How many balls per round?

[golf_n_ma]

Or rounds per ball?

Hi all,

This is purely my curiosity getting the best of me. :rolleyes:

I know when I first started playing it was a huge achievement to play a complete round with only 1 ball. Now that I don't lose many balls, I'm wondering how many rounds people usually use a ball for before ditching it?

So assuming you don't gouge the ball with a wedge or scuff it off a tree or cart path, when do you ditch a ball that is still in good condition? I assume that even though the cover might be fine, the ball has got to start losing it's pop after a while.

Also, I'm really curious what the pros do. I know they have no restriction on how many balls they can use so technically they could use a fresh one every hole. I read somewhere that they do have a restriction on the type of ball, is it true that they can only play one type so they can't tailor the ball for each hole? Do the pros try to play a ball for an entire round or do they usually swap after a few holes?

Again, I don't think this is going to impact how I play and when I swap out but I'm just curious.

Thanks,
AR

[kobe123]

Well if i'm just practicing and messing around or playing with my friends I will use some dt solo, top flight, maxfli, etc and never switch out unless i lose it. But in tournaments If i can keep the same ball i will use it the whole round unless wedge kills the ball. After that trny, i never use the ball again execpt for practice.

[Feddyvon]

I can count the times that a ball has lasted an entire round for me on one hand. Between scuffs and lost balls, they usually have a life span of 8-12 holes. If I'm playing well, I'll usually open up one new sleeve of balls at the first box, and put one unused ball back in the bag after the 18th.

 

I start every round with a brand new ball though.

[Pdougherty]

I believe I read somewhere that its not uncommon for Adam Scott to go a whole round with one ball.

 

For me though, it really depends on wedge shots and if the cover gets chewed up.

 

For tournaments though, I like to have a fresh ball at the turn.

[threeputter]

I play basically a sleeve per week. Between losing the occasional one, I play two 9's during the week and 18 on the weekend. So in 36 holes I use 3. Then they go in the shag bag, which my daughter uses for school golf.

[Baconator]

I generally only use one ball in a round unless I lose it. There are rare occasions that I'll thing that my ball is chewed up enough that I'll switch it out, but they are rare. I really have enough balls stocked up that I should start playing a new one each round, but after years of playing whatever balls I happened upon it's something of a hard switch for me to use new, good quality balls to start each round. It's stupid, but old habits die hard.

[obsessed_golfer]

I like to rotate a sleeve of balls throughout the round....and play them until they are beat up, then into the shag bag...fortunately, I usually don't lose too many at $45 per dozen for Pro V1X

[divot46]

I usually play one ball until I lose it. I just scrape off the "shred" with my thumbnail and play on. I've heard that Ernie Els says there is only one birdie in a ball and changes after ever bird. I have played with guys that will take a ball out of play if it has the slightest mark on it. I think I had a ball last two or three rounds once. Didn't seem to play any different from the first round to the last.

[Viking Golfer]

I always start out with two new fresh balls pr. round. By the end of the round, if I still have both balls, they will have shreds from pitch shots and bunker shots and I will throw them out after that or use them on the range and short game area.

[gdeep]

I'd be shocked if Adam Scott went a round with just one ball. I caddied in an LPGA event and the girl marked six balls at the start of eah round. Three holes and done for each ball. She gave the scorer and the standard bearer each a ball and the rest went into the bag, for practice rounds, I'm guessing.

[SteveL1]

It depends..........if it's a Nike Power Distance, which I like alot because it does not spin a ton, I've been known to play one for three or more rounds. If it's a ProV1, usally one round as it will get torn up by my Ping's. My golf league gives the Nike as flight prizes so I have about 6 dozen in inventory, so I rarely buy balls. I bought a sleeve of TP reds to try out yesterday but that one didn't even last 9 holes. Waaaaaay too much spin for me.

[golfsll]

i dont think anyone else has mentioned the first ball CALLAWAY used to enter the market, RULE 35. well they came 10 to a box, yes thats right 10. the reasoning behind that was the average golfer used 4.5 balls per round. atleast that was the research CALLAWAY found. Ive always remembered that and have always found that interesting.

 

oh yea i usually play a sleeve per round..

[GaijinGolfer]

Unless the cover is cut, otherwise damaged or the ball just doesnt seem to be rolling all that true; I typically dont retire balls.

I dont worry too much if the cover is scuffed because I dont think that it effects how the ball rolls or flies all that much.

In the past I always used to lose a few balls per round, so any time that I can play a whole round without losing a ball Im pretty proud of myself.

[golf_n_ma]

Thanks everyone!

 

This is great stuff. I'm glad I posted this topic and got all this great feedback. As I suspected it is governed by personal preference with pros and amateurs alike.

 

Thanks again,

AR

[bsd230]

I usually get about 1 round out of a ball. They are usually pretty beat up by the end but if I'm not playing in a tournament I'll use it until the end of the round. Then it's sent to my junk ball pocket for a later day.

[US Marine]

Depending on what stationary objects I hit during a round, I'll play a ball until I feel it has lost its pop or feel. Cart path marks will usually disqualify any ball in my possession. Also, the occassional ball that hits the side of a brick house or stone bird bath wouldn't make the cut, either. Siding, roof tops, and glass are OK. (quit building so close to fairways)

[Baconator]

Depending on what stationary objects I hit during a round, I'll play a ball until I feel it has lost its pop or feel. Cart path marks will usually disqualify any ball in my possession. Also, the occassional ball that hits the side of a brick house or stone bird bath wouldn't make the cut, either. Siding, roof tops, and glass are OK. (quit building so close to fairways)

 

First of all, :man_in_love:

 

Second, :clapping: .

 

Cheers!

[blades1960]

I play a new prov1x until I miss a makeable putt then I ditch it blaming the ball soley for the miss

[Cameron Carter]

i dont think anyone else has mentioned the first ball CALLAWAY used to enter the market, RULE 35. well they came 10 to a box, yes thats right 10. the reasoning behind that was the average golfer used 4.5 balls per round. atleast that was the research CALLAWAY found. Ive always remembered that and have always found that interesting.

 

oh yea i usually play a sleeve per round..

 

 

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That ball is great, my dad had a few left from back in the day and wow they give you a ton of extra distance. To bad they are illegal due to being too small I believe.

[Swingtheclub]

1. There is a one ball rule its a USGA rule I believe If I am wrong someone correct me.

 

2. The average tour player used to change balls every three holes (when I played tournament golf with balata balls I did as well)

 

3 With todays balls having one last a round is no big deal. Sometimes I will play one a couple rounds. Depends on how white it stays.

[Aces-6]

My home course is pretty short (6,940 yds.) so I hit alot wedges and the Spin Milled grooves really do a number on the Bridgestone B330 cover. I use two balls per round because the groove shear becomes realtively severe after 9-holes. If I play longer courses where I don't hit as many wedges I will play with one ball the entire round.

[rondre3000]

I'll rotate a sleeve of balls thru my round. If I don't lose them they just go on to the next round. Once they get really chewed up I put em in my shag bag.

 

 

-r.

[golf_n_ma]

1. There is a one ball rule its a USGA rule I believe If I am wrong someone correct me.

 

2. The average tour player used to change balls every three holes (when I played tournament golf with balata balls I did as well)

 

3 With todays balls having one last a round is no big deal. Sometimes I will play one a couple rounds. Depends on how white it stays.

 

Great info...this is everything I was looking for.

 

All the other posts are great too. It's great to here all the different "styles" people use with regards to switching out balls.

 

Awesome!!

[bermuda]

I'll start a round with an E6+ and use it as long as I can, into the next round(s) if possible.

[t8er]

with my old wedges, which were Y-Cutters, about 9 to 18 holes per ball before they were chewed up. I recently switched back to Cleveland 588 Gunmetal wedges and have used the same Pro V1X for the last 2 rounds.

[Trevor G]

I usually use a ball till I shank a driver (usually happens once in the first 4 holes, and once in the last 14).

[BDLz]

My home course is pretty short (6,940 yds.) so I hit alot wedges and the Spin Milled grooves really do a number on the Bridgestone B330 cover. I use two balls per round because the groove shear becomes realtively severe after 9-holes. If I play longer courses where I don't hit as many wedges I will play with one ball the entire round.

 

 

7000 yards is not "pretty short"

[oks871]

i play it until i lose it. if it lasts an entire round, to the shag bag with you!!!

[pro11ace]

If my wedge doesnt eat it, or it doesn't have a huge chunk taken out of it by a tree or cartpath, I keep it until I lose it. I dont usually lose a ball during around but at most 1 or 2 per 18.

[jettasin00]

Depends how long I stay out of the water and trees.