Golfers can carry any number of balls in their golf bag. However most PGA tour players usually carry 9 golf balls in their bag each round, or with the help of a caddy who is willing to lug around for them.
Although you can carry any number of golf balls in your bag, the rule of golf states that you should only play with one type golf ball. Therefore, if you have 12 golf balls in your bag, then all of them should be of the same brand and model.
A pro golfer will typically change their golf balls every 5 to 6 holes. During the replacement, the golfer cannot use a different brand and model golf ball or else he or she will be dealt a penalty. The penalty for using a different model golf ball is usually 2 strokes per hole that the ball is used, with a maximum of 8 strokes.
As it relates to changing of golf balls, most modern balls are now being made with high quality technology that can last for quite sometime, so you shouldn’t worry about replacing your golf ball too much after a series of rounds. Most of this talk is merely superstition as the performance of the golf ball remains in good condition.
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What Happens If A Pro Golfer Runs Out Of Balls?
There is a possibilty that a golfer may run out of golf balls while playing on the golf course. This is why it’s important to have at least 9 golf balls in your bag so that this doesn’t happens.
Nonetheless, if you happen to run out of golf balls, then it is perfectly fine to borrow one from another player. These balls can include practice or X-Out ball which are approved golf balls.
Number Of Balls On A Driving Range
When it comes to driving range, the number of golf balls you carry will be significantly larger. At a driving range, your are most likely warming up or practicing a few drills. This is going to take more than 9 golf balls.
The average number of balls you’d carry on a driving range is 50 to 100 golf balls. Generally in a driving range, you’d start out with a few shortgame shots like pitches or chip shots, and then you make your way into hitting long irons.
Apart from driving range, most professional golfers wouuld hit around 500 golf balls per day when they are out of a tournament. In this case, you would not need to carry around so much golf balls in your bag as that will weigh you down.
A golf ball dispenser is ideal when we are talking large number of golf balls. It feeds and counts the number of balls being entered and dispensed with high fill rates up to 500 balls per minute.
Can Pros Carry Colored Golf Balls?
The PGA, USGA and R&A do not prohibit the use of colored golf balls. You can carry any color golf ball in your bag as you so choose, but most players prefer playing with white balls because they stand out on the greens especially at nights.
Bsides the grass, they are an excellent all round color for other golfing conditions such as the sand and mud. All in all, white balls are the most traditional colored balls and goes unquestioned on the fairways and in club houses.
The second best and most popular golf ball alternative you’ll find pros using are yellow colored golf balls. Because yellow is the most visible color in the visual spectrum, they are much easier to see, and it even helps you stay relaxed as yellow is known for calming and relieving stress.
Nevertheless, players should not sweat over the color of golf balls that they wish to carry in their bag as it won’t make any difference in the way you hit the golf ball.
How Many Ball Should I Bring For 18 holes?
An 18 hole game of golf is usally what most golfers play. Again, 9 balls is the ideal number you should carry in your bag if you are playing 18 holes, although some will go for a dozen golf balls.
If you are playing golf for the first time as an amateur you’d probably lose the ball at a faster rate, so it’s recommended to keep a dozen.
A 2009 study from Golf Magazine found that the average golfer loses 1.3 balls per round which is approximately 4 balls per 3 rounds of golf.
As you can see, the number of golf balls you lose per 18 hole of golf is almost 1, so 9 balls should be more than enough to play with on the golf course. Neverthless, it won’t hurt to carry enough golf balls to suffice for the number of lost balls in the event that they are shanked into the woods and waterhazards like ponds, rivers and lakes.
Number Of Golf Balls Per Season
We looked at the number of golf balls for an 18 hole round of golf, but what about the numner of balls a player uses for a season?
Well, most players will use at least 6 dozen golf balls per season, equating to 72 golf balls. These golf seasons typically run from March to October period.
The total number of golf balls lost during the golf season really begins to stack up. This spells good news for golf ball divers as they can make a ton of money locating and reselling the lost golf balls to vendors, and factories who need them.
Final Verdict – Why using the same golf ball matters?
The number of balls that you carry in your bag make little to no difference in how you play your game. The only thing that really matters is sticking to the same type golf ball.
Using the same brand and model golf ball for each round of golf will help to better your consistency in your game. You will know how the golf ball feels and travel as you hit it with your clubhead.
If you decide to use a different type of golf ball for each round, then you are actually hampering and hurting your game. Sticking with the same one for each round is better because you will start to eliminate performance differences from different ball models. This will in turn build confidence and consistency, resulting in lower golf scores
