Balls - wear them out or lose them?

[2bGood]

Do you tend to lose a ball before it gets too scuffed to play?


For me I have been playing last years Pro V1 and though my cap isn't all that low I end to average about 20-25 holes before I will lose a ball. With the 2008 Pro V1's I find I getabout 12-14 holes out of them before they get pretty rough. Most days I just play the ball for the full 18 and then shag bag it or save it for a winter all, but if I am on pace for "good" score or in a tournement I find I need two balls for the round.

[jonjones]

I rarely lose balls. Maybe 1 every couple of rounds. I typically play 9 holes per ball. Once I get a scuff or 2 I will get a new one and throw the old one in my shag bag. Some players have superstitions, habits or whatever. For example, Ernie Els gets a new ball after making a birdie.

[Zeph]

I think I can count the amount of balls I've put away due to wear on...two fingers.

Been getting better lately, the last 30 holes I played was with the same ball. It started getting worn out, noticed mostly on the green, it felt a bit harder as the outer coating was worn.

[cody west]

i lose so manyh balls in practice rounds or for fun with my friends like 1 every 2 rounds and usually its because im to lazy to go pick up a provisional.
in tournament play and school practice i havent lost a ball in 72 holes

the only reason to lose a ball is if you hit it ob and if it goes there i dont want it back

[goblue107501]

I will use them until they are worn out. Usually that is 10-12 holes. If a ball gets 'retired' before it gets lost, it will go back in the bag to be used in scrambles. I like using the older balls to tee off in scrambles so if I can't find it right away I can just leave it, if the team doesn't need to play it.

[bogeyhitter25]

99% of the time I lose the ball before it gets too scuffed to play.

[microcrayfish]

I usually play with them until I lose them. If I'm playing a round to post a score for my handicap then I like to use a new or newish ball but if it's just a practice round or I'm out there to work on something then I keep using the old ones until they get lost. I've been thinking about saving a few to use just for short game practice but right now I'm having those end of school year budget woes so I'm getting as much use out of my golf balls as I can.

[J-Rob]

I lose quite a few golf balls and rarely ever play them until they are battered.

[clubhousehero]

If a ball is really scuffed i usually but it in a separate pocket in my bag an use it latter in the round on holes where i have a higher probability of loosing a ball. Like a tight hole with lots of OB or lots of water. I also save them for those rounds where i'm really spraying the ball all over the place. That way i don't feel so bad about just dropping another ball when i can't find mine, to keep the round moving.

[enis750]

I would say 50/50 for me
I lost a tonne of balls this year in scrambles, trying stupid stuff I would normally never try
Also, playing new courses, I tend to lose one a round or so

sucks.....have to scramble too much then!! haha!1

but these new Gamers I am trying out, I used 3 balls in 18 holes - NOT durable at all!
good ball, but that's too many for one round

[Big_M]

Depending which ball I'm playing I might loose 1-2 due to over scuffing and between 0-2 in woods, water, or otherwise. Sometimes I'll play a couple rounds never loosing a ball, another round I'll hit 3 into the woods.

One of the courses I play regularly has a lot of real thick woods bordering many of the holes... it also has a fair share of wetlands encroaching some greens and fairways... so loosing a ball doesn't necessarily take a lot.

Back in Toledo I played a course where I could go 5 rounds w/o loosing a ball or taking a penalty stroke for that matter... lots of balls got retired when I played there.

[imtomtomim]

Funny that you post this up. I've been playing the same crappy beat up tp black for 282 holes now. I've had to redraw the line on it 7 times. The cover has been shredded up yet I seem to be able to rub it smooth before I putt and I can't seem to stop using it. The dimples are the only part that's semi-white on it. I've put good and bad rounds on it including the first time I broke par @ 3 under. I'm definitley getting my value out of that ball, definitely makes up for all of the premium balls I've lost in the woods. All my playing partners make fun of me for it but I want to see how long I can go with it. I'm hoping I'll crack it before I lose it haha.

[flopdarock]

the past 1 1/2 rounds im using a callaway tourix or something... its in pretty decent condition and im gonna play it tomorrow...

it all depends on the course im playing and how my game is going... really unfamiliar courses tend to eat my golfballs in the middle of fw's...

i pretty much avg a ball a round...

oh yeah it also depends on my wedge play... i once broke open a brand new nike one platinum... on the very first hole i played it out of the sand and it got so scuffed i was afraid id miss my putts and retired it... one hole

[Greg]

ill lose generally 2-3 every time i play, sometimes i wont lose any. I use cheap balls so i dont worry about losing them too much. Like sat i hit one ball in the water and couldnt find another so lost 2. But using 45 cent golf balls i dont sweat it.

[David in FL]

I start every round with a new ball. I get 9 or 10 rounds out of a dozen.

[MI Rob]

Probably 50/50 for me also. I put a ball back in my bag when it has some nice scuffs on it. Probably something mental for me but I dont buy brand new Pro V1's anymore. But when I play a new course I might lose a ball or so.

[TheLauncher]

If I were to wear my balls out I think I'd run the risk of offending the other patrons of the course.


Seriously though, I'm pretty happy when I've worn a ball out enough for it to be marginally playable. I had a few this year that I played for over 18 holes, and eventually lost. I rarely play them long enough to get really bad, unless they get a bad scuff from a tree or path.

[2bGood]

Funny that you post this up. I've been playing the same crappy beat up tp black for 282 holes now. I've had to redraw the line on it 7 times. The cover has been shredded up yet I seem to be able to rub it smooth before I putt and I can't seem to stop using it. The dimples are the only part that's semi-white on it. I've put good and bad rounds on it including the first time I broke par @ 3 under. I'm definitley getting my value out of that ball, definitely makes up for all of the premium balls I've lost in the woods. All my playing partners make fun of me for it but I want to see how long I can go with it. I'm hoping I'll crack it before I lose it haha.

Very cool. I am not sure I could do this, I seem to damage my ball by peeling a big 1/4" strip out of them from time to time.