Golfblogger

What balls have you found are most durable? Least?

I’m impressed with the durability of the Callaway hex balls. Not impressed with the Nike.

Titleist ProV1 I think are the toughest.  Can’t say the same for the NXTs or especially the DT So/Lo, which may be the easiest to tear up.  The ProV1, if I can keep from losing it, I think easily justifies the $4/ball price.  The longest I have played with a ball was 38 holes, and it still looked really good when it went in the water-- and that was a FOUND ProV1, I have no idea how many holes it actually had played.

Callaway HX Hot is the toughest I regularly play with.  The HX Black (I guess going away now) I don’t play with- when I have found them they are pretty scuffed.

I agree on Nikes, not a single one I can think of is very tough at all.  Oddly, I think Bridgestone/Precept makes the Nikes, and the only Bridgestones I play with the e5 and e6 do pretty well.

TopFlites, the D2 line, which is an excellent ball for the price, is pretty easily torn up.  The new Freak ball, the other day I cart path’ed one twice in the round, and the ball looked pretty new until I lost it around the eigth hole.  BTW- the Freak is as advertised, it is Nasty Long—It does not have a slippy cover to help with sidespin though, and I had worse than average for me fading/slicing with the ball.  It was 60-degrees, a little warmer than it has been lately, so some distance came from that.

the TaylorMade TP Red (for 2007, now being replaced with a upgraded ball)- pretty durable as well.  I am actively buying up the 2007 model as it is on closeout a number of places for $25-- I have found I really like playing with this ball.  I won two skins today with it, pretty good distance, pretty good resistance to slicing.  Once I can’t get the ‘07 model and all I can get is the ‘08 for $40 a dozen, I will be done playing with it.

Is the TP on closeout in local stores, or in any of the national chains?

The Golf Blogger - 17 February 2008 12:00 AM

Is the TP on closeout in local stores, or in any of the national chains?

GolfSmith is where I bought 3 dozen the other day, at $24.99.  Online it shows $29.99.  They had 4-5 dozen left, I would have bought more, but I wanted to try the Freak, and needed to keep the purchase under $100 to avoid having to file an RFP with the wife.

My club started selling them at $29.95 back in November, they sold out about 20 dozen in about a week or so.  I discovered I liked them about 2 weeks after that.  I didn’t know that Golfsmith still had them until Thursday.

Another small chain (but national I think) called Pro Discount Golf, also has then for $25, I think (might be $30).  They, did not carry them prior to the closeout, and they don’t appear to be carrying the new TP Reds or Blacks either.  I don’t think they even have the new Burner balls.  They have a funny TaylorMade selection.  I don’t think they have the irons, but they have some of the drivers?  Maybe they don’t have a deal at all with TaylorMade and are being supplied through some other 3rd party?  They do carry a lot of MaxFli stuff (most Memphis stores carry MaxFli, possibly from the Daly connection, that may stop now that Daly is no longer with them).

We’ve got both Golfsmith and Pro Golf here in Detroit, so I’ll head out that way on Monday.

What’s the weather report where you are for next week. Still thinking about heading south.

The Golf Blogger - 17 February 2008 07:06 AM

We’ve got both Golfsmith and Pro Golf here in Detroit, so I’ll head out that way on Monday.

What’s the weather report where you are for next week. Still thinking about heading south.

We are in the mid to high 50’s mostly for the next 10 days or so, but by Wednesday, the rain situation gets iffy- they are saying heavy rains for a few of those days.  The following week doesn’t look much better.

But they can’t predict 15 minutes out anymore it seems.  The last two 60+ degree days were completely unpredicted.

The Callaway HX Hot Bite

Today I played with the HX Hot Bite for the first time.  As the title of this thread is “Most Durable Balls” - I give this ball a great big FAIL!!! On the 7th hole, the Bite hit the cart path on a drive.  The resulting scuff was bigger than I have seen on any major brand that I can remember- literally, after one cart path hit, the ball had to be tossed.

Now- outside the durability question, I must say, I really liked the way the ball played.  I had a very strong 9 holes with the Bite.  And It did grab onto the green in a way in which the HX Hot does not.

Uggh- If they really do discontinue the excellent HX Hot (orange) for this new version - that will be a horrible decision for Callaway.

The Taylormade TP Burner Golf Ball

Today I played with the new Taylormade TP Burner golf ball.  This is the non-tour version, with a street price is $19.95.  The temperature was a cool 52-56 degrees, and there was some significant gusting of about 15-20mph.  There was 2 inches of rain yesterday, so while things were boucing along and rolling nicely just a few days ago, the situation, to say the least has changed dramatically.  Given the weather and course conditions, distance was clearly impacted significantly.

So right off the bat, I found a new ball to like, and I like it a lot.  Unlike the HX Hot Bite, I never skidded one across a cart path, but from what I could see, they were holding up quite well.  On 12 and 13, on the back nine of our north course, which I refer to as Little Minnesota, because it is so cold in the winter with the wind, and because in 9 holes there are at least 12 ponds of significant size, I lost the whole damn sleeve.  One was lost to craptacular aim with my three wood went left (like a freaking rocket) and over the OB fence and far into a yard.  Then on the next hole, 13, hitting into the wind, I sent my normally fading shot to the left side of the fairway, but as it hit the apex, it got caught up in the wind, and took a hard right about 80 yards into a house (it was still like a 230 yard drive on the fly though!) Later on 13, I put the 3rd one into the drink which protects the green.

Even given that I lost a whole sleeve in 2 holes, I have to say the one ball I was playing with was playing spectacularly well for such a cool day.  I flew it onto the 217 yard par 3 (with driver, and it rolled off the back).  Drives were great, and approach shots stuck to the greens.  I had a lot of GIRs (for me)- I think 4 or 5 in the first 11 holes.  The ball spun fairly well, and it flew fantastic. 

I had thought that this Burner ball might just be a repackaged Fire, maybe it is-- but to me it certainly felt like a better ball.  This ball coming in at $20, IMO is a steal.  That is the same price as a DT So/Lo, and this is a better ball.  It is $5 less than the HX Hot or Nike Ignite, and I have to say, while my experience is limited, I like it at least as much as the HX Hot at this point-- and I like the HX Hot better than the Ignite.  The Bridgestones (e5 and e6) also seem a little overpriced now too. 

I was just getting into these TP Reds, but did not want to be playing a $40 when my closeout 2007 versions were gone-- I am thinking this ball will solve the need.  The golf store wanted me to try some Burner Tours next- they are going to have to give me that sleeve, cause I am pretty happy with the non-tour for $5 less a dozen.

As a side note, the foursome ahead of me had two guys also playing the Burner ball for the first time- they were cracking open a box when I got to the first tee.  I think this might be one of the big new products for this year.

OK. The TP Burner is now on my must-try list.

Following up-

TaylorMade Burner- still awesome for $20.

Callaway Hot Bite- still tearing these up, but they are playing fantastic.  I am rating these balls a 5 on a scale of 10.  I rate them an 11 for performance, and a -1 for durability, that averages 5. 

By the way, I hit one of these (Hot Bite) about 270 yards with a 5-hybrid.  190 on a draw to the parking lot (instead of the 160 with a planned fade),bounced well over the bag drop shack, a couple bounces on a sidewalk and across the practice green and down a hill.  This time it actually did not tear up, but it got some unexplained burn mark on it (it covered a third of the ball), I was actually concerned it might be brain matter, but luckily there were no victims lying about.