When Do You Retire Your "Tour" Ball?

I was just thinking about this the other night.

I have 6 rounds, going on 7, with the same 2013 ProV1 and she is still kickin! Some slight discoloration and a couple small cuts but they aren't actually through the cover. I want to retire it so I can play a fresh one but I can't really find a legitimate reason to retire the ball! It's seen cart path twice, sand, 2 trees, root bounces, sprinkler head bounce, a smash into some sort off wooden water ditch thing, and somebody's roof... don't ask.

How does this go for you all?

As for now, 108 holes and counting. . . . . .

Either you are lucky or that is a wide open course you are playing. haha. I'm not that good, and couple that with an unforgiving course, and I don't make many rounds without loosing one.

I retire a ball after about a round. if I put one in play on say #15, I will play the next round with it. More often it is lost and I move on though. I buy all the premium balls on sales and clearance, so it doesn't really hurt the wallet.

I retired 2 pro tour balls too the depths on #9 yesterday.

I almost always lose a ball before I have to consider retiring it from wear and tear

Usually my tour balls take voluntary early retirement.

Typically they go on some kind of savana or rainforest safari, we kind of lose touch and I don't hear from them again.

That said, I occassionally find a quality tour ball that found out early retirement wasn't what it was cracked up to be and wants to come back to work.

I would use it to see how many holes I cold go without loosing it? Or until it is beyond beaten down to a pulp. It is safe to assume that we are not talking about mini golf......right??? lol

[quote name='Bodee' timestamp='1391400501' post='8587916']
I would use it to see how many holes I cold go without loosing it? Or until it is beyond beaten down to a pulp. It is safe to assume that we are not talking about mini golf......right??? lol
[/quote]

This is a good idea. I am going to play this ball as long as I possibly can and count how many holes it played. I just hope I can play it till it is un playable rather than loose it!

I think you you have issue's. I would probably consult a psychologist at your earliest convenience. I think you are suffering from separation anxiety. Everything will be ok, I don't want you to get alarmed. This is a curable thing.

[quote name='LiveWire' timestamp='1391402749' post='8588222']
I think you you have issue's. I would probably consult a psychologist at your earliest convenience. I think you are suffering from separation anxiety. Everything will be ok, I don't want you to get alarmed. This is a curable thing.
[/quote]

All in the name of science.

My "tour balls" are retired as soon as I find them in the bushes. They are given away to my playing partner(s).

Not that I don't like the balls but rather my game doesn't fit them. I try to play only one brand (or kind) of ball like many of you. My needs are distance and roll-up to greens on mis-hit shots. Two piece balls seem to fill that need.

I play them as long as the cover is o.k. - a dog hair here or there is not a cause to retire them (retirement: shag bag for short game on the range).

when I lose it , hopefully get at least one round out it first though .

[i]My tour balls do everything they can to escape captivity at my hands. When I have had enough of their antics I retire them. Usually to sleep with the fishes.....[/i]
[i]Sometimes, I swear that they do it voluntarily as a final desperate act of defiance.....[/i]

18 holes and it's done for me.

[quote name='jasonTeI3' timestamp='1391456392' post='8591424']
18 holes and it's done for me.
[/quote]

Same here. I lose very few balls any more, and I like to start every round with a new one.

If you're looking for a reason to "retire" your golf ball ....... get yourself a ball gauge and see if it is still round after 18 holes. The results are usually startling. I doubt that any of us could tell the small difference that the ball goes out of round after 18 holes, but I've never seen one that would go through a ball gauge after a round. Just an excuse to trash it if that's what you're looking for.

[quote name='LUMA' timestamp='1391396020' post='8587388']
I was just thinking about this the other night.

I have 6 rounds, going on 7, with the same 2013 ProV1 and she is still kickin! Some slight discoloration and a couple small cuts but they aren't actually through the cover. I want to retire it so I can play a fresh one but I can't [u]really[/u] find a legitimate reason to retire the ball! It's seen cart path twice, sand, 2 trees, root bounces, sprinkler head bounce, a smash into some sort off wooden water ditch thing, and somebody's roof... don't ask.

How does this go for you all?

As for now, 108 holes and counting. . . . . .
[/quote]Clever way to brag about not losing your ball. I've never gone more than 3 rounds without losing one.

18 holes for me. After that the ball is usually beat. But I will usually lose 1-2 balls a round, unless playing a Championship course where it can balloon out to 8.

20ish Handicap and Australian Open golf courses don't always make the best of buddies.

Mine are the Topflite Gamers, I don't fret when I lose one or retiring one.

I lose on avg 3 balls per round, I can count on 1 hand how many rounds in my life I played 18 on the same ball.

My "Tour" balls usually retire me. They go off to live in the woods or down by the lake and I never see them again.

Back when I was playing a lot, I would play 18-36 holes with the same ball. Then I would retire it to my shag bag. When my shag balls got dirty I would put them in the washing machine with some washing powder, bleach and some white towels and run them through a reg. wash cycle. Then when I would take them out to return them to my shag bag I always ended up picking a few out because they looked too good for shag balls. Some of my old Titliest shag balls are still the longest hitting balls in my shag bag.

Tournament rounds I will only play a ball for 9 holes and retire it. Although, I'm sure it would be more than fine for 9 more. Non-competitive rounds I will play it for 18 holes and then it goes into the shag bag.

I still have a 1.62in Dunlop 65. Good in the wind and 40 years old...

I've got another 36 holes in with this ball. 144 holes total. It won't quit!

But I think it may be time. The cover is starting to loose it's "stickiness". It's feeling a bit beat. Time to retire.

I think I'm going to stick with 36 holes then retirement; that is if I don't loose it first. I don't have the money to be using a new ball every 18.

Usually for me its 9 holes then new ball, unless it meets a cart path or sprinkler head, etc. Usually after 9 holes there is enough short iron/wedge shots that the cover is seeing some wear. I still keep the balls I play well with because I am superstitious, the rest usually make the shag bag for short game practice or become the ball to tee off with during a scramble and I am the long hitter that's supposed to "go for it".

Regardless of ball, I replace it if there is any deep cuts or there are multiple scuff marks on it. Usually never play a ball for more than 18 holes

[quote name='LUMA' timestamp='1391839020' post='8621361']
I've got another 36 holes in with this ball. 144 holes total. It won't quit!

But I think it may be time. The cover is starting to loose it's "stickiness". It's feeling a bit beat. Time to retire.

I think I'm going to stick with 36 holes then retirement; that is if I don't [s]loose[/s] lose it first. I don't have the money to be using a new ball every 18.
[/quote]

Fixed.

[quote name='DavePelz4' timestamp='1391927199' post='8627811']
[quote name='LUMA' timestamp='1391839020' post='8621361']
I've got another 36 holes in with this ball. 144 holes total. It won't quit!

But I think it may be time. The cover is starting to loose it's "stickiness". It's feeling a bit beat. Time to retire.

I think I'm going to stick with 36 holes then retirement; that is if I don't [s]loose[/s] lose it first. I don't have the money to be using a new ball every 18.
[/quote]

Fixed.
[/quote]

Thank you. I appreciate it, Sir.

The course I play has almost no rough. It's narrow fairway, cart path, deep jungle. I don't ever get to worry about when to retire a ball, some of them only get hit once. Tee box directly to subtropical jungle. Talk about throwing out money.

Generally after 2 rounds at most per ball. But in the winter, I go till it's either completely scuffed or lost.
Retired ball go in the shag bag