Driving Range Golf Ball Cleaning Machines and "Dimpled Out" range balls.

[herbsewell]

Does anyone else out there find it frustrating that whenever they go to the driving range there are many many range balls that are "dimpled out"? What causes the balls to lose their dimples? Ball washer? Ball picker? Ball vending machine?

What the heck does it?

I look forward to your answers.

Thanks,
Herb Sewell

[SDB1]

Does anyone else out there find it frustrating that whenever they go to the driving range there are many many range balls that are "dimpled out"? What causes the balls to lose their dimples? Ball washer? Ball picker? Ball vending machine?

What the heck does it?

I look forward to your answers.

Thanks,
Herb Sewell

If I find balls like that at my range I hit them over the fence! I know they get new balls every few months so if there are any nasty ones it just means someone wasn't doing their job properly.

[herbsewell]

Well if that is the case then the personnel at the range that I go to should be fired, because nearly all of the balls are dimpled out. They usually use the Top Flite range ball. But I don't get a "top flight" trajectory when I put a good swing on one of these babies. I have to wait until freaking April for them to buy new balls. They buy new balls once a year, and this is the cash cow driving range in town. Shows where the money is going. Right down the porto potty.

[Kiwi Player]

My golf club pro shop has some really sh.itty yellow range balls that are hard as rock and most of them are dimpled out. Terrible things to hit. I only use the range occasionally as a warm up prior to a round. If I want to actually work on my swing I go to another range a few miles up the road that has Callaway and Srixon balls that seem to be decent quality for a range ball.

[lorenzoinoc]

You need to go yell at the guys that manage those ranges. Those POS one piece balls are so inexpensive, that if they understand you'll go elswhere and warn everyone else off, they'll come around and the balls will improve dramatically. I also hit the shitty ones over the fence if I can. If they're really bad, I'll just toss them in the trash.

Unfortunately, none of this has helped make me the kind of golfer that could compete against someone like HB without, say, 5 strokes a side.

[oldplayer]

I practice sometimes at a cheap range near home and they just have a mix of every type of ball imaginable. I even come across the old small british balls from time to time. There is a small lake/swamp next to the range. when i pull out the crap balls i practice my hook shots and hit them in the water so other players won't have to hit them.

[lorenzoinoc]

There she is again, that pouty brunette with the edible body. They are definitely real.

Almost but not quite as amazing is she seems to be on the same beach and at the same spot as was my former gf when I snapped her in Kauai at Kee beach. Same spot, different settings. She's probably still there in my pics.

[Horseballs]

Wow, I am really getting out of touch with the common man, or peasants as I affectionately them/you. I would literally yell the club manager into tears if my ProV1's were in anything less than a perfect pyramid. I don't even want to think what I'd do if I had to warm up with "range" balls, let alone ones without dimples.

[connecticutter]

The year round range in the area has Srixon range balls (range balls are range balls, regardless whether they are Srixons) and you see a variation in quality in terms of new balls. They feel harder than the multi layer balls I play, and they go slightly shorter I think (as opposed to a soft two piece distance ball). So, I have to remember that my 6 iron will play like a lower trajectory 7 iron and get the 7 iron distance. It is a little harder to curve a fade or draw with these balls too. They normally do a goo djob of getting a few thousand new balls into their rotation every few months (it's a large range and batting cage facility, witha double decker range), but they do not do a good job of cleaning out bad balls. Their fences are high, so I often need a 8 iron or higher loft to get them over the netting to get rid of the bad balls.

[SoonerBS]

Wow, I am really getting out of touch with the common man, or peasants as I affectionately them/you. I would literally yell the club manager into tears if my ProV1's were in anything less than a perfect pyramid. I don't even want to think what I'd do if I had to warm up with "range" balls, let alone ones without dimples.

Arsehole . . . . .

[The Purist]

I always save the shitty ones for driver and full swing wedges.

[connecticutter]

Did anyone ever see those overpriced Callaway practice balsl at a store? I know most things Cally (or other OEMs) are a racket, but come on now...20+ bucks for a dozen practice balls?!?

[famousdavis]

Does anyone else out there find it frustrating that whenever they go to the driving range there are many many range balls that are "dimpled out"? What causes the balls to lose their dimples? Ball washer? Ball picker? Ball vending machine?

What the heck does it?

I look forward to your answers.

Thanks,
Herb Sewell

The balls lose their dimples from being hit over and over. Think about what a brand new ball looks like after 2 rounds of golf. Most of you probably don't know what it looks like because you lose it somewhere on the course during the first round. A player like myself can go several rounds with the same ball.

Anyway, if you play a couple of rounds with the same ball you'll notice that the dimples lose some of their "sharpness". That's only after hitting it maybe 100 times (I don't count putts). Range balls are hit all day long and are hit thousands of times. It's not the vehicle picking them up or the ball washer.

I have to say this was kind of a dumb question to begin with. Isn't it obvious?

[SoonerBS]

The balls lose their dimples from being hit over and over. Think about what a brand new ball looks like after 2 rounds of golf. Most of you probably don't know what it looks like because you lose it somewhere on the course during the first round. A player like myself can go several rounds with the same ball.

Anyway, if you play a couple of rounds with the same ball you'll notice that the dimples lose some of their "sharpness". That's only after hitting it maybe 100 times (I don't count putts). Range balls are hit all day long and are hit thousands of times. It's not the vehicle picking them up or the ball washer.

I have to say this was kind of a dumb question to begin with. Isn't it obvious?

That pretty much describes my wife . . . . . .

[poe4soul]

The balls lose their dimples from being hit over and over. Think about what a brand new ball looks like after 2 rounds of golf. Most of you probably don't know what it looks like because you lose it somewhere on the course during the first round. A player like myself can go several rounds with the same ball.

Anyway, if you play a couple of rounds with the same ball you'll notice that the dimples lose some of their "sharpness". That's only after hitting it maybe 100 times (I don't count putts). Range balls are hit all day long and are hit thousands of times. It's not the vehicle picking them up or the ball washer.

I have to say this was kind of a dumb question to begin with. Isn't it obvious?

Seems pretty obvious to me as well. They've been hit 1000's of time and the new (now old) square grooved wedges eat covers off the balls.

One of the courses I practice at in the winter, city muni, has a serious drainage problem on the range and every winter they loose about 8,000 balls a week and have to hand pick the balls out of the mud. They replace their balls each summer but when they start loosing this many they will bring 2 year old balls into the rotation. It's always fun to hit one of those dimple-less balls with a driver and watch it knuckle five different directions and then fall out of the sky like it reached the end of a leash.

[Donald Jackson]

Seems pretty obvious to me as well. They've been hit 1000's of time and the new (now old) square grooved wedges eat covers off the balls.

One of the courses I practice at in the winter, city muni, has a serious drainage problem on the range and every winter they loose about 8,000 balls a week and have to hand pick the balls out of the mud. They replace their balls each summer but when they start loosing this many they will bring 2 year old balls into the rotation. It's always fun to hit one of those dimple-less balls with a driver and watch it knuckle five different directions and then fall out of the sky like it reached the end of a leash.

i hate that and the new balls at my range are harder and don't as far as the old ones unless they're totally dimpled out....

[Pky6471]

Here is what I know , correct me if I am wrong (1) range balls are out-of-spec, that's why they are cheap and used at the range (2) dimpled balls will fly further because of eddy current behind a ball lifting it and giving it hang time (3) old range ball will lose compression, polymer will lose its viscoelastic behavior , just like ball won't go far when cold, Tg drops

[poe4soul]

Here is what I know , correct me if I am wrong (1) range balls are out-of-spec, that's why they are cheap and used at the range (2) dimpled balls will fly further because of eddy current behind a ball lifting it and giving it hang time (3) old range ball will lose compression, polymer will lose its viscoelastic behavior , just like ball won't go far when cold, Tg drops

this is definitely wrong or all balls would be made without them. The number, size, and depth are engineered for optimum flight and to role true on the green. I think the low swing speed balls have deeper dimples to increase loft.

[Horseballs]

Here is what I know , correct me if I am wrong (1) range balls are out-of-spec, that's why they are cheap and used at the range (2) dimpled balls will fly further because of eddy current behind a ball lifting it and giving it hang time (3) old range ball will lose compression, polymer will lose its viscoelastic behavior , just like ball won't go far when cold, Tg drops

Not quite. Range balls were never produced to be played on a real course. The cover is about 5 times as thick, and they are only produced to be durable. Nobody should really try to use the range as a solid way to gauge distances.

[Kiwi Player]

Not quite. Range balls were never produced to be played on a real course. The cover is about 5 times as thick, and they are only produced to be durable. Nobody should really try to use the range as a solid way to gauge distances.

Don't know about distances but I know that the decent Callaway/Srixon balls at the range I go to fly with the trajectory I would expect whereas the yellow rocks at my home course barely get airborne.

[Horseballs]

Don't know about distances but I know that the decent Callaway/Srixon balls at the range I go to fly with the trajectory I would expect whereas the yellow rocks at my home course barely get airborne.

That's why I've started playing range balls as my gamer. They already come with a line on them for putting.

[lorenzoinoc]

Lorenzo needs flawless range balls so he can plan to watch them follow a majestic path and then land. Lorenzo's plans don't exactly have a 100% hit rate, but then neither do Tiger's.

[Mward2002]

Damn it Zo, you're supposed to save that banner. I'm tired of opening threads in separate windows and hitting refresh over and over again.

[Pky6471]

this is definitely wrong or all balls would be made without them. The number, size, and depth are engineered for optimum flight and to role true on the green. I think the low swing speed balls have deeper dimples to increase loft.

Let me try to rephrase my statement: golf ball WITHOUT dimples will fly far less than the one with... isn't it the same as dimpled ball will fly further? or my ENGLISH is really phuckkk up?

[Pky6471]

Not quite. Range balls were never produced to be played on a real course. The cover is about 5 times as thick, and they are only produced to be durable. Nobody should really try to use the range as a solid way to gauge distances.

Do you have any data to support that the cover is about 5 times as thick? I am told (at least by one private club) that range balls won't go as far, but I am not aware of 5 times as thick

[lorenzoinoc]

I know that those Crystal golf balls for women are one piece and made out of melted down tampon applicators. Sorry Pky, I left my data at the rocket lab.

[poe4soul]

Let me try to rephrase my statement: golf ball WITHOUT dimples will fly far less than the one with... isn't it the same as dimpled ball will fly further? or my ENGLISH is really phuckkk up?

My bad. Too much multiple tasking.

[Horseballs]

I

Do you have any data to support that the cover is about 5 times as thick? I am told (at least by one private club) that range balls won't go as far, but I am not aware of 5 times as thick

I have seen them cut up by a mower and 5 times is an underestimate.

[poe4soul]

I
I have seen them cut up by a mower and 5 times is an underestimate.

I've seen them cut up as well and have often wondered if the mower survived the conflict. They are thick. Never actually noted a factor but 5 seems right compared to a tour ball.

[Pky6471]

I know that those Crystal golf balls for women are one piece and made out of melted down tampon applicators. Sorry Pky, I left my data at the rocket lab.

U the man... maybe I should cut it and look under a microscope in my lab

[Pky6471]

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...1190951AAljPpY

FYI

[famousdavis]

Seems pretty obvious to me as well. They've been hit 1000's of time and the new (now old) square grooved wedges eat covers off the balls.

One of the courses I practice at in the winter, city muni, has a serious drainage problem on the range and every winter they loose about 8,000 balls a week and have to hand pick the balls out of the mud. They replace their balls each summer but when they start loosing this many they will bring 2 year old balls into the rotation. It's always fun to hit one of those dimple-less balls with a driver and watch it knuckle five different directions and then fall out of the sky like it reached the end of a leash.

I have become such a good ballstriker that I can actually take a ball with little to no dimples and hit it in such a way that it will zig zag all the way to the green and zag just at the right time. With backspin!!

[noshuz]

I like to remove the cover all together. I think I get a little more distance.....

[Drew Austin]

I am fortunate enough to have a driving range that buys real golf balls for use!!! Anything from used Pro-V1's, B330's, Nike ONE's, etc. They are great, and as he moves the hitting areas up/back, he paces off the yardage markers. The whole damn range is level, too! I am spoiled, I guess.

[herbsewell]

You need to go yell at the guys that manage those ranges. Those POS one piece balls are so inexpensive, that if they understand you'll go elswhere and warn everyone else off, they'll come around and the balls will improve dramatically. I also hit the shitty ones over the fence if I can. If they're really bad, I'll just toss them in the trash.

Unfortunately, none of this has helped make me the kind of golfer that could compete against someone like HB without, say, 5 strokes a side.

This is a city run range that is the only place in town that is open 24 hours during the spring and summer. I hate going there to practice. The best time to go there is in aprl after their golf expo when they buy all new range balls. This place caters to the hacker golfer. They don't care about the better than average golfer. If it was back in the 80's I would open a driving range and keep the ball supply fresh and replace the mats more often and treat the golfers better. I don't like hitting on grass because noone knows how to do it right, and every lie is uneven. With a good soft mat the lie is the same, allowing you to practice on an even surface.

[collegegolfer]

Not quite. Range balls were never produced to be played on a real course. The cover is about 5 times as thick, and they are only produced to be durable. Nobody should really try to use the range as a solid way to gauge distances.

I don't notice significant decrease in distance with range balls. I actually play with them quite often when working at the course. Someone will say, "hey, come play a few" when I'm out driving around checking on things. If it isn't busy I'll grab a couple range balls and play a couple holes, fix ball marks, sand tees, etc. Not significant differences in my mind. Maybe the super old ones, but not the ones that are from the current year.