ball and eventually picked it up and DQ'd.)

Answer
Hi Marie:

You can repair a hole that is damaged, but it is advisable to not touch the inside of the hole.  I would call over a fellow player or official, point out the damage, and proceed to fix it.  In reference to your question #2, if your ball is found before the 5 minute limit or before you actually declare the ball lost, then you must play your original ball.  The players were in your group, so they were helping you look for the ball.  You now have to deal with your original ball.  If you cannot play your ball, then you must play under the unplayable lie rule and proceed.  Your options are two clubs from where the ball lay, or keeping that point where the ball is between you and the hole and going back as far as you want, or going back to where you originally hit the shot from.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member