The potential energy of a golf ball in a hole is negative with respect to the ground.?

Question

Under what circumstances (if any) is the ball’s kinetic energy negative? Its rest energy?

Answer 1

If you lift a 100 pound weight one foot you increase its potential energy 100 pound-feet. It now has the 'potential' to do 100 pound-feet of work returning to the ground. The golf ball must be lifted to the ground (increase its potential energy) and has less (negative) potential energy in the hole. A golf ball lying on the ground has no velocity or kinetic energy with respect to the ground but is rotating with the earth and orbiting the sun having kinetic energy in a different system boundary. When you drive the golf ball increasing its elevation and motion you have added potential energy (height) and kinetic energy (velocity). Gravity will transform the potential energy to kinetic energy as the ball drops and wind resistance will use up all available energy except that lost in impact and during any roll. If the ball has positive kinetic energy moving north it has negative kinetic energy moving south when that distinction has any use.

Answer 2

kinetic energy is always positive or zero in which ever frame of reference