OK golf fans, tell us about your balls !

[frayne]

What ball are you teeing up these days ? ProVs, Nikes, Callaways, Slanzingers, Bridgestones, Wilsons, X-outs, etc. ?

Why is this your ball of choice as compared to others ?

And for the bonus question and please answer honestly, how many balls do you lose per round ?

My answer, my balls vary day to day but pretty much a Titlest and Callaway guy and depending one the course, maybe lose one ball at the most, three on a really bad day on a tough course.

 

[zinger1457]

I like the spin that a 'tour' model ball provides off of wedges and around the green, just about any of the top manufacturers tour model ball works for me. If cost wasn't the issue I would use the Titleist Pro V1X, but I'm cheap and don't like paying $50 for a dozen balls. Other balls that I use and like are Callaway Chrome Soft, Taylor Made Tour Preferred X, Bridgestone Tour B330. My home course is pretty open so don't lose many balls, maybe one every 3 rounds.

You may have seen in some of the golf stores boxes of Titleist ProV1 'Practice' balls. I'm not talking about refinished or recycled balls. These are balls that Titleist sells in a black and white box and claims are 100% the same functionally as new ProV1's but have failed their QA test for paint or cosmetic issues. I've used them and see no difference, a great deal for about 1/2 the price.

 

[RockyMtn]

I like Titleist Pro V1x. Also like Callaway Chrome Soft. I may lose a ball every other round.

I live on a golf course and just walk over to the pond by my house and can pull a couple of Pro V's out just about any day! As long as they haven't been sitting in the water long they play like new. I also get about one ball a week deposited in my back yard. Haven't bought balls since we moved in a year and a half ago.

The balls that I find that don't make the cut are put in a bucket and then I launch them back into the water when I need some wedge practice from the back yard.

As an added bonus the pond has some nice sized largemouth bass that I am very fond of catching as well!

 

[Car-Guy]

And for the bonus question and please answer honestly, how many balls do you lose per round ?

Honestly, zero.... Same number of rounds of golf I have played in my life. (Unless you count Putt-Putt that I played about 40 to 50 years ago)

 

[Samething]

I usually play Bridgestone B330's. I would love to play Pro V's but I'm way to cheep for that. My regular group plays a variety of courses. Lots of tracks to choose from within a hours drive. I probably average 1 lost ball a round. Currently a 10.3.

 

[6miths]

Usually get the pond/forest balls. Quality depends on the course one is playing or can take the mystery out of it and get them by the bucket at Walmart. My loss rate is also dependent on the course. If a good deal of water and/or an unfamiliar course the usually 2-4 but tend to come out net positive because i have a sharp eye and people don't seem to value their balls as much as when I was a caddie as a kid.

Best deal and easiest pickin's is off the dock at the cottage as the kids next door pound out balls a few times each summer. Makes snorkeling much more fun!

 

[Big_Hitter]

wilson staff fiddys or duos. i may lose one or two a round

 

[HadEnuff]

I gave the game up for 10 years. When I took it up again I decided to play only one brand, the Titleist ProV1. Not because I'm that great, but I just thought I'd take out the vagaries that may exist between brands. They are the most expensive ball out there, so, in deference to my frugality, I only buy "mint" condition used ProV1s on eBay... around a buck a ball...and they look just like a brand new one would look after I play one hole...like I'm going to change balls after a hole?

I now have so many of them that my shag bag and my chipping balls are all ProV1s... just like a pro.
And BTW, it makes no difference... I play just as well (or just as poorly) with any old POS ball I find in the bushes. stupid game.

 

[AllDone]

I live on a golf course. What kind of balls do you want? Callaway, Top Flite, Titleist? I've got 'em all. We mostly practice catch and release and lob them back onto the course. I like to wait until the tee box on 5 is empty and then toss the ball down to try and confuse the next group of players when they do arrive.

Also, if you are trying to get out of the rough near my house, open the face a little so you don't scare my dogs.

 

[Starsky]

If I don't feel like paying for X'd out ProV1x's, my ball of choice is the Noodle Long and Soft. A good round is one where I have the same ball I started with at the end of the round - about 10-15% of the time. I lose one or two balls a round on a typical day, and when I'm playing a new course I probably lose double that.

 

[Huston55]

Past: Mostly Various Bridgestones (especially "FIX"), Wilson Staff 50 & Duo
Present: Precept Laddy
Future: Nike RZN (close out sale)
Lost: Depends on the course; 0-3/round

I played the Bridgestone FIX the longest because it performed well along with being a good value.

 

[Fishingmn]

Being the frugal type I do enjoy finding more golf balls than I need.

Normally, I play the better balls and give the others to friends of mine that seem to lose them a lot.

 

[exnavynuke]

Generally I play Slazenger's that I get used (AAAA-AAA) off of Ebay (~$0.45/ball shipped). How many I lose per round really depends on the course I play. At the Frog or Bridgemill I tend to lose 0-2 per round. Some courses around here you can land in the fairway and have your ball lost 30 yards off the fairway in the woods though. In courses more like that around here I'll lose 3-6+/round. In fact, I won't play Woodland Hills anymore because I'm likely to spend more on lost balls than I pay for the round of golf itself (terribly designed course).

 

[Dawg52]

I also live on the golf course. I find a few everyday when walking the dog. So never have to buy any. I mainly keep the good one's like Pro V1, Bridgestone B330 and Callaway Chrome soft. The rest I use as practice balls. I don't lose many, maybe 1 every 2-3 rounds.

 

[Revlefty]

Titleist NXT. I like how it feels. I find so many golf balls that I have them for sale on Facebook for 10 cents a ball. People around here buy them and hit theminto cornfields instead of going to a driving range.

 

[MichaelB]

Generally I play Slazenger's that I get used (AAAA-AAA) off of Ebay (~$0.45/ball shipped). How many I lose per round really depends on the course I play.

Did you ever pick up a Slazenger 7 instead of a 1 by mistake?

 

[ponyboy]

Thank you to all you hackers who tee up prov's and launch them in the woods. Ive found hundreds of them over the years...never bought these overpriced balls but glad to play them. Ill play any "pro" ball that I find because it helps sooo much considering I rarely break 80.

 

[exnavynuke]

Did you ever pick up a Slazenger 7 instead of a 1 by mistake?

Nope, never played with Bond either though

 

[pb4uski]

I generally buy high grade, used non-ProV Titleists from the Red Barn (a local flea market type place) or at Walmart. They tend to be NXT, NXT Tour, Velocity, DT Solo, etc and I don't notice any difference between these models. I actually dislike Pro V1 and Pro V1x as I find them harder to hit but I do find some and play them.

In chatting with the guy at the Red Barn, I found out that a grade B ball that has a lot of player markings is downgraded to a grade C.... so I buy grade C's but examine them carefully to make sure I get the better ones (good finish, no scuffs) but if they have player markings I don't mind as it just makes it easier for me to identify my ball.

I typically find a fair amount of balls while playing. I give some to DW and others I will accumulate and use when I play a course that has a lot of water.

I usually lose 0-2 balls per round but if we play a course with a lot of water then perhaps more. Since my cost of balls is about 50-65 cents each, I don't spend a lot of time looking for lost balls... I'm more concerned about penalty strokes than lost balls so I will spend more time looking for a ball that is close to OB than one in a lateral hazard (unless I think it will be playable).

 

[pb4uski]

.... I don't lose many, maybe 1 every 2-3 rounds.

That actually brings me to a question... how long to play with a ball if you don't lose it or scuff it up by hitting a cart path or something? In those rare instances where I play a round or two without losing a ball... when do I let it retire? Are good balls entitled to retire early?

 

[eytonxav]

I really need a ball that emits an RF signal to help me find them. I can hit a great long drive right down the middle of the fairway, and then cannot locate the ball in a timely manner. Other than that, I usually play Bridgestone balls, I think 6e. I have heard that the Costco balls are great, but it seems they are never in stock.

 

[frayne]

That actually brings me to a question... how long to play with a ball if you don't lose it or scuff it up by hitting a cart path or something? In those rare instances where I play a round or two without losing a ball... when do I let it retire? Are good balls entitled to retire early?

Good question and I have often wonder if there is a shelf life for golf balls as well. Or how freeze and thaw cycles may affect a ball's performance ?

 

[zinger1457]

There was a interesting discussion in the March issue of Golf Digest about golf balls. The answers came from someone who has been a golf ball designer for Titleist and TaylorMade.

- Golf balls can survive more than 250 hits with a driver before they deterioration. Minor scuff marks do not affect the golf ball. So keep playing them until you lose them.
- Water does affect the golf ball, it seeps into the core, a ball that has been in the water for 2-3 weeks will lose distance.
- Heat does affect distance, golf balls travel about 6 yards further in 100 degree temperature, you'll lose distance at 40 degrees. I guess there is a benefit to playing in Phoenix in the summer other than the cheaper rates.
- Putting any type of grease like vaseline or suncreen on your driver face will help you to hit it straighter, it reduces side spin, and it's also against the rules.
- Don't use range balls to gauge your club distances. Test have shown the balls can vary by up to 30 yards on a 7 iron swing speed.

 

[Big_Hitter]

That actually brings me to a question... how long to play with a ball if you don't lose it or scuff it up by hitting a cart path or something? In those rare instances where I play a round or two without losing a ball... when do I let it retire? Are good balls entitled to retire early?

I keep playing with it until the round is over, then it goes in the shag bag.

I usually start a round with a new ball.