How Many Golf Balls do You Need?

[ChetlovesMer]

So, I'm cleaning out my closet yesterday. 

I find that in addition to what ever is in my bag I have 8 dozen golf balls in there. I have 4 boxes of Srixon Z-Star Divide, and I have 4 dozen Taylormade Tour Response Stripe golf balls. (2 dozen yellow and 2 dozen of the blue). 

Last year I went the entire season, including 2 travel trips, 1 day trip, 3 tournaments, and Wednesday Night golf league with only 6 dozen balls in my closet at this time last year. (And I still have a bunch of those left in my bag.) Oddly, I seem to remember 2 terrible rounds in which I'd swear I lost 4 balls per hole. ... The math doesn't work out on that, so it must not have been as bad as I thought. (What do you want from a guy who went to Ch!cago PubIic SchooIs. 😛)

Anyway, I know my game is improving because I don't go through nearly as many golf balls as I used to. I'd also add that the Srixon Divide seems to be a pretty long lasting ball. It doesn't scuff anywhere near as quickly as the Volvik Vivid's I used to play... That may or may not be a fact, but it sure seems that way. 

So, I'm curious, how many golf balls do you figure you go through in a season? 

I'll start; Last year I think I went through about 4-1/2 dozen golf balls. 👍

[billchao]

1 hour ago, ChetlovesMer said:

So, I'm curious, how many golf balls do you figure you go through in a season? 

A lot. I think I lose an average of 3-4 balls per round.

[woodzie264]

45 minutes ago, billchao said:

A lot. I think I lose an average of 3-4 balls per round.

That has to be an exaggeration! You are more in control than that, from what I recall anyways ☺️

2 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

 (What do you want from a guy who went to Ch!cago PubIic SchooIs. 😛)

Why do you use an exclamation point in Chicago? 😉

I don’t play but maybe 20-22 times/year and lose on average 1/round so I go through not quite 2 boxes/year I’d guess…admittedly I’ve never kept track. It would be interesting to see. I haven’t played yet this year but am due to play 2 round next month so I’ll start keeping a tally 

[ChetlovesMer]

1 hour ago, woodzie264 said:

Why do you use an exclamation point in Chicago? 😉

Long story. But it comes down to somebody being annoyed with my referencing the poor quality of my primary education as an excuse for any poor math or grammar skills displayed while posting on this forum. 🤪

[DeadMan]

3 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

So, I'm curious, how many golf balls do you figure you go through in a season? 

I figure, on average, I lose 1 ball a round. But I will also retire balls that get cart path scuffs or bad wedge scuffs. In total, I think I go through roughly 3 dozen balls a year. 

[billchao]

2 hours ago, woodzie264 said:

That has to be an exaggeration! You are more in control than that, from what I recall anyways

No I think it’s about right. There are rounds I can lose 6 balls or more and there are rounds I don’t lose a single one (not for lack of trying).

[pganapathy]

I reckon I might lose at most one ball a round on average so depending on how many rounds I play, that would be the number.  I have never actually counted or ever kept track of when and how many balls I purchase.  Retiring golf balls from the bag (cart path/tree impact type thing) is rare because I mostly wind up putting my older golf balls in my parents bags.  They play a lot less and don't really benefit much from a new/newer ball since they are around 80 and play only when I drag them to the course

[ChetlovesMer]

4 minutes ago, billchao said:

No I think it’s about right. There are rounds I can lose 6 balls or more and there are rounds I don’t lose a single one (not for lack of trying).

I once played in a TST meet up with @Carl3. I'm pretty sure I would have lost a ball per hole, possibly two, if not for Carl actually hunting them down for me. At the time they were all Volvik Vivid Sherbet. 

It may not have been the worst round I'd ever played, but if I was making a list it would have to be on it. 

36 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

But I will also retire balls that get cart path scuffs or bad wedge scuffs. 

I think I did this much more often when I played the Volvik Vivid Sherbet golf ball. But now that I play the Srixon z-star divide, I either chew them up less, or they are simply more robust. I actually played one ball for 30 holes of league play and it held up... Until I deposited it onto the deck of some poor soul's house on number 4 at Bent Tree GC.

In fairness to the ball, it was probably still playable, if not retrievable. 

[Elmer]

I can lose anywhere from none to a few per round. Depending on how much of a blow up I have on the course.  I once shanked 3 straight balls into the woods and then threw a 4th at the trees out of anger.

I know someone who works greens & lawn at a local golf course. They give me 50 balls a year.
So over time I have amassed nearly 500 golf balls in my garage.
So if i scuff a ball I will leave it on the tee box for someone else. or If I hit into the woods I don't even bother looking. 

[David L Yskes]

well, considering i bought 20 boxes of Kirkland's last spring....  

I think all of last year i was probably losing 1 or 2 balls per round usually to water or the woods..

But my main problem is tearing up the cover of the kirkland balls.     

I'm sure i'll buy another 10 or so boxes this spring lol  

[roejye]

I honestly have no clue how many balls I use/lose over a season. My home course has a couple holes that can eat up balls, but you can also spend a couple minutes and come out with a half dozen in good shape. I would say I lose 1 ball per round, but often come out ahead on the day.

[Denny Bang Bang]

I probably average losing a ball per round, so really just depends how much I play.  Currently sitting on about 15 dozen… could take a while to go through them

[Carl3]

On 2/10/2023 at 10:54 AM, ChetlovesMer said:

I once played in a TST meet up with @Carl3. I'm pretty sure I would have lost a ball per hole, possibly two, if not for Carl actually hunting them down for me. At the time they were all Volvik Vivid Sherbet. 

I don't remember you losing a bunch. I do recall playing with someone else who had lost maybe 10 balls on the front nine and there was some sort of bet his buddy had that if he lost at least 18 balls, some cash would pass hands. I think he only lost 14 that round 🤣

In recent history losing more than one ball in a round is very rare for me and sometimes I may go several rounds without losing one. Over a season of 40 to 45 rounds I might go through 3 to 4 dozen, with a good portion of those early in the season with errant shots plus wet, soggy conditions. I might record 30 to 35 rounds in GHIN and the others are solo or partial practice rounds mostly in the spring. I have three dozen sitting in boxes, with maybe 9 in my bag from last year. I never have more than a dozen in my bag.

[GolfLug]

I am with ball a round crowd, so between three to four dozen a year. I retire one after two rounds of I haven't lost it.

[NZ Golfer]

My local Golf course isn't too bad for losing ball so sometimes get 5-6 rounds out of the same balls I don't see any noticeable drop off in performance and no way would I only play for 1x round  .. then usually they are so bad looking they go to the practice ball bag .. did play a 5x round over 5 days, different course each day couple weeks back where I lost several balls in the first two days (strong winds rain, hard tight FW courses)...

I know I should stick to the same ball ..but have a real mixture prob around 5 doz on hand at present .. I've filled my bag up with just Pro-v1, AVX , Pro-v1x .. and couple light green Callaway supersoft for the practice green when its busy pre round...

Edited April 8, 2023 by NZ Golfer

[ChiTown]

I try to carry a dozen balls when I start a round. I don’t plan to lose a lot of balls. But it’s fair to say I’ll lose at least 2-3 on water approach shots or deep rough. When I play during the week if the course is quiet if I lose a ball into the water I’ll take a few practice shots from the same area to work on things (very Tin Cup). I start each season with four dozen, and I usually have balls leftover. Hah

[pganapathy]

I got three dozen new balls (2 dozen 3 piece balls I bought for tournaments and a dozen 2 piece I bought for daily use) along with another dozen used Titleist balls I purchased the last time I played.  Will actually try to keep a track of it and see if how long they last and how many rounds I play.

[ChetlovesMer]

On 4/8/2023 at 6:56 AM, Carl3 said:

I don't remember you losing a bunch.

It's also possible that I exaggerate. ...🤪