How Many Shots Should Your Ball Last?

[Crazy_bikerdude]

Not sure, my slice always makes a surprise visit around the 7th and a replacement comes in to play then.

[Fourputt]

On 9/7/2018 at 9:39 AM, buttputt40 said:

Buying balls for me is getting expensive because i strike well.

Until I lose it, usually.  Otherwise I'll play one until it gets a bit of road rash or other physical damage.  Modern balls just don't seem to lose any "pop" just from normal use, at least the normal use that I put them to. 

Back in the balata days, it was pretty rare for a ball to make it more than 18 holes.  They got scuffed, cut, bruised, and just beaten out of round from mostly normal play.  I had rounds where I replaced a ball after 6 holes because of just being visibly out of shape, or a slight mishit would raise a welt on it.  Hit it thin with an iron and it will be grinning at you from ear to ear. 

On 9/8/2018 at 10:43 PM, DrMJG said:

Have used a e6 soft yellow for my last 36 holes, still fine off tee and putts.  May retire it soon for the honor of not being lost!

I've been using that ball lately.  Seems to be right for my 72 year old swing.  Pretty much indestructible unless it hits stone or concrete.

[Lihu]

On 9/7/2018 at 8:39 AM, buttputt40 said:

Buying balls for me is getting expensive because i strike well.

What does “strike well” mean?

I actually don’t see a correlation between striking well and buying balls being more expensive? 🤫

[ChetlovesMer]

22 minutes ago, Lihu said:

What does “strike well” mean?

I actually don’t see a correlation between striking well and buying balls being more expensive? 🤫

I think what he is saying is that he's often on strike from his job, and has a lot more time to play golf and therefore needs to buy more golf balls.... At least that's how I took it. 

[mcanadiens]

Kind of like the owl with the Tootsie Pop. I bite em prematurely.

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, mcanadiens said:

Kind of like the owl with the Tootsie Pop. I bite em prematurely.

😀

So you’re the one!!!

[Joey G]

...until the first hole played with water?

[Buckeyebowman]

On 12/11/2018 at 12:53 PM, Fourputt said:

Until I lose it, usually.  Otherwise I'll play one until it gets a bit of road rash or other physical damage.  Modern balls just don't seem to lose any "pop" just from normal use, at least the normal use that I put them to. 

Back in the balata days, it was pretty rare for a ball to make it more than 18 holes.  They got scuffed, cut, bruised, and just beaten out of round from mostly normal play.  I had rounds where I replaced a ball after 6 holes because of just being visibly out of shape, or a slight mishit would raise a welt on it.  Hit it thin with an iron and it will be grinning at you from ear to ear. 

I've been using that ball lately.  Seems to be right for my 72 year old swing.  Pretty much indestructible unless it hits stone or concrete.

What he said! Back in the day, I bought a dozen Wilson Smart Core balls, basically because I got a free hat and golf shirt in the deal! How could I not?

Anyway, I stuck some in the bag and played one the next time out. I was playing quite well, and finished the 18 with one ball. I don't know what the cover material was on those balls, but after every approach shot, when I'd mark my ball and pick it up to clean it, I would notice "pigtails" cut on the cover! You could scrape these off with your thumbnail, but after the round I threw the ball in the trash. I had, basically, chopped the cover off the ball! 

[Fourputt]

12 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

What he said! Back in the day, I bought a dozen Wilson Smart Core balls, basically because I got a free hat and golf shirt in the deal! How could I not?

Anyway, I stuck some in the bag and played one the next time out. I was playing quite well, and finished the 18 with one ball. I don't know what the cover material was on those balls, but after every approach shot, when I'd mark my ball and pick it up to clean it, I would notice "pigtails" cut on the cover! You could scrape these off with your thumbnail, but after the round I threw the ball in the trash. I had, basically, chopped the cover off the ball! 

Those "pigtails" were caused by the square grooves on your short irons and wedges.  The sharp corners would shred the covers on urethane balls.  Even my relatively slow swing would shave the cover of a Pro V-1.  When those groves were banned, the shredding stopped for me.

I don't think I ever played a balata ball with a square groove wedge, so I don't know how that would come out, but I don't think it would have been a good mix.

[cooke119]

When I have the ball after one or two rounds, i.e., not lost, I usually change it because it gets discolored, (grass stains, dirt, etc.). I like playing  a nice white ball. Also, and this probably all in my mind but I think it easier to find the ball in the leaves if it is new. I usual use a new ball for each round. I keep the discolored balls for hitting over water just in case. BTW, I wash my balls (no pun intended) after each round with Simple Green but the stains don't come out.

[HughfromHerneHill]

I too have never had to retire a ball because it has been played too many holes. Many of them have found new homes, literally, as they end up in someones backyard or in their pool!!

I can honestly say I have never split or cracked a ball but will definitely switch to a ball that I have no attachment (emotional or otherwise) when there is water in play as I have found that these balls are demagnitised to water, unlike a ball that I have purchased or one that I have found in my bag that had it's own little box.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 12/22/2018 at 10:47 AM, Fourputt said:

Those "pigtails" were caused by the square grooves on your short irons and wedges.  The sharp corners would shred the covers on urethane balls.  Even my relatively slow swing would shave the cover of a Pro V-1.  When those groves were banned, the shredding stopped for me.

I don't think I ever played a balata ball with a square groove wedge, so I don't know how that would come out, but I don't think it would have been a good mix.

I'm not so sure about that. This would have been in the late 90's, and I don't remember when the square grooves reared their ugly head. Besides, I was probably playing with an older set of irons, since I was never a bandwagon jumper for the latest and greatest. If I liked what i had, that's what I played. 

[Fourputt]

15 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

I'm not so sure about that. This would have been in the late 90's, and I don't remember when the square grooves reared their ugly head. Besides, I was probably playing with an older set of irons, since I was never a bandwagon jumper for the latest and greatest. If I liked what i had, that's what I played. 

I had wedges with "shredder" grooves by the mid 90's.  

[shanksalot]

The courses I play are not easy to lose balls. I did lose one the other day. Well I did not really lose it as we were playing through a foursome and I hit a hook and did not bother to go get it. The ball has been in play since the first of the year. It was pretty beat up so I just went out to where I usually hit my drive and dropped another ball and played on. Not posting yet so no problem with doing this. I hate to hold a group that has let us go through. I usually just take a ball out of play rather than lose any. Often I can go 10 or more rounds with one ball.