Lostgolfballs.com - "Mint" Condition Ain't What It Used to Be

[Zeb Wolfe]

Has anyone else here noticed the slippage in quality from lostgolfballs.com? I just received 2 dozen "Mint" Bridgestone Tour BRXS balls. Out of the 24 balls, 7 of them had huge sharpie or magic marker "player markings" on them. I don't mind a small mark on some balls, but these looked like crap. Other than the huge markings, the balls were in good shape, but still not Mint. I complained to lostgolfballs.com and was told that their description of "Mint" allows for "player markings." Apparently the size of the markings is no longer considered. Balls with huge, unsightly markings can still be graded "Mint." Would you play a ball on which someone had drawn huge red hearts with a Sharpie, or a ball with giant green Ms on it? These went straight to the shag bag. This is too bad, as lostgolfballs.com used to be a solid company that listened to their customers. 

Edited November 13, 2022 by Zeb Wolfe

[North Butte]

I think the one with huge red hearts was one of mine I lost. If you don't want it, I'll take it back. ☺️

[jordan2240]

I can understand your objection to such balls, but technically the marking has no impact on the functionality of the ball, so can't really blame the company for not considering it in their rating.

[Scooby555]

Can a Mod change the thread title to "I am too cheap to buy new balls, so I bought used balls and now feel the need to complain that the used balls aren't new"?

[Justsomeguy]

14 hours ago, jordan2240 said:

I can understand your objection to such balls, but technically the marking has no impact on the functionality of the ball, so can't really blame the company for not considering it in their rating.

I agree with this. If it's still mint in terms of performance, it passes.

That said, I can understand how the word mint would suggest pristine. So it should be noted that appearance is excluded from performance.

[grm24]

3 hours ago, Justsomeguy said:

I agree with this. If it's still mint in terms of performance, it passes.

That said, I can understand how the word mint would suggest pristine. So it should be noted that appearance is excluded from performance.

LGB thinks otherwise.

https://www.lostgolfballs.com/gradingscale

MINT (5A)
RECYCLED GOLF BALLS

• Appear and feel similar to a new ball.

 

[jordan2240]

1 hour ago, grm24 said:

LGB thinks otherwise.

https://www.lostgolfballs.com/gradingscale

MINT (5A)
RECYCLED GOLF BALLS

• Appear and feel similar to a new ball.

 

Not sure what you are saying, as this is also included in LGB's description of 'mint':

• Player pen markings or logos of all shapes and sizes can be present.

[North Butte]

The only used ball vendor I've dealt with (years ago) was golfballsdirect.com and they have (had?) separate categories for 5A with markings and 5A without markings. Usually a couple dollars a dozen different in price. 

 

Have no idea if they're still around or if their grading and pricing system is still the same. 

[deepred]

On 11/15/2022 at 9:13 AM, North Butte said:

The only used ball vendor I've dealt with (years ago) was golfballsdirect.com and they have (had?) separate categories for 5A with markings and 5A without markings. Usually a couple dollars a dozen different in price. 

 

Have no idea if they're still around or if their grading and pricing system is still the same. 

They are still around, I think it is part of Nitro.

[cristphoto]

On 11/14/2022 at 7:51 AM, jordan2240 said:

I can understand your objection to such balls, but technically the marking has no impact on the functionality of the ball, so can't really blame the company for not considering it in their rating.

 

Agree. As long as the dimples are in good shape that should determine quality.  Of course it is a water ball so quality is a crap shoot to begin with.    

[cardia10]

I've always liked the deals from Lost Golf Balls, but the more testing we see, the more we realize that just because a ball looks clean and new doesn't mean it hasn't sat in a pond for a month absorbing a little water. 

[North Butte]

17 hours ago, cardia10 said:

I've always liked the deals from Lost Golf Balls, but the more testing we see, the more we realize that just because a ball looks clean and new doesn't mean it hasn't sat in a pond for a month absorbing a little water. 

I've made similar comments regarding GolfBallsDirect in other threads. If I had a way of reliably identifying the 1-in-10 (or thereabouts) 5A balls that will turn out, after a few holes, to be dead and inconsistent I'd just throw away those and the remaining 90% would be a hugely good deal.

 

But I don't know that until I play maybe nine holes and it dawns on me that surely every single driver and iron shot wasn't mysteriously mishit even though it sounded and felt fine. So I toss the offending ball, pick the next one out of my bag and immediately start hitting my normal shots. It isn't like those perfect-looking bad-performing ball completely wreck my game but that sort of thing is very annoying.

 

I'd rather play a box of new $25 dozen golf balls I don't like quite as well as Pro V1x than pay $25 for a dozen Pro V1x knowing that 10 or 11 of them will great but 1 or 2 are likely to be duds. 

 

But hey, what do I know? There are guys I play with who can outscore me by 6-8 shots a round and who only play balls they find in the woods or fish out of the ponds on the golf course. But every once in a while, they'll toss a found ball after a few holes and just shrug it off with, "Guess I should of left that one in the pond". I can't be that chill about it. 

[LoopySwing13]

I had an order of 4A come with 1/6 dozen bad including different type of balls. It was my 10th order in the last 2 years or more, so I just sent an email and they made it right. Just part of the used ball gamble IMO but, if it’s just markings that’s not a deal breaker. The ones I got had legit scuffs and 3 of them werent even the model I ordered! 😂  

 

I will continue to order from LGB they were great in fixing the situation. 

Edited December 27, 2022 by LoopySwing13