How long does a golf ball last?
Feb 09, 2022 · Do Golf Balls Go Bad In Water? If a 3-piece ball stays in the water for about a week, it also loses roughly six yards, and if you leave it there for three months, you can expect to lose 12 yards. Forget about it for six months, and that number will go up to 15 yards. The same is true for 4-piece and 5-piece golf balls.
How long does it take for water to penetrate a golf ball?
After 8 days in water, a 2-piece ball can lose almost 6 yards of carry and roll, and an additional 3 yards after 3 months (9 yards total). A multi-layer ball will also lose 6 yards after 8 days, 12 yards after 3 months and 15 yards after 6 months.
How long does it take for a golf ball to dry?
May 05, 2021 · When To Change Your Ball. Without visible damage, a golf ball can last up to seven 18-hole rounds without any loss of performance. In fact, you are more likely to lose a golf ball on the course before it just wears out. But as soon as the ball feels rough, you should replace it. Most golfers swap out golf balls far more frequently and there’s ...
Do golf balls absorb water?
There is now legitimate research to suggest that a 5 month submerged golf ball will not perform any differently to a brand new golf ball. However, it’s unclear how long a golf ball has to be submerged before it does lose out on performance. Thus, if you’re planning on using balls that have spent six months or more in water, you should ...
The Cover
Golf balls are typically made with two different types of cover materials: firmer ionomer material or softer urethane. Urethane is generally used on premium golf balls like the Titleist Pro V1 and Srixon Z-Star.
The Core
Modern golf ball cores are made of extremely durable polymers. The core is designed to hold up swing after swing for all swing speeds. These golf balls are much more durable than the old wound golf balls of the past and are incredibly difficult to damage.
When To Change Your Ball
Without visible damage, a golf ball can last up to seven 18-hole rounds without any loss of performance. In fact, you are more likely to lose a golf ball on the course before it just wears out. But as soon as the ball feels rough, you should replace it. Most golfers swap out golf balls far more frequently and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Long-Term Storage
An old golf ball myth once stated that storing your golf balls in the freezer would maintain their compression and “freshness”. If you have ever played golf in cold weather, you know the cold can cause you to lose distance. Storing your golf balls in a freezer has the same effect.
How Golf Balls Are Made?
In order to better understand how water can affect a golf ball, it’s helpful to know how golf balls are constructed. Modern balls consist of multiple layers – either two, three, or four. All kinds of flashy core technology could be going on on the inside, but what’s really important is what’s going on with the outer layer.
Can Golf Balls Get Waterlogged?
Generally speaking, the surlyn and urethane outer shells of golf balls do their job pretty darn well. However, at the microstructural level, there are unavoidable gaps in the molecules. And these gaps are just big enough to allow water particles to squeeze their way through.
Does Water Affect Golf Ball Performance?
Theoretically, and anecdotally, yes. A layer of water inside the ball does it no favors. Since the ball isn’t able to compress as much, it will surely not be able to fly as far – especially if it’s been lying in water for months, or even years.
Should You Play With Waterlogged Golf Balls?
Modern golf balls are, in general, very well put together, and there is now evidence to suggest that a few months in a lake does not affect a ball’s performance.
Construction of a Golf Ball
To best understand how golf balls are affected when they spend some time in the water, it’s essential to know how they are made. Generally speaking, golf balls are constructed of a cover, and then inside there are one two or sometimes three additional layers of materials.
Are Golf Balls Affected When They Go Under Water?
To determine how much golf balls are affected when they go underwater, we need to break this down into two categories, the first being new golf balls and the second being used golf balls.
What Happens?
When a golf ball with these micro-cracks ends up in a pond, water will seep into the center or core of the golf ball. When this happens, the core is not nearly as active as it was because of the water. It loses most of its spring effect that makes it fly.
How Long Does It Take To Get Waterlogged?
For a golf ball that has been hit several times and has some tiny imperfections in the cover, it will only take several hours for the golf ball to lose distance. This is not that much time.
Are Lake Balls Any Good?
So that brings us to the next question, if we know that golf balls do get waterlogged, are these golf balls worth purchasing? Here are a few things to consider.
What Does It Mean If They Are Refurbished – Are These Worth Using?
When you purchase a refurbished golf ball, you won’t know if it was in the water or not (unless the company claims that it wasn’t). A refurbished ball has it’s cover sandblasted off, replaced, and then it is painted to match what type of golf ball it originally was.
Does The Quality Of The Golf Ball Really Matter?
The quality of the golf ball makes a huge difference as soon as you can see and feel that difference although admittedly it will matter more for experts and improvers more than complete beginners.
How long do golf balls last?
Golf balls will last for 7 rounds before wear even begins to affect your game. You are more likely to lose the golf ball before you ever need to replace it. There’s no reason to use a different ball as long as there aren’t any deep gouges or cuts.
Do golf balls have longevity?
If you are playing on a well-manicured, top-notch golf course, your golf ball will have increased longevity. The ball will roll across perfect, luscious fairways and greens, and you don’t have to worry about any nasty tree roots or hardpan.
What is the cover of a golf ball made of?
The cover of a golf ball is made of one of two materials: urethane or ionomer. These two materials are overwhelmingly used in golf balls’ production, and both have very different characteristics. But which is better for durability and longevity?
How many rounds can you get out of a golf ball?
You should be able to get at least seven rounds out of a golf ball, at least according to Golf Week and Golf Digest. This assertion is just a generalized average, and many factors could contribute to it being longer or shorter than that.
What happens when you pick a golf ball off the top of the sand?
When you have to pick the ball off the top of the sand, the club’s grooves are more likely to damage the cover.
What is an ionomer cover?
Ionomer covers are used on the more affordable golf ball lines and tend to have a more solid feel. The more clicky feel is something many players don’t enjoy but does come with the positive of the cover being extremely durable. Players often speak of how hard these golf balls feel, which is due to the ionomer cover and its stable properties.
Two-Piece
Two-piece golf balls last a long time. A two-piece ball has a solid rubber core with a soft plastic or ionomer cover. Ralph Peterson, research and development director for Wilson golf balls, said, "For a two-piece ball, we've really seen no changes after five to seven years."
Three-Piece
A three-piece golf ball, usually targeted at better players, features a solid rubber or liquid center surrounded by elastic windings and a Surlyn or balata cover. "Three-piece wound balls are a bit different because they go through stress relaxation of the windings, " said Peterson, adding that they should last "a couple of years."
Storage
GolfBallTest.org debunks a myth about golf ball storage: "Storing golf balls in the freezer is never recommended and does not preserve their compression and freshness, contrary to some belief," In fact, playing with cold balls will sap your drives of their normal distance. So keep your balls in a cool, dry place and they will last for awhile.
Considerations
Even if you can store golf balls for a years without a loss of performance, you might be disappointed in their performance when you take them to the golf course. That's because golf ball manufacturers are continually looking for cutting-edge methods to improve the performance of their balls.
