A Very Experienced Golf Ball

Eric With His Well-Travelled Golf Ball

Each September, I play a few rounds of golf with a gentleman I have come to know quite well by the name of Eric.

We often play at Timber Ridge Golf Course which is a very scenic 40-minute drive from our cottage in Wellington, some of which is through Prince Edward County’s Wine Region. We also play my two home courses, Black Bear Ridge Golf Resort, and Bay of Quinte Golf & Country Club which are both located just outside of the city of Belleville, Ontario.

We are like most golfers out there. The game does not always reciprocate and show the same level of adoration we have for it. We play our hearts out but, by the end of most rounds, the course manages to deal yet another blow. But our spirits always remain high. The next round will be better.

Elephants Would Have Been Terrible Golfers

An essential skill of any golfer is to have a short memory when it comes to those “less than stellar” shots. Hey, wait a minute, now I know why I have trouble adding up my strokes on some holes. I’m simply illustrating an essential skill of a golfer. Forgetting those bad shots.

Here's Something That You Don't See Everyday

One idiosyncrasy that I have noticed with Eric’s game is that he uses one special ball exclusively for putting. Once his ball lands on a green, he spots it and replaces it with his “putting only” ball, a white/yellowish MAXFLI Revolution #1.

That Ball Might be Famous

The last time we played, I asked Eric how long he has been using that specific ball for putting. His answer was, “Since 2009”. Eric has been putting with the same golf ball for the last 14 years. That’s amazing. I wonder if there’s a category in the Guinness Book of Records for such a statistic.

Imagine Eric putting with the same ball for the last 14 years. If Eric played 40 rounds of 18 holes per season for the last 14 seasons, averages 30 putts/round at an average distance of 5 feet per putt, that old MAXFLI has travelled 84,000 feet, which is just short of 16 miles and has been putt 16,800 times.

It does make sense for golfers at all levels to use the same make and model golf ball, not only for a whole round, but for a whole season. Different balls perform differently. The distance can vary up to 15% from one ball to the next. This is very important when putting.

Eric started using the same ball for putting after noticing another golfer doing the same thing. This other guy did it because he liked knowing exactly how the ball reacted off the face of his putter. Consistency is everything in golf.

When Eric told me that he has been putting with the same ball since 2009, I should have asked him if he has also been putting with the same putter since 2009. If not the same putter, wouldn’t the consistency theory be flawed? I would only ask such a question with a somewhat mischievous smile on my face of course.

A Near Disaster Averted

I asked Eric if he ever lost his special putting golf ball. His answer, “Yes, but I found it again”

While playing 18 holes at the Wellington on the Lake Golf Course, Eric’s putting ball accidentally fell out of his golf bag somewhere on the course.

Eric With His Special Putting Golf Ball

Wheelbarrow of Used Golf Balls To the Rescue

For as long as I can remember, there has been a guy on the main street of Wellington close to the golf course selling golf balls. His calling card was a wheelbarrow full of golf balls at the curb enticing golfers to pull in and buy a couple dozen.

Eric visited that guy about one week after the devastating loss and found his dedicated putting ball. There it was, sitting in the wheelbarrow, his old white, now yellowing, MAXFLI Revolution #1 golf ball. As a bonus, Eric found another ball that was also a MAXFLI Revolution #1. He purchased that ball too so that he would have a backup should another disaster occur.

If you are thinking of doing what Eric does and putting the same ball all the time, there is an official rule that you should know about.

Here's the Catch...

According to the USGA Rules, players must complete a hole with the same ball that they started the hole with. The only exception to that rule would be if your ball was damaged and could no longer be played, or if you lost your ball and had to make a drop.

If a player switches balls during a hole, the player is assessed a two-stroke penalty for each hole where the violation occurs. I’m loving this. It’s like Eric is giving me two strokes on each hole. How sweet is that?

Not to worry Eric. I would never call you on that. It's not like either of us is are in danger of losing our PGA Cards or anything, right?

Stay Safe, Stay Well, and Have Fun

Tip of the Day

Get Out There and Play a Round of Golf. It's good for the body, the mind and the soul.

Oh yeah, it'a whole lot a fun too!