How long do you use a golf ball?

[Valleygolfer]

I'm pretty particular about what brand of golf ball I'm using. However I play a lot of found balls. Sometimes I play a ball that's got random markings and some rather ugly marked up balls. I also will not clean my golf ball very often and we'll play a scuffed beat up ball until it is cut or lost. I don't lose golf balls as often anymore so some of my golf ball stay in rotation many rounds. I recently had a playing partner complaining about my golf ball and how ugly it was and it was making him crazy that I was using a reddish blotchy dirty Pro V1 for the whole round. It got to a point where I just kept using it to bust his chops anyway. I don't see any point in changing a ball that is performing decent even if it is scuffed up or has weird markings on it however this time of year a dirty ball is tough to see. Does anybody have any opinions on playing a scuffed up ball? I just don't see it matters much but I could be wrong. Is there any documentation on whether a scuffed up ball performs worse than a standard brand new ball?

[uitar9]

I do clean mine but more out of habit. I leave them on the ground once they are scuffed/cut up.

[Lihu]

I've been using this proV1X I found about 4 months ago. I switch between that and a few other proV1 type balls kicking in my bag. They still have some spring and spin. So, they still work, I guess...

[Natural Patrick]

I will play a ball until it cut's. I won't play a ball with a cart path scuff mark on it.

[woodzie264]

Until it's cut or lost...almost always the latter

[Hardspoon]

I usually lose a ball or two per round, so it's rare that I'll "retire" a ball unless it's actually cut or REALLY scuffed.  I can't remember the last time that happened.

[TourSpoon]

I don't normally take a ball out of play during a round unless it gets really scuffed, like hitting a cart path. I keep them clean, especially on the putting ground. If a ball does get retired it goes to the shag bag. If I find a ball, I typically donate them back to the course's driving range unless it's a pristine pro-v. Occasionally, a ball may make a second round appearance, especially if it is in good shape. 

[14ledo81]

I'll play a pretty beat up ball. The look of it doesn't bother me.  Typically I lose them before they get to bad though.

[jamo]

Unless there's a big cut in it, I'll still use it. Losing a little paint isn't really an issue. 

[AbsoluteTruths]

I use till it has cart path or tree scuff or lost. Any ball with a scuff goes in my shag bag for practice.

[bm85]

I will play a ball until it gets a deep wound, or I can't find it.

[Valleygolfer]

I agree with most here. I can tolerate a pretty beat up ball, almost a medal of honor for making it through many rounds. Cut or cover gouged is done though. I am not sure why people insist on a brand new shiny ball every round except if you are a pro and sponsored.

[Natural Patrick]

5 hours ago, AbsoluteTruths said:

I use till it has cart path or tree scuff or lost. Any ball with a scuff goes in my shag bag for practice.

Yeah I have 2 shag bags full, and could fill another pretty easy.

2 minutes ago, Valleygolfer said:

I agree with most here. I can tolerate a pretty beat up ball, almost a medal of honor for making it through many rounds. Cut or cover gouged is done though. I am not sure why people insist on a brand new shiny ball every round except if you are a pro and sponsored.

Because playing a new ball for a new round, brings you good luck right?

[Valleygolfer]

9 minutes ago, Natural Patrick said:

Yeah I have 2 shag bags full, and could fill another pretty easy.

Because playing a new ball for a new round, brings you good luck right?

I wish I could blame thing on bad luck or good luck...

[Jackal66]

I play til it's lost or scuffed.

Usually, lost.

I pick up stray balls and play them, if not scuffed.

Save all my scuffed for shag bag.

 

[boogielicious]

I will play it until it is cut like others have stated. I play ProV1 and get them from Lost Golf Balls. They last a long time. I use the cut ones for short game practice.

I did have this one ball that I got from Lost Golf Balls that had a picture of guy's face for the logo. It was goofy funny. But the ball just wouldn't die or get lost. I hit it into the trees several times thinking that it would be lost. But there it was. I played it for 5 or 6 rounds before retiring it.

[No Mulligans]

21 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

I recently had a playing partner complaining about my golf ball and how ugly it was and it was making him crazy that I was using a reddish blotchy dirty Pro V1 for the whole round. It got to a point where I just kept using it to bust his chops anyway.

lol, I have a friend like that too.

[mcanadiens]

I'm usually doing real well to keep a ball for an entire round and it usually has to be one of my more forgiving courses for that to happen. Typically, I'll follow the easy course with a harder course, so any one-round survivor is probably doomed the next time out.

That said, I find that I tend to accumulate some real beaters that hang around the bottom of the bag until I really have a terrible round (like yesterday). Things got so desperate yesterday that I played the 18th with a rather discolored Noodle. It survived. I'll buy some new ones and that old buster Noodle will still be in the bag next spring.