Hitting your own balls at the range? Wow.

[hongman]

Geez, I must be going to the wrong range, as I haven't ever seen a top grade pro ball in my bucket!!  Where the heck are these ranges located/

That being said, I just inherited a large number of golf balls from a retired uncle who used to "ball hawk" whenever he walked by a hazard, or an area known to collect errant shots. These are run of the mill Top Flites, Nikes, Maxfli's, etc. with the occassional Titleist or Callaway, but all in very good playable condition.

I am making regular donations of 10-20 of these balls with my usual medium bucket, but would never pull out a brand new sleeve to hit at the range.

[Elmer]

When I go to the range I bring an egg carton of "shag" balls. These are balls that are either scuffed or just as brand I dont play. I should note that I know someone who works at a course and has found thousands of balls. This being the case If I find a ball on a course I either play it or take it to the range. The range balls here at the local golf shop or bad range balls that wont travel over 200 yards. So I usually send a good dozen of what I have in my shag pile. I think the range kid must keep them, because I write "shag" in green all over the ball and never saw one pop up in my bucket.

I think hitting a good ball helps you practice more so than a ball that wont travel the true distance.

[markpf189]

I go to a range which has an assortment of used balls, I always just figured the range buys used balls for cheap somewhere..none are marked range or anything. There are some nice balls in the buckets, usually a few pro v1's. I've never taken any, most of them seem to be in pretty rough condition.

[bunkerputt]

I hit at a range that doesn't have range balls.  All their balls are donated by country clubs or picked up from the course.  You get about 10% high quality 3-piece balls per bucket (pro v1s, callaway itours, bridgestone b330, etc.), the rest are precepts, top flites, titleist two-piece distance balls (nxt), etc....  Some of them are Titleist balata balls from the 80s and 90s.  When I find a crappy ball on the course, I stick it in my bag, then I trade it out with the nice ones at this range.  I've been collecting the decently round balatas and plan on playing a retro round with persimmons at some point.  That's basically how I figured out Taylormade makes some of the best balls around, or at least they did 2 years ago when the TP Red came out.  For me, that ball was 30 yards longer easy, with such a steady flight.  I go to this range at least once a week, so I've probably hit every decent ball on the market since 1985.