Same Titleist Pro V1. Same Performance. Just half the price. Something to (pond)er…
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This could just be the best news Titleist Pro V1 club golfers will hear this year.
‘Pond Balls: 6 for £10’ – reads the pink star-shaped sign hanging limply from the basket beneath the Kit Kat Chunkys.
I turn around, making sure no one’s looking before diving down to the depths, resurfacing with six relatively unblemished spheres bearing the hallowed V1 hallmark.
“Just these please,” I say, trying to avoid eye contact.
Oh, who am I kidding?
I’m a 14 handicapper and I’ll have lost two by the time I get to the second tee. I shouldn’t be embarrassed about not splashing out on the ‘fresh out of the box’ version of golf’s best ball.
Who’s to say pond balls are no good anyway?
Some of the most rigorous testing in the industry has proved that club standard golfers really don’t need to be spending a fortune on premium multi-piece golf balls to achieve the performance their game requires. And with the most premium models now retailing at $55/£52 per dozen, even highly proficient players must be questioning if $4.50/£4.30 per ball represents good value.
The trouble is, it’s blooming hard to ignore that roughly 70% of pro golfers are gaming the iconic Pro v1 and sibling – the V1x. It overrides the fact that other powerhouse brands including TaylorMade, Callaway, and Wilson Staff are now consistently demonstrating performances to rival the godfather of golf balls, and the fact that several Titleist Pro V1 models are only available to tour pros!
And while direct-to-consumer options are becoming increasingly popular thanks to their blend of performance and cost-effectiveness, it’s safe to say that Titleist’s flagship balls are set to retain their crown as golf’s No.1 ball for some time to come.
But…is there a compromise to be had?
Perhaps.
At least according to a novel study into the retention of golf ball performance after varying lengths of submergence in the ponds of Oakland University, Michigan.
The research published by Thomas Raffel and Patrick Long in the Golf Science Journal aimed to quantify the performance characteristics of Titleist Pro V1 golf balls after submergence periods of one, three, five, and 12 months, compared to freshly opened versions.
And what their robot-tested sample of 143 shots reported was somewhat surprising…
“We found no evidence of degraded golf ball performance following up to 12 months submergence in a golf pond, with no significant differences between pond and control balls in either distance traveled or carry dispersion,” concluded the authors.
Yes, the authors did see an overall trend toward lower total distance traveled for submerged balls…but it amounted to roughly a yard, contradicting findings from previous studies that found much greater carry distance drop-off following spells of submergence in water hazards.
Furthermore, the lateral deviation of submerged balls indicated no significant differences compared to the control sample. In other words, they were no less forgiving either. A win-win based on this evidence.
The most notable finding was that the outer layer of many balls took on a yellowish coloration following extended pond submersion, with increasing numbers of balls falling into the authors’ ‘Near Mint’ and ‘Fair’ color categories.
But this only served as an indication of how long a ball had been submerged. There was no evidence of any relationship between ball discoloration and performance, and the authors were confident that even balls that had discolored to ‘Fair’ were likely to have similar performance characteristics to new balls.
What to make of it…
With golfers in the USA reportedly getting through 300 million golf balls annually, the findings should be encouraging to those of us willing to entertain the idea of playing recovered golf balls, especially those with cast urethane elastomer covers – such as the Titleist Pro V1.
The authors suggested the most likely explanation for their results resides in the superior quality of today’s premium materials that are thought to be more resistant to environmental degradation than previously used ionomeric resins. It’s also possible that pond conditions are less abrasive than other marine and riverine environments that the balls of previous studies may have been exposed to.
That said, the pond conditions experienced by the balls in this research are highly representative of the typical environments from which ball retrieval companies and golf clubs obtain their balls.
A final caveat here is that the submerged balls were fresh out of the box without exposure to being smacked around by the latest tech-infused drivers and the like. The authors acknowledged that existing damage to balls prior to submergence could likely result in more evidence of water damage.
In the words of the authors though: “This should be welcome news to the tens of millions of golfers with tight budgets.”
So, providing you source the highest grading of recycled balls available, typically described as ‘Mint’, ‘Pearl’, or ‘A’, then you will probably enjoy the same ratio of ecstasy and frustration on the course you’re accustomed to, but for just a fraction of the cost.
And for Titleist Pro V1 stalwarts who lose a few balls per round on average, a $2 per ball saving adds up pretty quickly. Fast enough to be investing in your own wetsuit and set of goggles by the end of the season, perhaps?
Ready to take the plunge?
The best available grade of recycled Titleist Pro V1 golf balls.
Available in packs of 24, 50, and 100 balls that have been meticulously inspected to ensure they meet high standards of performance. May include logos and pen markings.
Or…happy to keep splashing out?
Golf balls with the most Tour validation
Best overall golf balls
Rrp: $54.97
Rrp: $54.97
They feature a three-piece construction, with each golf ball enduring rigorous testing, being checked 90 times. The Pro V1 has a soft urethane cover, designed to deliver low spin off the driver for maximum distance while maintaining high spin and control on approach shots and around the greens.
The Pro V1 is known for its consistent ball flight, providing golfers with confidence and precision in their game. Golfers wanting a higher ball flight will appreciate playing with Titleist Pro V1x golf balls and anyone seeking a lower ball flight will achieve that with the Titleist AVX golf balls.
Read our full Titleist Pro V1 golf balls review.
Pros
- Fantastic Tour validation
- Amazing long game performance
- Super short game spin and control
Cons
- Well over $4 a ball - but it could be argued that it's warranted
| Construction | 3-piece |
| Cover | Cast urethane elastomer |
| Dimples | 388 |
| Feel | Soft |
| Flight | Mid |
| Long game spin | Very low |
| Short game spin | High |
| Color options | White; Yellow |
- High gradient core design
- Speed amplifying high-flex casing layer
- Cast thermoset urethane cover
- Spherically tiled tetrahedral dimple design
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Are club golfers spending more than they need to on Titleist Pro V1 golf balls?
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Retention of golf ball performance after pond submergence (Raffel and Long, 2023).
