Statistics on golf balls

[jfg2000]

Hello all
I was given a desk calendar with curious golf facts. One read : " The average golfer loses two balls per round. That means that every day, there are 4.2 million lost golf balls. Companies work hard to keep demand, Titleist for example, produces 2.1 million balls per day. "
Do you think these numbers are right?? That is A LOT of golf balls, where do they end up??
cheers and good game.
JFG

 

[CliveW]

Sounds like a load of balls to me!

 

[USER1999]

I have read before that the average golfer loses 2 balls per game. That I why I hate losing two balls. I am NOT average.

That said, they don't say how many balls the average golfer finds.

The better golfers lose them where they don't want to look, so they probably lose more than they find. Unless they play with me. When they will visit parts of the course they never knew existed.

 

[TonyN]

They end up lost, in bushes, ponds and deep rough.

 

[rob2]

And in the bellys of squirrels and rats

Rob2

 

[rob2]

Actually thinking about it, most lost balls seem to end up on Ebay to be purchased by unsuspecting chumps like me!

"Grade A balls, Some may have slight marks or discolouration"

Translated: These balls are sh**te.

Rob2

 

[jammydodger]

Well I lost 2 balls on our 12th hole one day and then another on the same hole the next day in exactly the same spot. I did find 2 though so wasnt too bothered as my score was pants anyway.
There are sooooo many leaves on our course at the end of the year that you lose balls all the time when only slightly off line , then the greenkeepers sell them back to you...sigh...

 

[Parmo]

UK Lake Balls, a successful and rapidly growing Lancashire company, specialising in providing the market with carefully graded and selected 'Lake Balls' at the lowest UK prices, is expanding its services. This is a 'cost free' operation that is designed to benefit all those concerned.

Organised night visitors regularly and without authority, 'remove' large quantities of balls from clubs countrywide. It has been estimated that a minimum of 10 million golf balls are 'lost' per year.

UK Lake Balls objective is to work with golf clubs to eradicate these problems as far as possible and protect the reputable 'lake ball' companies.

Participating clubs will see an end to 'night raids', which can prevent costly damage to lake/pond edges sounds like blackmail to me

lakeballs.co.uk

Interesting amount, I read a blog of a US kid who bought a device on EBay that looked like below and made $1500 a summer!!

HOW TO MAKE MONEY SELLING USED GOLF BALLS

 

[Leftie]

4.2 million lost golf balls. That is A LOT of golf balls, where do they end up??

Mostly in my bag . Lost one this morning and found 8 of which I kept 6.

Over all my golf playing years (1000 - 1500 rounds????) I've probably only bought maybe 50 - 80 new balls, been given/won 100-150 and still have probably over 200 new or almost new and another 2-300 reasonable quality in the garage for practice.

I accept that some forum members and other golfers like to spend their money on new balls as they might get a certain satisfaction in using them. It might be my heritage however, but I'm nore than happy to use free almost new ProV1's, TP's, Srixons, or other good quality balls that have only been hit maybe a couple of dozen times. At my level of golf I couldn't tell the difference (apart from looks) in the way a brand new ProV1 reacts against a slightly used one.

 

[wackygolfer]

On a similar thread Not lost but pinched!

At our course there are screams of anguish from the women and men charging down fairways shouting their heads off!
We currently have a family of crows whose nests must be full to the top with the balls that they have swooped down and stolen. That is really frustrating. Unfortunately the nest is right in the middle of dense woodland.

Sorry to hijack your post but -

The crows presently have 4 holes they like to choose from. Does anybody have any tips to put the crows off our shiny new balls?

 

[Leftie]

A shotgun and hang the dead ones in the trees. The rest might just get the message .

 

[wackygolfer]

Hi leftie

Great idea and I would be happy to do it, but unfortunately a few of the members love God's creatures!

Any other tips regarding the balls could be useful, thanks

 

[USER1999]

We had the same problem, and I am afraid the solution was a shotgun. There is no soft answer.

 

[Leftie]

Great idea and I would be happy to do it, but unfortunately a few of the members love God's creatures!

I must admit Vickie that I was waiting for this answer. We have two major problems with crows - digging holes in the greens in leatherjacket season and flipping replaced divots looking for worms/insects or whatever.

Our course ranger has permission to cull a few now and again. Unfortunately he was hauled over the coals last year by the general manager as he did hang a couple of dead ones in the trees to discourage others but there were complaints from a certain group of members (about those hanging in the trees).

Now he gets out earlier and removes the carcases. Unfortunately he will never be able to keep up with the numbers.

Sadly I can't help with your problem of the crows stealing the balls - it's the foxes that take ours.

Have you tried using yellow/orange/pink balls on the problem holes?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We have a flock of wild parrots which are pretty offputting with their noise but no persistant ball thieves. Fortunately I left that problem behind at Wimbledon Common where kids (especially in the school holidays) would appear from nowhere and knick you ball and ride off on their bikes. Managed to nearly decapitate one when I dropped an old ball and fired a low punched 3 iron in his direction (best shot I hit all round)

 

[ricardodaintino]

Did Homer just say parrots???
He's obviously taken bob's comment about saying "welcome to the carribean" the wrong way!

Worst problem I have is angry geese not budging off the greens. Oh and crapping all over the green. Not sure I want to move it with my club, but certainly don't wanna putt over it!

 

[viscount17]

oh yes, I know the fun of negotiating geese and swan droppings, and the fun of getting it off trolley wheels.
that's bad enough, it's when they just sit there then comment on your duffed shot.

and in the next month or so the pheasants will be taking over all the tees as display areas

 

[HomerJSimpson]

No I did say parrots. We have a colony of green parrots which gave HTL a surprise when he played a few weeks back. They tend to stay inside the dead trees around the 10th in the cold but once the sun is out they are often seen (and heard) around the 3rd and the 10th

 

[viscount17]

I was hoping for Norwegian Blues at the very least!

 

[nomadpaul]

I was hoping for Norwegian Blues at the very least!

Lovely plumage , the Norweigan Blue !!!