Pros on the Range

[binga7]

Watching some footage today got me thinking, you know how the pros just grab a bag or two of balls and hit the range before the round, well they all use different balls (Titleist, Callaway, TM etc...) so does the course offer different balls on the range or would they all just be Pro V1's?

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, binga7 said:

Watching some footage today got me thinking, you know how the pros just grab a bag or two of balls and hit the range before the round, well they all use different balls (Titleist, Callaway, TM etc...) so does the course offer different balls on the range or would they all just be Pro V1's?

The PGA Tour makes the various brands of balls available. The manufacturers supply them.

[binga7]

Good to know, thanks.

[Vinsk]

When’s the last time a PGA Pro hit a ball with a red stripe on it? 😃

[billchao]

16 hours ago, Vinsk said:

When’s the last time a PGA Pro hit a ball with a red stripe on it? 😃

Phil hits one every day 😉

[RandyBobbitt]

I was a sportswriter about 20 years ago and did a story on the behind-the-scenes details of running a pro golf tournament. I was told that various manufacturers each provided a few thousand balls so players using that ball in competition would have the same model to practice with. Every few hours the machines would collect the balls and volunteers would wash and sort them. At the end of the week the balls (marked "practice") would be donated to local junior golf. As far as I know, that's still how it's done. I'm guessing that today they would provide Pro V-1 and Pro V-1x, Taylormade TP5 and TP5x, Bridgestone B330, Srixon Z-Star, Callaway Chrome Soft and Chrome Soft x, etc. 

I've been a volunteer working the range at LPGA tournaments and have noticed that only Pro V-1s are available for practice. They are re-used for several tournaments and then replaced. Some players who don't like that ball bring their own to hit on the range but have no way to get them back.