Golf Balls???

[SirMilton]

I recently got back into golf after a long layoff (health problems). At $25 to $40 a dozen in the discount stores trying out different golf balls is getting expensive fast, especially when you know you don't like a ball when you hit the first one out of the pack.

Ages ago nearly all golf balls all came with compression ratings 80, 90, 100, 110, etc. and there were solid and wound balls and all kinds of different dimple patterns and dimple numbers and cover materials (remember cut balls?), so you could pretty much tell what you could expect. Oh, and didn't Top Flite make a ball with a bigger diameter called the Magna?

Now, I see almost nothing that helps.

Thus, far since I have been back I have tried Titleist DTs (OK, but not very long for me), Pinnacle Gold (better), Pinnacle Gold Distance (better and longer- may favorite thus far) and Calloway HOT Orange (awful). All of my "older" balls perform about like the titleist DTs.

The Calloway ball feels too light and must be about a 110 compression (it feels like a lump of solid hardened plastic).

I have noticed that lots of balls seem to have adopted a somewhat modified hex dimple (Uniroyal had the first hex dimple ball back in the '70s and it didn't sell well back then). TV ads haven't helped much either.

Any suggestions? Especially, for a ball that's less than $25 a dozen. Right now I can get the Pinnacle Gold Distance ball in a 15 pack for about $15 (Pinnacles were elite balls a generation ago and available only in pro shops at about $10 a sleeve).

[lamebums]

For under $25, I'd suggest the Maxfli Fire or Top Flite D2.

I'd like to try and translate what an old ball would be today, but what sort of ball did you prefer to play back then?

And yes, I picked up the game at the tail end of the era of persimmon drivers and cut balls.

[Zakko]

Titleist NXT Tour
TopFlite D2 Feel
Maxfli Fire Tour

[Bob Dole]

Topflite D2 Feel, it's a pretty nice ball an $15 for 15, you can't beat it.

[myndcraft]

I just played the new Nike Karma this weekend I really liked. I was getting good distance and it had pretty good feel.... To me anyways :D

[lamebums]

To expand a bit on what I'd said before, golf balls have changed a lot since then. In the good old days there were high compression balls and well...higher compression balls. Today, companies are marketing a lot of lower and lower compression balls because well, the average Joe doesn't actually swing that fast and can't use all that compression. So they started marketing, well, dead balls. Although new technology does make them a bit livelier, you still can't get much distance out of a low compression ball if you swing really fast. (I can't get more than 250 out of a low-compression ball).

Low compression: Wilson Fifty, Precept Laddie, Titleist DT/SoLo
High compression: Most 3 piece balls (Nike One, Callaway HX Tour, Titleist ProV1x)

Not sure where Pinnacles and old Top Flites fall, but I'd put them in the average to high range.

[Vanstonica]

I reall like the Nike Mojo...but they're kind of hard to find. I don't know if they make them any more.

I'll echo the sentiments about the D2, however. It really is a pretty good ball for not a lot of coin.

[Shindig]

  SirMilton said:

Any suggestions? Especially, for a ball that's less than $25 a dozen. Right now I can get the Pinnacle Gold Distance ball in a 15 pack for about $15 (Pinnacles were elite balls a generation ago and available only in pro shops at about $10 a sleeve).

I have a sleeve of Wilson 50s, and I saw a dozen of them at Target for $12 a few days ago. I haven't used them yet, but I've heard good things. If I hadn't recently become addicted to the Bridgestone e6s (about $25/dozen ), I'd probably be playing those. Oh, and for any ball, unless you need absolutely positively brand new, consider eBay. There are some reputable sellers out there.