Playing rounds with x-outs, refurb, and practice balls

[01somta]

I was looking for opinions on playing rounds with x-outs, refurbished, overruns, practice balls and so on. What criteria do these balls have to meet to be labled such? Is one better to play with then the others?

Thanks Dustin

[Comeback]

overrun balls are just extra logo balls a company has produced, they are exactly the same as regular balls. X-outs are balls that the manufacture has produced that are not up to the manufactures standards mostly cosmetic, IMHO they are perfectly fine to play with. Refurbished balls are used balls that are cleaned and resold, you are able to buy them in different grades. Usally they are sold at great discounts and are fine to play check out lostgolfballs.com . WARNING DO NOT buy refinished balls. I do not know about practice balls, i have found a few taylormade practice balls and hit them but they did not feel quite right almost like range balls.

[jamo]

  Comeback said:

WARNING DO NOT buy refinished balls. I do not know about practice balls, i have found a few taylormade practice balls and hit them but they did not feel quite right almost like range balls.

A lot of times refinished balls are striped of their paint and repainted. Practice balls are the same thing as X-outs though.

[zeg]

I like overruns, but only if I can buy them in person to pick out a decent logo and make sure they match. Saves the trouble of marking your ball.

I've not bought x-outs or refurbished, but I imagine that for almost everyone on here they'd be fine. I think I'd have a mental issue playing x-outs just because of the little markings staring at me, though...

[Tomboys]

  01somta said:

I was looking for opinions on playing rounds with x-outs, refurbished, overruns, practice balls and so on. What criteria do these balls have to meet to be labled such? Is one better to play with then the others?

Hopefully, this helps,

http://www.titleist.com/customerserv...sp?faqid=62475

[ohiolefty]

Overruns are fine. Lost, washed balls are fine. Refurbs are not. Don't buy refurbished balls.

For lost balls, Lostgolfballs.com is good, as is KNet golf.

[01somta]

Thanks for all the help guys, I just order 50 Pro V1s from lostgolfballs.com. I also ordered some tees it's hard to beat $7.95 for 500 and you get to pick the color!!

[grandaddy510]

i've bought a 100 box of nike one blacks that were stamped practice on them from ebay for like .80c /ball shipped. they felt and performed just like store bought ones i've used before, couldn't tell the difference. also just picked up some AAAAA rated titleists nxt for .65c /ball shipped, a few with logos but most look brand new, a few with a tiny scuff, one hit wonders. these are for casual rounds, skins with the 4 some ect. no problems. never tried refurbished ones, see them all the time especially pro-v's never trusted them tho.

[dbuck]

This is what I understand:

Practice balls are usually only a cosmetic blemish--manytimes undetectable except for the "practice" marking. They should be no discernible difference in playing characteristics-at least for most of us. My understanding is they are legal for play in all cases if the regular ball is legal.

X-outs are balls that do not meet the manufacuturers specifications in one way or another; they can possibly not meet specifications for legal play. Most of us again would not recognize the difference in play. The way I understand it, they are not illegal, per se, but basically each ball would have to be tested to determine legal specs, so if this could not be done they might be illegal. I have used them frequently for non USGA tournaments and casual rounds.

I don't know if x-outs would be legal for non-tournament but handicap rounds.

Used balls are just that, and you pays your money and takes your chances, but most bonified sellers have a fairly reasonable grading system. I am planning to try out lostgolfballs for myself soon.

I have no experience with refurbs, but most knowledgable folks on here say to stay away.

[01somta]

I will definetly let you know what I think of the Pro V1s from lostgolfballs.com

[zeg]

  dbuck said:

X-outs are balls that do not meet the manufacuturers specifications in one way or another; they can possibly not meet specifications for legal play. Most of us again would not recognize the difference in play. The way I understand it, they are not illegal, per se, but basically each ball would have to be tested to determine legal specs, so if this could not be done they might be illegal. I have used them frequently for non USGA tournaments and casual rounds.

The rule with golf balls is that unless they're obviously out of spec (like wrong weight or size), the presumption is that they are legal. This is true even in competitive rounds (unless a condition of competition specifies that balls must be on the approved list). Thus, even in a competitive round you'd be within the rules using an X-out. However, if someone accused you of using an out-of-spec ball and went to the trouble to test it, you would run the risk of being DQ if it turned out not to pass.

I'd say that's a pretty unlikely scenario---I think most competitions where there'd be someone with the resources and interest in calling you out and testing already require listed balls to begin with.

[Fourputt]

There was a time when X-outs were not allowed for sanctioned play, but that has since been changed, with certain qualifications. The reasoning was that they could not be certain that they conformed to the performance requirements on the rules. However, the likelihood that they would exceed what is allowed was so small that the blanket prohibition was lifted. This is what I've been led to believe anyway.

In any case, practice balls are allowed under the rules of golf, and X-out balls are allowed with conditions. The following Decision gives the whole story. Note that there is a difference between "practice" and "X-out"

  None said:

Q. What is the status of "X-out," "refurbished" and "practice" balls? A. "X-out" is the common name used for a golf ball that a manufacturer considers to be imperfect (usually for aesthetic reasons only, e.g., paint or printing errors) and, therefore, has crossed out the brand name. A "refurbished" golf ball is a second-hand ball that has been cleaned and stamped as "refurbished." In the absence of strong evidence to suggest that an "X-out" or "refurbished" ball does not conform to the Rules, it is permissible for such a ball to be used. However, in a competition where the Committee has adopted the condition that the ball the player plays must be named on the List of Conforming Golf Balls (see Note to Rule 5-1), such a ball may not be used, even if the ball in question (without the X's or without the "refurbished" stamp) does appear on the List. In most cases, "practice" balls are simply listed, conforming golf balls that have been stamped "Practice," in the same way that golf balls often feature a club or company logo. Such balls may be used even where the Committee has adopted the condition that the ball the player plays must be named on the List of Conforming Golf Balls.