When is it time to "retire" a golf ball????

[Under2hours]

Losing golf balls takes work at our course. Not an easy course, but only water on one hole and generous fairways. They've clearcut a lot of trees so even that shouldn't cause a problem. I find a fair #, but not looking too hard of late.

 

So 10 rounds in and 1 lost ball (still pissed and should have been found)........

 

Usually I just grab a few from the bag pocket and don't pay too much attention, but this week I finally got my Ksigs and and time to try them out.

 

Ball #1 made it through 54 holes. Maybe a minimal scrape but wondering if there is a maximum # of holes before I bring out a new one?

[596]

I have no idea how long any ball will last. I play Callaway Chrome Soft and I have "broken" a few of them. I have no idea how long I played them, but I'm sure it was numerous rounds with one ball. One day on the 15 hole I nutted a drive that flew 30 or more yards short of where it should have been. I actually thought my driver was broken, didn't even think about the ball. The next 3 holes saw the same thing. I played the ball through 18. The next day I changed out the ball and the distance was back. It was not a broken driver, it was broken ball. The core can crack ruining the ball.

 

I'll use a ball for 3-4 rounds and then before it fails I move it to my shag bag.

[bluefishercat]

You might have an opportunity for a record.

I generally lose one right after i say I've been playing this ball all.............

[Springsteennut]

I play them until I lose them.

[andrue]

It's easy to know when they are worn out - they don't fly true and I lose them. Annoyingly some of them appear to be worn out fresh from the sleeve :)

 

But more seriously I play them until I lose them. That probably means most balls only get through two or three rounds so I doubt any of them get the chance to wear out.

[Guia]

I could't say, never had one that lasted long enough to retire.

[lookylookitzadam]

I play them until I lose them or the cover gets chewed up from an excellent full wedge shot (or more likely a tree or cart path bounce)

[MtlJeff]

I don't lose a lot of balls because i am awesome.

 

Generally after maybe 4-5 rounds i find they are scuffed enough from my outstanding wedge play to toss them.

 

Typically i give them to our junior program because i am so benevolent.

[Baitkiller]

Neptune decides for me several times a round. I know some golfers have a system they use like double bogey = shag bag.

[wkuo3]

Learn to hit it longer , you'll have better chance to retire a golf ball.

 

Usually The cover starting to feel rough after a few rounds . Some striped cover could not be seen by eyes ) edge of the dimple ) but you could fell it by rubbing your fingers over the surface of the golf ball. If I have a golf ball been in use for more than a couple of rounds, it'll go into the practice shack bag .

[Under2hours]

You might have an opportunity for a record.

I generally lose one right after i say I've been playing this ball all.............

Yes I jinxed myself........

[herbygolf21]

After 500 holes.

[Johnny_Fairway]

Sadly, I've never kept one safe long enough for it to wear out.

 

I did keep my first ball ever that I managed to not lose for an entire round. It was also the first time I broke 90. Those two events were strongly correlated.

[Hawkeye77]

If you don't practice while you are playing with other people they last longer. ;-)

[Twism86]

I pulled a bright and shiny new Chrome Soft X turvis from my bag yesterday, teed up on a par 4 and crushed it..... Of course it went just right enough to slam into the cart path at full speed and scuffed it pretty bad. More experienced guys I play with would have wrote it off but it still played fine for me.

 

When I get a badly scuffed ball I will use it as my second shot ball when I have a course to myself and can play a few per hole. Take a safe shot with a good ball and use the scuffy for the "hero shots" that if they go into the woods or water I wont bother looking for them. Of course yesterday I couldnt lose that ball if I tried!!! Some game.

[Kmac]

A new ball on the first tee of a new round every time. After that if by some rare chance a ball makes it a whole round I put in the bag for later so if during a round that I'm spraying and praying a lot I'll use a old ball. If a huge or deep cut shows up I'll swap it out.

[vietnameeh]

with the ball like a Ksig or Prov type cover... they covers get "slick/smooth" where the grooves or the face no longer grab the cover. That's when I throw them away. I have a few in my shag bag that need to be thrown out

[datkison]

Just read an article yesterday which had a rep from Titleist saying that unless the ball hits a tree or cart path and has a large scuff or cut you can keep playing it, it won't wear out. And this from a guy trying to sell balls. Personally, I use it until it looks crappy.

[Twism86]

Does anyone pull out the shag ball when you're trying to carry a lot of water and dont want that new $5 one to land in the drink? Or is that just me?

[GLF4EVR]

Majority are lost. Next would be where the cover gets worn enough that the ball looses the ability to bite onto the green. I have had some that tend to go "flat" after so many rounds. This happens when you hit a ball that you know was struck well, but does not have the distance. After the 3rd time of it happening it becomes a shag ball or gets tossed into a pond. If I purposely hit the ball in the woods, I might find it later. This has happened, so I learned from that one at least.

[hybrid25]

I play them until I lose them or they get to scuffed-up. There is a percentage of space on a golf ball that is scuffed before it loses its new capability. Generally if it has a scuff on it I'll toss it aside because it's a psychological thing as well.

[jusme]

Running your fingers over a ball is key for me. If I feel the slightest roughness (cover has got damaged enough) I won't play it in competition. Need to know that the cover is not damaged

[theboypinoy]

36/45 holes seems to be the point that a golf ball loses its juice for me. Otherwise, I play them until they're completely dead

[Under2hours]

Does anyone pull out the shag ball when you're trying to carry a lot of water and dont want that new $5 one to land in the drink? Or is that just me?

 

As few balls as I lose I still do this too...... Another 13 holes today (didn't complete the round). May retire it on Sunday.....

[phil75070]

When I've been on one of my better golf streaks I have played the same ball so long that the name brand has become almost unreadable. I have seen no performance issues using the same ball for several rounds of golf and will only replace such a ball out of shame. :)

[nsxguy]

18 holes.

[NJpatbee]

At my home course I rarely complete 18 with the same ball. If I do, the ball goes back loose into my ball bag and will get played again unless it is seriously scuffed.

[Hat Trick]

When it loses its shine or sheen and starts to pick up mud or dirt - around 54 holes.

[BottleCap]

Losing golf balls takes work at our course. Not an easy course, but only water on one hole and generous fairways. They've clearcut a lot of trees so even that shouldn't cause a problem. I find a fair #, but not looking too hard of late.

 

So 10 rounds in and 1 lost ball (still pissed and should have been found)........

 

Usually I just grab a few from the bag pocket and don't pay too much attention, but this week I finally got my Ksigs and and time to try them out.

 

Ball #1 made it through 54 holes. Maybe a minimal scrape but wondering if there is a maximum # of holes before I bring out a new one?

 

I pull a new one on every par 5

[Under2hours]

85 & counting, though a couple of close calls Sunday...... Time to bring out a new one tomorrow.....

 

Playing first games away from my club finally this week....... Expect to lose some..... :taunt: