golfhacker2011

I think the 15" cup is perfect for the charity golf scrambles to speed up play. I don't know how many more +5hr charity golf tournaments I can play...

Sean - Your description of what happens on the second shot is incorrect. The ball never exaggerates a slice or hook no matter how the ball is positioned. If the ball is not aligned in its optimum orientation to prevent slices and hooks, it just behaves like a normal golf ball. In all cases I find the ball is 1-2 club lengths longer off irons so instead of playing a 5 iron I play a 7 iron with the Polara. Without going into the physics of how it works (I have a PhD in Chemical Engineering and a strong science background, so I understand the aerodynamics and mechanical dynamics of what is going on here), the best way to describe it is the ball prevents the curvature of flight seen with slice and hook shots. I have played a lot of rounds with this ball and can tell you it has never gone in the wrong direction unless I pulled or pushed it that way (pulls and pushes are straight shots, hooks and slices have curvature due to the accelerating force of the mis-directed lift vector). I am a 28 handicapper and I now hit nearly every fairway with this ball. Yes, I even take a one Mulligan per 9 holes and I even offer gimme's to people on 2 ft putts - these are not part of the USGA Rules but they are part of the fabric of golf. For recreational golfers like me the Polara ball makes the game a lot of fun. It does not remove all of the challenge, just one of the biggest frustrations. I can now crush the ball on drives and not worry about slicing. For Pros, the ball is nonconforming (and should remain so). Funny thing is, now the USGA and PGA are even saying that the Polara ball is alright for recreational golfers because it will help get more people into golf. And that is good for all of us. If you want to be a purist and play by the rules, have at it. Nobody is going to stop you and I admire people like you have been able to develop their golf skills to such a high level. But for the rest of us, please don't discourage us by telling us we are cheating or ruining the game - because we are not. The game of golf is just that - a game, meant to be enjoyed. And btw, the rules and equipment have changed so much over the years that I am not even sure what a golf purist is any more. Look at the 1744 Rules and ask yourself "how did we get here?" The Polara ball did conform to the rules of golf until the USGA created a rule specifically to outlaw the Polara ball and for doing so, they had to pay Polara $1.4M in an out of court settlement. Drivers today with all the adjustable weighting systems, materials, biases, etc - how can a purist even look at these? And besides, they don't correct 75% of a slice like the Polara does ($400 partial slice solution vs $2 complete slice & hook solution - wow)

the Polara ball mentioned in NY Times is not the same design as the old one. i have the old one in my collection and it is kind of opposite in pattern layout. I tried new polara - it works. it made the game more fun for me and those i played with (I am a 28 who struggles with slice) becuase i hit 17 of 18 fairways. it did not make my putts, sand shots, or any other shot easier or harder, but my drives were straight. it was longer on irons - felt good! i would recommend for high handicappers. i would not recommend for low handicappers who want to work the ball. i bet it would be fun in the company scrammble for the people who play one time per year and shoot 150!