Why are golf balls white?

[golfdonkey]

Just wondering. I once read that when the game originated they were painted red so they showed up amongst the daisies on the unmown fairways. Has any research been done to suggest another colour (yellow) might be easier to find?

 

[muttleee]

Red balls on a green fairway would make the game pretty tricky for anyone who's red-green colourblind. ;-)

Just think though, if balls never got lost, we'd never have the joy of finding a brand new Titleist PTS in the long grass...

 

[Dave3498]

Are they white? I never knew that. I obviously haven't taken the black paper wrapping off my Penfold Ace.

 

[John_Findlay]

I saw a thing on telly by a golf psychologist saying you should mark your golf balls with a big red mark to make it easier to find them in the grass. Apparently this was based on the theory that as cavemen we searched for berries etc which were red against green backgrounds and we haven't lost that skill. Personally, the words "my a**e" spring to mind. Red/green colour blindness !

 

[Teetotal]

I got given some neon coloured balls and they were really hard to spot. White is definately the easist.

 

[Hoppy]

I got given some neon coloured balls and they were really hard to spot. White is definately the easist.

Except if you have a fairway full of Daisey's LOL

 

[birdieman]

Daisies? - You want to have a word with your greenkeeper to cut the grass more often! I wont even put a yellow or orange ball in my practice balls bag, gotta be white!
However I remember with pride spending my first golf voucher as a junior on 4 brand new orange pinnacles, how the times have changed!

 

[JustinHarvie]

I think anything that could make them easier to spot would be useful. When I was learning to play, I once played on a links course which was full of gorse bushes and deep rough. By the end of the front 9, I'd lost so many balls that I was getting paranoid with my tee shots! Talk about driving with the brakes on!

 

[madandra]

I think anything that could make them easier to spot would be useful


DON'T HIT IT TOO FAR !!!!!!!


I only use a yella ba' in the dusky autumn nights when I refuse to give in to mother nature telling me to GET OFF AND GO HOME !!!!!!!!!