Old Balls!!!

Hey guys!

When is a golf ball no longer suitable for the course?

If you use a ball for a full round would you then use it again for the next or do you always play a new round with a fresh ball?

Stephen

I would generally use a new ball for each round, maybe not if ive had to use a new ball on 17th or 18th on the previous round, maybe that would get used again.

Always keep the old ball in the ball bag for when im over the field.

I'll get a new ball out when the old one is too marked to play with. Played last night with an old ball and shot 2 under gross. It got teeth marks on the 3rd hole when my dog picked it up but I finished the round with it but it will now go into my practice ball bag.

I usually get a new ball out just after I have lost the last one!

I tend not to have one for long enough for it to start looking tired.  2 to 3 rounds is usually the ost I will get out of a ball before it gets 'recycled'

I'm sure I read somewhere that the biggest issue for deterioration of golf balls is regular and large temperature flucuations.  Apparently one of the worst places to keep golf balls is in the boot of a car as it can go from very hot to quite cool on a daily basis and this degrades them significantly.  It was said in the article I read that this is worse than the ball being submerged in water as the outer cover provides some protection from the water and the temperature is typically fairly stable. 

At the risk of a) sounding like a geek (except to Tim Hawkins) and b) exposing myself to all sorts of humourous jibes, I do have some expertise in moulded elastomers (rubber and polyurethanes) having worked in the industry for some years.  Temperature cycling is used in testing to artificially age the product and the temperatures used are well within those found in a car boot on a warm day.  The properties change significantly in a short time so I can completely understand that this would have a really detremental affect on golf balls

Most of the golf balls in my golf bag are used/found.

Only ever buy brand new golf balls about twice a year and I save these for 'Big' competitions.

If I run out of 'found' golf balls then I will go down to lakeballs.com and buy some of their grade a golf balls.

One thing is that I always check that they are round before they go into my golf bag.  I purchased a device at the golf show at the NEC some years ago.  If a ball isn't round then it goes into one of my practice bags.

Russ