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Someone looking for reasonably priced golf balls has a wide variety of options at their disposal. I’ll address three of the best places to look. But first of all, you need to understand the variation in the quality of golf balls you may encounter. Basically they will fall into three categories: new, X outs and “reconditioned”. Go to sporting events for more information.

New golf balls are just that; straight off the manufacturer’s production line into your golf bag. X outs are also new but do not meet one or more of the manufacturer’s specifications. Reconditioned golf balls could be ones found on a course, in a pond or well used by golfers at a practice facility where they go to learn new golf tips.

As you’d expect, the price increases as you move from reconditioned to X outs and then to new with the latter close to 10x the price of the former. Reconditioned balls are fine for new golfers. You’ll probably pay around $.25 each and can find them at the outlets I’ll discuss below. Once you’ve moved to an intermediate stage (meaning you don’t lose what you consider too many balls in a round), try the X outs. They’ll be more consistent and expensive than reconditioned but will make your golf more enjoyable. New golf balls are appropriate once you get hooked and find yourself playing on a regular basis. Refer to golf events for more information.

As far as where to purchase your golf balls, I’d suggest you start at your local discount retailer, like Target or Dick’s Sporting Goods. You’ll be able to find all three types of balls that I mentioned above at these stores. They’ll have a variety of golf balls to choose from and, depending on your skill and budget, you’ll be able to find golf balls at a competitive price.

Another location you can find all three types of golf balls at is your local golf course. The golf professional staff will be able to provide basic golf tips about the various types of balls they carry. The third place to purchase golf balls is on the course itself. It’s not unusual to see kids hawking balls from the fringe of the course. They’ve probably found golf balls in wayward parts of the course that their original owners gave up on. You’ll be able to poke through their collection and select the ones you like and maybe able to negotiate discounts depending on the number you buy. Be on the lookout for ones that are not bright white. That’s a dead giveaway that they’ve been underwater or out in the cold for a long time.

As a final word, now that you’ve got a supply of golf balls, you’ll want to keep them in good condition. The best way to do that is to keep them out of the extreme cold; don’t leave them in your garage or basement in the winter. Keep them clean by using one of the mounted ball washers provided at most golf courses or by wiping on the wet towel you’ll want to keep with your golf bag.
Do not put golf balls in your mouth to clean. Believe it or not that was an accepted way to clean golf balls in the past and some people still do that. The chemicals used on golf courses get on the golf balls and don’t agree with golfers biology over time. So, I hope these tips are helpful to you in saving you a few bucks on your next round of golf. Happy golfing! Visit sporting events for further information.

Filed under: Recreation and Sports on July 3rd, 2009