Golf Balls - Do They Matter?

I am doing the blog shortly after Men's Night. As a result, I am starting with some general musings prior to talking about what happened yesterday evening. If this doesn't appeal to you, skip to the end to see the results from last night.

Everyone seems to like different golf balls. Some spend $65 a dozen for premium balls. Others get them by the plastic case at Walmart. Many of us are partial to a particular brand, but others hit whatever comes out of their bag for the next shot.

Ball selection may even change depending on circumstances. For example, many people hit a ball of lesser quality for the first tee shot of the day or on a harder hole. Sometimes the better or newer balls don't come out if it is too windy. Often we use higher quality balls during tournaments. All of those things are reasonable and within the rules of golf. What you can't do is replace a ball mid hole unless it is lost. I bet once a week I see someone hit a distance ball off the tee and swap it out for a different ball for an approach.

Certainly better golf balls perform best under ideal conditions. Maybe they go a little straighter and farther off the tee. The reality is for the slower swing speeds of the average golfer, the difference is negligible. Most of us aren't hitting high spin shots into greens. Few of us are shaping the ball to the left and right at will. Also, if you are someone who loses 3-4 balls an outing, a more expensive golf ball is likely not going to help you.

All I know is when I am standing over a $5 golf ball I feel a little less confident than with a $1 ball. It isn't that I think I will hit it badly. It is simply that I would rather not lose it. There's enough things to think about when hitting a ball. I would rather not care whether or not my next shot results in a missing ball.

My advice to you is to spend as much money as you want on golf balls. Hit what you think suits your game or what makes you feel confidant. Whether you spent $20 a dozen or $60 really doesn't matter. However, feel free to buy those premium balls. I love finding them on the course.

I assume that there were lots of balls lost last night given the wind. Scores ranged from 36 to 59 and there seemed to be lots of use of the Men's Night max. Skins went on only two holes. Brothers Cyril and Derek Patterson teamed up for $34.38 on #3 while Myles Shingoose and Phil Ostash won $20.00 on #4.

Closest to the pins were Blake Hunter on #5 and Scott Maynes on #9. That's three weeks in a row on the same hole for Maynes. Scott shared the $54.38 deuce pot with Cyril Patterson and Stephen David.

Good luck to everyone playing in the Hamiota match play tournament this weekend.