PGA Tour - Range Balls?

[H-Blade]

Do the golfers at a PGA event warm up with Balls of their choice or do they just use whatever balls the course and/or Tour Provides??? If they each practice with new balls of their particular model... would seem like a chore to separate them, using new every morning would be easier... is this where all of those premium used balls come from???

[toc]

There are baskets of the different premium ball brands at the range, the caddie grabs the appropriate basket. Except that Tiger guy, he gets special ones.

[H-Blade]

[quote name='toc' timestamp='1388538457' post='8376765']
There are baskets of the different premium ball brands at the range, the caddie grabs the appropriate basket. Except that Tiger guy, he gets special ones.
[/quote]

Does the course sort them daily or are the balls only used once?

[toc]

Yea they get sorted each day and donated to first tee after the tournament, except tiger's. He takes his home.

[DavePelz4]

There are usually bags or baskets of each pro's specific brand. As the range is picked during or at the end of the day, volunteers sort them for the next day of practice.

[J13]

So Tiger takes his balls home? Are you being serious?

[toc]

Yea, I've read that in multiple places, I think here on wrx at some point too.

[DavePelz4]

[quote name='toc' timestamp='1388539687' post='8376865']
Yea, I've read that in multiple places, I think here on wrx at some point too.
[/quote]

Seems highly questionable. He would need to have range balls marked as practice and with his "Tiger" ball marking. Why would he need to do that?

[toc]

Because he still plays a Tour D or some kind of prototype of it. The Hank Haney book might mention this, I forget exactly.

[drewtaylor21]

[quote name='toc' timestamp='1388538719' post='8376791']
Yea they get sorted each day and donated to first tee after the tournament, except tiger's. He takes his home.
[/quote]

I call BS on this one...

[Hidalgo]

[quote name='toc' timestamp='1388539996' post='8376895']
Because he still plays a Tour D or some kind of prototype of it. The Hank Haney book might mention this, I forget exactly.
[/quote]

This is CORRECT ....... kinda.

Tiger has played a Nike "prototype" ball for a while now. He uses this ball on the range at tournaments. The Nike folks see that they are available for him every day and ask that they are kept sorted separately from the "other" Nike balls that are used. I can't comment on how they are marked to distinguish them from the others, though. He doesn't take them home, but Nike gathers them up after the tournaments and assures that they are hauled away separately from the other balls...probably to the next tournament. This info isn't heresay and came directly from a equipment rep who is one of my relatives. According to him .... "You wouldn't believe some of the things that are done out there to keep a select few guys happy".

[H-Blade]

[quote name='Hidalgo' timestamp='1388577239' post='8378171']
[quote name='toc' timestamp='1388539996' post='8376895']
Because he still plays a Tour D or some kind of prototype of it. The Hank Haney book might mention this, I forget exactly.
[/quote]

This is CORRECT ....... kinda.

Tiger has played a Nike "prototype" ball for a while now. He uses this ball on the range at tournaments. The Nike folks see that they are available for him every day and ask that they are kept sorted separately from the "other" Nike balls that are used. I can't comment on how they are marked to distinguish them from the others, though. He doesn't take them home, but Nike gathers them up after the tournaments and assures that they are hauled away separately from the other balls...probably to the next tournament. This info isn't heresay and came directly from a equipment rep who is one of my relatives. According to him .... "You wouldn't believe some of the things that are done out there to keep a select few guys happy".
[/quote]

This is surprising as I thought golf was supposed to be the sport where you can play the same ball as the pro golfers... isn't that what gave the Pro V1 cult status???

[QMany]

There is usually a small tent on one end of the range. They bags labeled by brand and model.

 

 

Some of the pros play balls that are no longer in regular production (Tour D, 2009 ProV1, etc.). I would presume that Nike/Titleist/etc. like to try to keep these balls separated and maintain their stock. They probably don't care if recent production 20Xi/ProV1 aren't kept and transported week to week. Most balls are given to local charities (First Tee).

[bruinsPATSirish]

[quote name='H-Blade' timestamp='1388592789' post='8378813']
[quote name='Hidalgo' timestamp='1388577239' post='8378171']
[quote name='toc' timestamp='1388539996' post='8376895']
Because he still plays a Tour D or some kind of prototype of it. The Hank Haney book might mention this, I forget exactly.
[/quote]

This is CORRECT ....... kinda.

Tiger has played a Nike "prototype" ball for a while now. He uses this ball on the range at tournaments. The Nike folks see that they are available for him every day and ask that they are kept sorted separately from the "other" Nike balls that are used. I can't comment on how they are marked to distinguish them from the others, though. He doesn't take them home, but Nike gathers them up after the tournaments and assures that they are hauled away separately from the other balls...probably to the next tournament. This info isn't heresay and came directly from a equipment rep who is one of my relatives. According to him .... "You wouldn't believe some of the things that are done out there to keep a select few guys happy".
[/quote]

This is surprising as I thought golf was supposed to be the sport where you can play the same ball as the pro golfers... isn't that what gave the Pro V1 cult status???
[/quote]

There are a lot of prototype balls from each OEM in play on the Tours regularly. They may differ in dimple patterns, compression, feel, etc. They are obviously extremely close to being the same ball that everyone else plays, but certain guys have some special balls tweaked to their liking.

[Hat Trick]

And then there are Bill Haas and Rory who showed up at public driving ranges to hit a few balls to get some practice in (Rory in FL and Haas in IL) before tournaments! Glad there are still some guys without the silver spoon in their mouth.

It is pretty clear advertising from the big ball companies is misleading all of us to think we are playing what they play when this isn't always the case. I was a Pro V1X guy, but now buy whatever comes up on sale at the end of the year (Lethal). My 5-6 handicap remains steady season to season.

[H-Blade]

[quote name='Hat Trick' timestamp='1388598665' post='8379227']
It is pretty clear advertising from the big ball companies is misleading all of us to think we are playing what they play when this isn't always the case. I was a Pro V1X guy, but now buy whatever comes up on sale at the end of the year (Lethal). My 5-6 handicap remains steady season to season.
[/quote]

I am starting to agree...

[Jc0]

[quote name='Hidalgo' timestamp='1388577239' post='8378171']
[quote name='toc' timestamp='1388539996' post='8376895']
Because he still plays a Tour D or some kind of prototype of it. The Hank Haney book might mention this, I forget exactly.
[/quote]

This is CORRECT ....... kinda.

Tiger has played a Nike "prototype" ball for a while now. He uses this ball on the range at tournaments. The Nike folks see that they are available for him every day and ask that they are kept sorted separately from the "other" Nike balls that are used. I can't comment on how they are marked to distinguish them from the others, though. He doesn't take them home, but Nike gathers them up after the tournaments and assures that they are hauled away separately from the other balls...probably to the next tournament. This info isn't heresay and came directly from a equipment rep who is one of my relatives. According to him .... "You wouldn't believe some of the things that are done out there to keep a select few guys happy".
[/quote]

His balls say "Tiger" on them. A friend and I were at a WGC tournament and picked up a few balls from the range. The rest were normal balls that say practice on them.

[Hidalgo]

[quote name='H-Blade' timestamp='1388592789' post='8378813']

This is surprising as I thought golf was supposed to be the sport where you can play the same ball as the pro golfers... isn't that what gave the Pro V1 cult status???
[/quote]

Just remember that although they may be "prototype" or some variation of a production ball ...... they still have to be on the USGA conforming list before they can be put into play.

[richard t]

Same as the pros? Never have believed that. Balls, clubs, whatever. Really don't care. Years ago we always looked forward to the Tour stop here. On Sunday they would sell the 'range balls', always Titleist only then. You'd get a bag of 30 or so for $10.00. Marked 'practice', but who cared. 30 Titleist for $10.00. Hardly used. Times change.Now they pay a couple kids to retrieve the ones that roll under the fence.

[Franks113]

In 2009 I was a intern for the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island, back then it was the Verizon Heritage. I believe it was around a month before the tournament we received many boxes of all kinds of balls from the different major ball companies. All the balls were pure white brand spanking new balls the only difference was they said PRACTICE on them. I cant tell you how many boxes of balls were sitting in our trailer and of course I was drooling over them.

During the tournament the Harbour Town Golf Links staff were responsible for collecting and sorting the balls on the range.

I did get my hands on a few of the balls but I didnt keep them I put them into the bag.

[R Hagan]

[quote name='Hat Trick' timestamp='1388598665' post='8379227']
And then there are Bill Haas and Rory who showed up at public driving ranges to hit a few balls to get some practice in (Rory in FL and Haas in IL) before tournaments! Glad there are still some guys without the silver spoon in their mouth.

It is pretty clear advertising from the big ball companies is misleading all of us to think we are playing what they play when this isn't always the case. I was a Pro V1X guy, but now buy whatever comes up on sale at the end of the year (Lethal). My 5-6 handicap remains steady season to season.
[/quote]

Didn't Rory say that the course he practiced at sorted all his balls out for him when he was done? I think I remember him saying that.

[playa]

I remember a story from a Greg Norman International tourney in Oz about 10 or 15 years ago. Apparently they had brand new range balls (from memory titleist or maxfli) for all pros to use. Some of the non sponsored battling pros couldn't resist and decided to help themselves to some"free" balls for future use. Apparently the Shark found out and was none too impressed and had every bag checked before leaving the range. This might have been in the days before Titleist tee up contracts and guys who weren't sponsored had to pay for their own balls.