Balls on a budget: Vice Pro (or comparable) vs used golf balls?

[ReidE5]

This has probably already been said.... but I feel much more confident playing a high quality DTC ball like Vice, Snell, Maxfli.  Even if you find a ball in the woods at a nice course, you have no idea where the person that lost that ball, found that ball.  They could have been playing used balls that were in a lake rated as Mint condition, then you are playing a ball that has had 3 or 4 different lives hahaha.

 

One other option I'll add is The golf shop I go to has "overrun" Prov1, prov1X and AVX balls.  They just have personal logos but are straight from the titleist factory brand new and cost $39 a dozen.  If you dont mind someone elses logo then thats pretty hard to beat!

[akronswitness]

I love new golf balls in theory more than in practice. As a 10+ handicap, I really enjoy the 7-10 strokes I get per ball before eventually hozelrocketing it into the lake.

[Kmagnuss]

20 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

I love new golf balls in theory more than in practice. As a 10+ handicap, I really enjoy the 7-10 strokes I get per ball before eventually hozelrocketing it into the lake.

 

I'm with you man.  I get so jealous of these guys that buy a dozen balls for the next season and actually plan on that dozen lasting the whole season.  Heck, I can lose a dozen in one round if I try hard enough.

Durability of a ball isn't high on my priority list knowing that it will be lost at some point during the round, if not on the very first swing. 

 

-Mag

[Sparty94]

Hope I'm not hijacking this thread but it does have me super curious on Vice balls now and I really want to try them. Does anyone know what the main difference is between the Pro and Pro Plus? Their website isn't very straightforward in explaining it outside of driver swing speed. I need a ball that flies lower and spins less off the tee. Don't really care about the feel between the two.

[JAM01]

5 hours ago, RoyalMustang said:

 

Thanks for the tip on practice Callaway Chrome Softs. $16.49 on Academy. I ordered 8 dozen; should last me awhile! 

I can't tell the difference really between a Soft, X, and X LS. I am sure there is one, but do I really notice? I am just not consistent enough as a 5-cap. They are all good balls. 

Holy cow $16.49 is a deal and free shipping with a few extra dozen. Plus I agree, I’ve played several versions since the original and I can’t really tell much difference 

[Tanner25]

6 hours ago, RoyalMustang said:

 

Ha! I found a new spot last night: it is on the other side of a creek, about a 2 minute walk around out of sight, but a nature trail passes right by there. In 90 seconds plus 2 minutes walk to and fro, I had 4 as-mint Pro V1s and 2 other decent balls. Nobody checks that side of the creek when playing as it is behind the hole; you can't go back there without holding up play. But when I play at twilight, nobody is there and I will start hitting that area weekly. 

 

Wow, this sounds exactly the same as a nearby course. It is out and to the right. But, there's a small creek where balls end up that no one would attempt to jump during a round of golf. If you're not playing, you can scoop up a lot of ProV's very easily. I am not sure why slicers of the ball play expensive balls.

Edited January 26, 2023 by Tanner25

[Greenie]

 Thanks for the tip on the Chrome Softs at Academy. I buy fishing equipment from them. I never thought of them for golf. 

 

My wife doesn't say much about me buying golf clubs. She gets on me about buying golf balls though. She understands I need to buy new clubs lol but she can't understand why I need to buy balls when I have buckets and buckets of found balls I don't care to play in the basement. I already bought 6 dozen balls leading up to Christmas and I heard some lip about it. Going have to sneak these 4 dozen in the house...Just kidding...

[Port and Starboard]

The new ball versus used ball myths keep right on coming. 

 

https://theleftrough.com/are-used-golf-balls-as-good-as-new-golf-balls/#:~:text=None of these “myths” was,no significant impact on performance.

 

I've been playing AAAA mint ProV1's for years and they perform fine. 

 

I never saw a Pinnacle repainted into a AAAA mint ProV1 either.....................geeees. 😉

 

 

 

[wantacigar]

3 hours ago, Sparty94 said:

Hope I'm not hijacking this thread but it does have me super curious on Vice balls now and I really want to try them. Does anyone know what the main difference is between the Pro and Pro Plus? Their website isn't very straightforward in explaining it outside of driver swing speed. I need a ball that flies lower and spins less off the tee. Don't really care about the feel between the two.

The Pro is a 3 piece ball and will give you a lower launch and less spin.  The Pro Plus is a 4 piece ball that will have a slightly higher launch and give you more spin.  In a nutshell

[Roejye]

I'm a big fan of the twilight jaunt through those areas you know have a lot of balls. It also helps that I'm not picky at all and will play even a nitro, although the nitro would only come out as a last resort. I don't think I would fully trust a used ball that I bought, as I don't know exactly where it came from. I guess you could say that about found balls too, but I feel there's a lot less chance of getting a waterlogged lake ball.

 

All that being said however, I buy new balls that I like and start out a round with a sleeve, if I lose those I go to found balls. Let's face it, at that point I'm swinging poorly enough that I couldn't tell what kind of used ball I have anyways.

[Greenie]

1 hour ago, Port and Starboard said:

The new ball versus used ball myths keep right on coming. 

 

https://theleftrough.com/are-used-golf-balls-as-good-as-new-golf-balls/#:~:text=None of these “myths” was,no significant impact on performance.

 

I've been playing AAAA mint ProV1's for years and they perform fine. 

 

I never saw a Pinnacle repainted into a AAAA mint ProV1 either.....................geeees. 😉

 

 

 

 

I have!!! It's funny the topic of a Pinnacle comes up. I found a refurbished  ProV1 a few rounds back and you could definitely see Pinnacle under the repaint. I should have kept it but I had more fun trading the "ProV1" to my friend for a better ball. We had a good laugh together after I told him he had traded for a rare Pinnacle ProV1 . 

 

 

I've played used mint or near mint balls for many years. I could never tell any noticeable difference from new. I certainly wouldn't buy or play a ball that was discolored so I can't comment on those. In recent years the used ball prices are so close to new ball prices I wait and stock up on new when the price is right.

 

So I guess the next thing to talk about is shelf life..LOL

 

 

[akronswitness]

5 hours ago, Kmagnuss said:

 

I'm with you man.  I get so jealous of these guys that buy a dozen balls for the next season and actually plan on that dozen lasting the whole season.  Heck, I can lose a dozen in one round if I try hard enough.

Durability of a ball isn't high on my priority list knowing that it will be lost at some point during the round, if not on the very first swing. 

 

-Mag

 

Right, that ball isnt going to live long enough for me to ever be able to tell if it went 4 yards further than the other ball did. I would say I lose on average 1 ball per 4 holes, so Im looking at 1-2 sleeves per round depending on the day. Granted I lose a lot of balls because I give up on looking after a short period. I could probably find a lot of the errant shots if I spent 5 mins looking but since I respect pace of play, I give it 1..maybe 2 mins and move on.

 

 

Edited January 27, 2023 by akronswitness

[Port and Starboard]

11 hours ago, Greenie said:

 

I have!!! It's funny the topic of a Pinnacle comes up. I found a refurbished  ProV1 a few rounds back and you could definitely see Pinnacle under the repaint. I should have kept it but I had more fun trading the "ProV1" to my friend for a better ball. We had a good laugh together after I told him he had traded for a rare Pinnacle ProV1 . 

 

 

I've played used mint or near mint balls for many years. I could never tell any noticeable difference from new. I certainly wouldn't buy or play a ball that was discolored so I can't comment on those. In recent years the used ball prices are so close to new ball prices I wait and stock up on new when the price is right.

 

So I guess the next thing to talk about is shelf life..LOL

 

 

 

Wow!  😄     This has been the first I have heard of it pards.   

 

I mean, you really have to be desperate to make a buck to take all that time paint over a Pinnacle.

 

I get a couple dozen new ProV1's for Christmas every year and I really can't tell any difference between them and the AAAA mint ProV1's I buy online.  The flight, spin, and feel seem to be the same to me.  I had a few that didn't quite feel right when I put them in play......... but we're talking out of hundreds of balls.

[Greenie]

50 minutes ago, Port and Starboard said:

 

Wow!  😄     This has been the first I have heard of it pards.   

 

I mean, you really have to be desperate to make a buck to take all that time paint over a Pinnacle.

 

I get a couple dozen new ProV1's for Christmas every year and I really can't tell any difference between them and the AAAA mint ProV1's I buy online.  The flight, spin, and feel seem to be the same to me.  I had a few that didn't quite feel right when I put them in play......... but we're talking out of hundreds of balls.

 

The one ball I'll never play is a ball marked refurbished. My thinking is why would you go to all the trouble of repainting a ball unless you were trying to hide the condition. A mint used ball stands on it own looks. 

 

I recently read an article about refurbished balls. They cut open balls and showed the differences of balls that were all suppose to be the same balls. It mentioned they even found painted over Pinnacles marked as ProV's. I was skeptical of a painted Pinnacle ProV being a real thing and then bang I found one on the course. 

[Flip4000]

 

18 hours ago, Port and Starboard said:

The new ball versus used ball myths keep right on coming. 

 

https://theleftrough.com/are-used-golf-balls-as-good-as-new-golf-balls/#:~:text=None of these “myths” was,no significant impact on performance.

 

I've been playing AAAA mint ProV1's for years and they perform fine. 

 

I never saw a Pinnacle repainted into a AAAA mint ProV1 either.....................geeees. 😉

 

 

 

 

I have been a used ball guy for a long time. I have no issues buying last year's prov1 at 5A or 4A and could not find any difference.

 

I get for some people it's a mental thing of wanting a perfect ball that they know could not possibly have any flaws. However, for me lost golf balls has been awesome and have encouraged me to use the same ball all the time which has greatly helped my game. 

 

[Ger21]

On 1/25/2023 at 5:36 PM, Nessism said:

Maxfli Tour balls are a good value.  They go on sale regularly.

They used to be, but not anymore.

[njmack]

On 1/25/2023 at 4:46 PM, hammergolf said:

Hard to beat the Vice Pro for performance and price, especially if you can catch the buy 5 get 1 free promo that will be upcoming.

 

Does Vice run this promo about the same time as the 4-for-3 deal at Titleist and the rest of them?

Edited February 8, 2023 by njmack

[hammergolf]

4 hours ago, njmack said:

 

Does Vice run this promo about the same time as the 4-for-3 deal at Titleist and the rest of them?

If I remember correctly, they usually do the 5 and 1 promo in the spring and late summer. I’m hoping they run it in a few more weeks.

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

Based on experience, there are plenty of 'more than playable' golf ball models available at less than top shelf prices, that playing used balls is unnecessary (unless you lose a lot of them per round)

[reider69]

On 1/25/2023 at 4:46 PM, hammergolf said:

Hard to beat the Vice Pro for performance and price, especially if you can catch the buy 5 get 1 free promo that will be upcoming.

Upcoming when?  Need to stock up for season.

[hammergolf]

38 minutes ago, reider69 said:

Upcoming when?  Need to stock up for season.

Usually mid April/May

[mikseymono]

Here in Europe it was the 4th of April last year for the 5+1 deal....should have enough other balls to get me through till then....then I'm going in full Tonto.....:)

[bekgolf]

FWIW Callaway Preowned has 2022 Chrome Soft Truvis logo overruns for $40 a dozen.  Wait for a 25% off site wide sale and they are $32 a dozen.

 

Or... wait for a Srixon 3 for 2 deal around Father's Day and pick up Q Star Tour or Z Star for a good price.  I'm sure there are many other deals out there.  I can always find one when I look for one.

[MattC555]

I'll be the devil's advocate.  I order 8 dozen AAAAA Pro V1s from Lost Golf Balls every year.  The quality has always been great, and call me crazy but, I like getting random logo balls. 🤣   If I find a nice Pro V1 on the course it goes in my bag.  I also buy new ones when they are needed.  I've never noticed a difference. 

 

Vice Pro's do seem like a great option though.  I've just always played Pro V1s and I'm partial to them.  They are durable look the part, and flat out always perform.  

 

That said, I will not touch one that is water stained or has "refurbished" stamped on it.  Those refurbished ones are junk.

[Sparty94]

I just got the email from Vice this morning about the 5 + 1 dozen sale. Looks like it's valid from now until March 15th with code FREEDOZEN.