The Most Unpretentious Golf Ball Ever

[8bitpowerfade]

What kind of trajectory are you looking for in a golf ball? Vector Velocity? Dyno Distance? Super Hydro Spin? No, I think I'll just have regular, thank you very much.

 

(Ball: NOS sleeve of 1996 Top-Flite IIs)

[yaquigrande]

Those old school rock flites go a mile!!!

[8bitpowerfade]

Those old school rock flites go a mile!!!

 

They do feel rather metallic when you tap them, now that you mention it. On the box it says they are "solid gold, plated in tin." Haha, but seriously, I'll give em a go! Rock-Flites, ha. Too funny.

[Wriggles]

I recall a Spalding ball from about 15-20 years ago, called Heat. Felt like a rock, too. I recall the dozen I had were $5 on sale.

[yaquigrande]

I recall a Spalding ball from about 15-20 years ago, called Heat. Felt like a rock, too. I recall the dozen I had were $5 on sale.

OMG!!! that is too funny you mentioned that about the Heat ball!! I broke my beloved ping karsten 4 wood with one of those balls. I am almost positive it was a Spalding ball like that. too funny!

[8bitpowerfade]

Now I really want a T-shirt, maybe with a giant golf ball on it hat says ROCK-FLITE in the same font. Maybe give the ball 80s Def Leppard hair. Anything's possible.

[yaquigrande]

Now I really want a T-shirt, maybe with a giant golf ball on it hat says ROCK-FLITE in the same font. Maybe give the ball 80s Def Leppard hair. Anything's possible.

yep Rock flite was the nick name we always gave those balls. lol

[TimV]

We always called em Top Rocks!

 

If I find one on the course I throw it back in the weeds!

[deetsal]

I recall a Spalding ball from about 15-20 years ago, called Heat. Felt like a rock, too. I recall the dozen I had were $5 on sale.

You overpaid by 5.99

 

We always called em Top Rocks!

 

If I find one on the course I throw it back in the weeds!

And I'll bet it still rolled out!

[birly-shirly]

The scary thing for anyone who's ever hit one of those, and remembers the amount of distance and durability you would give up to instead hit a ball with some control, is that modern premium balls are now just as long and almost as durable.

[8bitpowerfade]

1996 called. They want their sleeve of Rock-Flites back.

[yaquigrande]

we used to cut open a messed up balata ball and watch the rubber bands go nutso! lol I tried to cut one of these rock flites and I couldn't lol. I ended up chopping it in half with a machete. lol just a solid blue core and a cover nothing else. lol

[birly-shirly]

Actually, one of the better jokes in the golfing annals is that the Top Flite XL purported to be a "high trajectory" ball.

 

Doesn't that just conjure up images of towering long irons dropping softly, stiff to the flag.

 

Badoing!

[LittleLeftToRight]

Don't knock those Top Flites! I grew up on munis playing Rock Flites and Pinnacles. The only way to stop them was with height. To this day I can hit a flop shot like Mickelson, only I am a year older than he is, so maybe he can hit a flop shot like me. All thanks to those Rocks!

 

I just ordered some of those Top Flite Gamer Tour balls. The subversive in me hopes they are decent balls so I can play them in a tournament. Everyone else will pull out a ProV (boring!) and I'll pull out a Top Flite. That would be hilarious! The looks on their faces would be priceless.

[LeoLeo99]

The Top Flight Gamer is a decent ball. I have about 4 dozen of them that I got on sale when Callaway sold them to Dick's.

[yaquigrande]

I feel ya, I was poor growing up as a kid, and the only balls I ever bought were top flites or pinnacles, whatever was on sale at K mart. lol We used to tie the sand trap rake to a rope and throw it in the water hazzard and pull in those golf balls! We would freak out when we found Titleist Balatas, Slazenger Balatas, or Tour Editions. But trust me I hit many a top flite or as we called them Rock flites.

[LittleLeftToRight]

I feel ya, I was poor growing up as a kid, and the only balls I ever bought were top flites or pinnacles, whatever was on sale at K mart. lol We used to tie the sand trap rake to a rope and throw it in the water hazzard and pull in those golf balls! We would freak out when we found Titleist Balatas, Slazenger Balatas, or Tour Editions. But trust me I hit many a top flite or as we called them Rock flites.

 

YG, I feel ya right back! I don't think I bought a dozen balls before college, and after that they were free. I never had any scratch growing up. We played balls until they were too mangled to use or until we found a newer one! The balata balls were like gold, as were any colored ball like a Hogan. We played them even after they had a smiley on them. I think the rule was one smiley was acceptable, two we used them for water skipping contests. Hilarious to think about today. I would enhance my stash by wading in creeks (feeling with my toes in the mud, yuck!) when the course was slow or the rains soaked us. Great memories! Golf was simple back then.

[Wriggles]

I also grew up relatively poor in the 1960's. Nine holes of golf was $1.25, eighteen $2.00. I thought it a big deal to find a couple balls. I recall one day, there was a shiny new ball in a sand bunker. I was thrilled, a Titleist, until I saw it had a huge smile on the underside, otherwise a new ball. Those old balls cut like crazy.

 

I used to think how wealthy some guys were, paying $1.25 for a Titleist. My first bought ball was a fishbowl Wilson "Cary Middlecoff" signature, 60 cents. I kept that ball perched on a dresser for many years, not daring to play it. I think I was an adult before I actually played a game with it, ultimately losing it. (No one actually owns a golf ball.)

 

Back in the mid 1980's, I bought a dozen RAM balatas for $3. I don't know how old they were, but they cut deeply after one or two hits. That dozen didn't get more than two rounds. Being thrifty, I haven't bought many premium balls, except for a dozen balata Titleists back in the early nineties. I think they were $30 for a dozen. I played them sparingly.

 

I see guys buying Pro v's, especially young fellows who should be saving that money. I played golf with a guy a few years back, giving him a dozen of found Pro-v's in super condition. He bought a sleeve of new ones, $9 at the course. To each his own, I guess.

 

Now, I play with found balls, and new dozens gotten as gifts. I haven't bought balls for a LONG time. Haven't had to buy them.

 

Play well!

[oldschoolrocker]

The gamer tours are good balls performance wise, with the exception they scuff and shred like they've been raked with a cheese grater. The "new" models say this issue has been addressed. I bought some in hopes that it had, but, the 2016 model still is double bogey at best in the durability department.

[LittleLeftToRight]

The gamer tours are good balls performance wise, with the exception they scuff and shred like they've been raked with a cheese grater. The "new" models say this issue has been addressed. I bought some in hopes that it had, but, the 2016 model still is double bogey at best in the durability department.

 

Are you talking about off a wedge, or just in general?

[oldschoolrocker]

Across the board...

Worst case of fuzz I have found on any ball I have ever played.

[jonnygrouville]

Iconic.

 

 

[8bitpowerfade]

I also grew up relatively poor in the 1960's. Nine holes of golf was $1.25, eighteen $2.00. I thought it a big deal to find a couple balls. I recall one day, there was a shiny new ball in a sand bunker. I was thrilled, a Titleist, until I saw it had a huge smile on the underside, otherwise a new ball. Those old balls cut like crazy.

 

I used to think how wealthy some guys were, paying $1.25 for a Titleist. My first bought ball was a fishbowl Wilson "Cary Middlecoff" signature, 60 cents. I kept that ball perched on a dresser for many years, not daring to play it. I think I was an adult before I actually played a game with it, ultimately losing it. (No one actually owns a golf ball.)

 

Back in the mid 1980's, I bought a dozen RAM balatas for $3. I don't know how old they were, but they cut deeply after one or two hits. That dozen didn't get more than two rounds. Being thrifty, I haven't bought many premium balls, except for a dozen balata Titleists back in the early nineties. I think they were $30 for a dozen. I played them sparingly.

 

I see guys buying Pro v's, especially young fellows who should be saving that money. I played golf with a guy a few years back, giving him a dozen of found Pro-v's in super condition. He bought a sleeve of new ones, $9 at the course. To each his own, I guess.

 

Now, I play with found balls, and new dozens gotten as gifts. I haven't bought balls for a LONG time. Haven't had to buy them.

 

Play well!

 

Wriggles, look what I found at the course last week:

[yaquigrande]

I also grew up relatively poor in the 1960's. Nine holes of golf was $1.25, eighteen $2.00. I thought it a big deal to find a couple balls. I recall one day, there was a shiny new ball in a sand bunker. I was thrilled, a Titleist, until I saw it had a huge smile on the underside, otherwise a new ball. Those old balls cut like crazy.

 

I used to think how wealthy some guys were, paying $1.25 for a Titleist. My first bought ball was a fishbowl Wilson "Cary Middlecoff" signature, 60 cents. I kept that ball perched on a dresser for many years, not daring to play it. I think I was an adult before I actually played a game with it, ultimately losing it. (No one actually owns a golf ball.)

 

Back in the mid 1980's, I bought a dozen RAM balatas for $3. I don't know how old they were, but they cut deeply after one or two hits. That dozen didn't get more than two rounds. Being thrifty, I haven't bought many premium balls, except for a dozen balata Titleists back in the early nineties. I think they were $30 for a dozen. I played them sparingly.

 

I see guys buying Pro v's, especially young fellows who should be saving that money. I played golf with a guy a few years back, giving him a dozen of found Pro-v's in super condition. He bought a sleeve of new ones, $9 at the course. To each his own, I guess.

 

Now, I play with found balls, and new dozens gotten as gifts. I haven't bought balls for a LONG time. Haven't had to buy them.

 

Play well!

 

Wriggles, look what I found at the course last week:

OMG!!! I have those irons. That is too cool! I have never seen Middlecoff golf ball. I have quite a few Snead balls, but that is awesome! thanks for sharing.

[yaquigrande]

Powerfade, here is a pic of the Middlecoff signature irons that go with that ball. The picture is a little blurry as I cropped zoomed in.

[yaquigrande]

Iconic.

 

 

I finally see where the nick name Rock Flite really came from. LOL

[Wriggles]

Mr. 8bitpowerfade

 

Wow, haven't seen a Middlecoff ball like that in decades. It dates from about 1965.

 

Mr. Yaquigrand

 

Those Middlecoff irons are sweet. I bought a set of those at a church rummage sale back in 2005 for $5. I recall the 7 iron was missing. Funny, the seven iron is missing in a lot of yard or rummage sale sets. My neighbor had a yard sale, sold mine for $10, so at least I doubled my investment. They cleaned up nicely, my clean up was worth the extra $5.

 

The Middlecoff irons have a similar shape to the Sam Snead Blue Ridges of that era, mid 1960's. Thick weighted sole. Unless I'm wrong, Wilson did a lot of badge engineering, just like GM did in the 1980's. Take a Chevy Cavalier, load it with junk, and voila, a Cadillac Cimarron.

 

Nice finds, gents.

[8bitpowerfade]

Mr. 8bitpowerfade

 

Wow, haven't seen a Middlecoff ball like that in decades. It dates from about 1965.

 

Mr. Yaquigrand

 

Those Middlecoff irons are sweet. I bought a set of those at a church rummage sale back in 2005 for $5. I recall the 7 iron was missing. Funny, the seven iron is missing in a lot of yard or rummage sale sets. My neighbor had a yard sale, sold mine for $10, so at least I doubled my investment. They cleaned up nicely, my clean up was worth the extra $5.

 

The Middlecoff irons have a similar shape to the Sam Snead Blue Ridges of that era, mid 1960's. Thick weighted sole. Unless I'm wrong, Wilson did a lot of badge engineering, just like GM did in the 1980's. Take a Chevy Cavalier, load it with junk, and voila, a Cadillac Cimarron.

 

Nice finds, gents.

 

Mr. Wriggles, that's funny that you mention badge engineering. Haha...the Cimarron, exactly! I've noticed that too when looking at a lot of the retail line clubs from the 60s and 70s, where like you said, the Sneads and the Middlecoffs and the Chi Chi Rodriguez clubs all look basically the same in the form and function category.

 

In regards to most sets missing the 7-iron, I have seen this alarming trend too and I have several theories:

 

1. Superstition: Just like the missing 13th floor in old-timey buildings, the 7-iron is a obviously a harbinger of doom and bad luck, contrary to popular belief.

 

2. 7-iron Troll: They sneak into your garage and take this club when you're sleeping. They have hoards of them in their own, rock cave "garages" where they concentrate on making full 14-club sets of these stolen 7-irons. They trade these sets with the elves for their legendary fudge striped cookies.

 

3. The Legend: Most players find the 7-iron to be an easy club to swing and do well with, so the odds are that they probably hit their best shot with this club and either a) left it on the course in a tantrum of excitement from said amazing shot, b) maybe they bronzed it, put it over their mantle, or c) gave it to their first born son on his twelfth birthday, ensuring him that the 7-iron is not a toy and encouraging him to learn how to use the 7-iron safely, hunt with it in the countryside to great effect.

[yaquigrande]

I know the answer!!!! Have you ever watched tin cup? The 7 iron was the only club guaranteed to be flawless. He broke all his clubs and played out withsw just the 7 iron. Too many scroungers must have watched this movie. Seriously I was dying when I read your theories on the missing 7 irons. That was too good. Now that I think about it about 3 of my nicest sets are indeed missing the 7. I have been looking for a Sam Snead signature 7 iron for 2 years! Lol here is the 7 tin cup story

http://socalgolfblog.com/2014/06/09/my-favorite-scene-in-tin-cup-the-7-iron-speech/

[Nomad Golfer]

I know the answer!!!! Have you ever watched tin cup? The 7 iron was the only club guaranteed to be flawless. He broke all his clubs and played out withsw just the 7 iron. Too many scroungers must have watched this movie. Seriously I was dying when I read your theories on the missing 7 irons. That was too good. Now that I think about it about 3 of my nicest sets are indeed missing the 7. I have been looking for a Sam Snead signature 7 iron for 2 years! Lol here is the 7 tin cup story

http://socalgolfblog...-7-iron-speech/

I would like to have my MacGregor RD iron #7 back please if you ever find it :(