Golf Ball Life

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By steve b

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  • 11 Replies
  1. steve b

    steve b
    lafontaine, IN

    I have a couple questions and hoping some one might have some answers. The first question is do golf balls have a shelf life? The next question is does the weather effect the life of a golf ball?I go through the woods and "fish" them out of the pond. I keep the prov -1 & prov-1x's and all the others go to the pro shop for resale. Thanks for your help and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!                                                                                                                                                               steve b

  2. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    Weather and water are definite factors. Balls I find in the spring that have wintered has lost their clear coat finish. I assume the ones with deteriorating dimples may be 2 or more winters. I wouldn't use a ball from a hazard in league play in case it had any water changing the balance, affecting roll or spin. Balls stored in a controlled room temperature will last a long time. I've got a few that are approaching 5 years and don't seem to have changed any. Of course, they haven't improved with age, either.
  3. Bubba

    Bubba
    Providence, RI

    Team Titleist Staff

    steve b said:

    I have a couple questions and hoping some one might have some answers. The first question is do golf balls have a shelf life? The next question is does the weather effect the life of a golf ball?I go through the woods and "fish" them out of the pond. I keep the prov -1 & prov-1x's and all the others go to the pro shop for resale. Thanks for your help and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!                                                                                                                                                               steve b

    Hi Steve,

    Thanks for the post!

    Golf balls can be stored and used for up to fiver years, or even more, as long as they are not exposed to excessive heat or cold (i.e. stored in the trunk of a car or attic). As for "fishing" the balls out of a pond, I would not recommend playing with these golf balls. Because you do not know how long the balls have been in the water, there is no way of knowing how much moisture they have absorbed. 

    Hope this helps. 

    Bubba

  4. Richard H

    Richard H
    Grand Prairie, TX

    Interesting about the shelf life - I never knew that either.

    I'd have to agree with others that I'd probably be ok to play balls that are pulled from a hazard or wherever else on the course, but I don't bother to search for them. I don't even have a ball retriever to fetch the ones I hit into the water. Just not worth it to me unless it's right there within a club length. The balls that I do find on the course are usually reserved for holes where there's a good chance I'll lose them anyway.

  5. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    What about golf balls that have been in the water just for a couple of days ? Is there any chance that these balls will not perform as well as if they were just lost for a couple of days on land ?
  6. Fred Closs

    Fred Closs
    Denton, TX

    Carl T said:

    What about golf balls that have been in the water just for a couple of days ? Is there any chance that these balls will not perform as well as if they were just lost for a couple of days on land ?

    Frank Thomas, former Tech Dir of the USGA says balls that are submerged more than 24 hours absorb enough water to cause the ball to lose integrity. I don't know that it's enough to bother most amateurs.

  7. Patrick B

    Patrick B
    Richmond, KY

    Fred C said:

    Frank Thomas, former Tech Dir of the USGA says balls that are submerged more than 24 hours absorb enough water to cause the ball to lose integrity. I don't know that it's enough to bother most amateurs.

    I think I will do an experiment over time with a ball under couple feet of water and weigh it occasionally to see if by weight it can be determined that it's absorbing the water.  Should be fun and informative.

  8. Bob T

    Bob T
    East Otis, MA

    I have titleist golf balls saved and separated from 2006 to the present and the oldest ones still go fine and I've won tournaments with them recently during the past season!!!!

  9. Patrick B

    Patrick B
    Richmond, KY

    Bubba, TT Staff said:

    As for "fishing" the balls out of a pond, I would not recommend playing with these golf balls. Because you do not know how long the balls have been in the water, there is no way of knowing how much moisture they have absorbed. 

    Hope this helps. 

    Bubba

    Are you sure water can penetrate the urethane cover?  Has there been testing on this?

  10. Russell S

    Russell S
    Woodinville, WA

    I have unintentionally collected a dozen balls of each model over the years covering all the ProV1 series, plus many singles from the 60's through 90's. I have Acushnet labeled balls, Titleist, LT's, 384's, Tour 100's, Tour Balata, Professional, Tour Prestige (not the Warehouse version) as well as Dunlop 65's, Hgan Balata, Tour Edition, and most versions of the Strata. Every couple of years I will pull out a 384 or a Tour 100 and try it with my 910D3 and my Mcgregor Custom 9* Persimmon and my BH Speed Slot. None go as far as the current balls, and the Titanium drivers go farther than the Persimmons. Its been in the 60's for a few days and I just put a dozen brand new Tour Prestige into the cart, they will freak out the assistant pro's!

  11. Monty m

    Monty m
    Imperial, MO

    Having fished many ProV's out of ponds over my years as a marshall, I have found that if the outer layer of the ball is not compromised, the performance of the ball seems to be fine. Granted I am not a pro but they work good enough for me. MJ



    On Friday, January 2, 2015 9:47 AM, "Bubba, TT Staff" <bounce-TTBubba@acushnetgolf.com> wrote:


    Team Titleist
    Bubba, TT Staff replied to Re: Golf Ball Life in Golf Balls.
    steve b
    I have a couple questions and hoping some one might have some answers. The first question is do golf balls have a shelf life? The next question is does the weather effect the life of a golf ball?I go through the woods and "fish" them out of the pond. I keep the prov -1 & prov-1x's and all the others go to the pro shop for resale. Thanks for your help and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!                                                                                                                                                               steve b
    Hi Steve,
    Thanks for the post!
    Golf balls can be stored and used for up to fiver years, or even more, as long as they are not exposed to excessive heat or cold (i.e. stored in the trunk of a car or attic). As for "fishing" the balls out of a pond, I would not recommend playing with these golf balls. Because you do not know how long the balls have been in the water, there is no way of knowing how much moisture they have absorbed. 
    Hope this helps. 
    Bubba
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  12. John G

    John G
    Evansville, IN

    I've hunted, sold, and played with Pro V-1's and Pro V-1X's since Titleist started making them. "Solid" golf balls continue to "cure" after they're made, which makes them get better with age. 30 days or more in the water starts to deteriorate them though, and that's why I WILL NOT play reconditioned golf balls(98% of the reconditioned balls have been in a lake for 6 months or more). Wound balls of the old days got worse with age. I've found Pro V-1's that are some of the first ones made (over 10 years old), and find them to fly about the same distance off the driver as new ones. If you find an old Pro V-1,it will only have Pro V-1 printed on it , no lines or arrows on it. They were introduced at the end of 2000 so it's possible I've hit some that are 15 years old. Good luck, and don't worry about the shelf life of your "solid" golf balls as long as they're not refurbs.

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