Most golf balls on the market are for the pros. Australian company Forté Golf does something different – it helps recreational players find a golf ball designed specifically for them. Never mindlessly grab a box off the shelf again.
Recently, the good folks over at Forté Golf sent me several boxes of golf balls, which I promptly handed out to fellow recreational golfers of various skill levels. Of course, I kept a box for myself too. And I decided on which box to keep by getting custom fit directly from the Forté website: https://fortegolf.com.au/pages/golf-ball-fitting.
Below are a few stinky golfer reviews stemming from my handouts:
Stinky Golfer Matt – El Dorado Hills, CA. Handicap: 10
I normally play Bridgestone 330 RXS’s, so that was my point of comparison. Overall, I’d give solid scores across all categories for the Forté (maybe 4 out of 5 for distance, feel, and
Forté Golf’s Six-Layer Ball
performance). I’d give them a 5 for durability though. Not one scratch on any of them, and I gave them plenty opportunities to get scuffed up. It had a unique (but not bad) feel. Kind of dull, but not in a bad way. The one other thing I noticed that may or may not bug someone – the logo on the side of the ball is in cursive, so depending if you use that logo to line up and/or use it as a general line to where you’re putting, it’s not the easiest on the eye. All in all, I’d play them again.
Stinky Golfer Walt – Philadelphia, PA. Handicap: 25+
Used the Forté balls [during my round] today. Like other reviews said, they feel harder and do make a click sound. I didn’t mind it though. And I do have to say, when I had a good swing and struck it clean they take off. And I want to say that they did fly a bit straighter. I’ll try them again.
Stinky Golfer Greg – New Haven, CT. Handicap: 18
Forté APEX 6 Golf Ball
Boy did I play well with the Forté golf ball – in fact, it was one of my best rounds ever! Of course, it’s impossible to say my golf ball was the main reason. But my drives, irons and putting were all on target that day, which is a rarity. Plus, I too agree with Stinky Golfer Matt that the balls are extremely durable – my ball survived all 18-holes without scuffing! And while I realize this was only one round, I’ll certainly be playing the Forté ball again.
So the results are in from three varying levels of recreational golfer and all give a thumbs up to the Forté Golf ball. Which, I’ll admit had me a bit surprised – it’s not often you can get golfers to agree – especially on their choice of ball. For me, at least, I’ve found my new golf ball for the foreseeable future.
Well, we’ve all read about, heard about and maybe even tried out the so-called “cheater ball,” the Polara golf ball. Though we here at GolfStinks have already given both the positive as well as the negative effects the use of the ball could possibly have on the sport, we haven’t actually offered up our own experiences with the ball. Well, this past weekend, I gave the Polara ball a real try for the first time, so I’ll be the first to share my opinion.
Prior to this past Saturday, my only experience with the Polara had been teeing off with one which was given to me on the last hole of a round by my playing partner, who had been using them all day. I reluctantly agreed to try one out as I still had that “cheater ball” mentality in mind. But curiosity had certainly gotten the best of me. I proceeded to mis-hit the tee shot, only for it to somehow still land safely in the rough a couple hundred yards out. So the question became…did I land safely in the rough rather than out of bounds because of the ball? Or would I have been safe anyway? Unfortunately, this is a question that still looms to this day.
So this past weekend, I played eighteen holes at a local course and decided to try the Polara out on half the round – regular balls on the front nine and Polara’s on the back. Now I understand that by not playing the same holes, I can’t really make a fair comparison as far as the scores go. But that’s not the comparison I’m really trying to make. I want to find out if, quite simply, the ball is going to travel straighter as the claim states. So, for the record, my score was four strokes lower on the back nine with the Polara than on the front with regular balls. But for the real issue…
On the front nine, I felt like I played my typical game. A few good shots, more not so good. After the ninth hole, my score was just about what it normally is. So I switched over to the Polara’s to start the tenth. For about the first four or five holes, I didn’t see or feel much difference in my balls flight path, distance or otherwise. However, by the second half of the back nine, I noticed a few of my shots were traveling pretty straight on clubs I normally tend to struggle with. But again, for me anyway, this just opens up more questions – mainly, how do I know that if I hit that same shot with a regular ball, the result wouldn’t be the same? So is it the ball? Or is it the idea of the ball that’s giving me a more mental edge than a physical one? And if it is more of a mental edge, then doesn’t that mean the ball is working, just in a different way?
As I said, my score did come down on the back nine, but would that have happened anyway with a regular ball? I think another couple of rounds may be in order to try to get a more accurate assessment. And next time I think I’ll try playing the same holes with the two different balls. But in the meantime, I think I’ll plan on keeping the Polara’s in my bag and I will continue to use them. Hey, just because they may not be legal on the PGA Tour doesn’t mean I can’t use them on my local muni.
Remember back in the late 1980’s and early 90’s when neon yellow golf balls were “kinda” popular? That fad died-out for a while but recently, brightly colored balls are making a comeback. Today, one of the newest additions to this trend are the UV:X3 balls from Australian manufacturer, Vision.
This family-owned company is making its debut in the American market with these new golf balls. And let me tell you, after getting my hands on a sleeve of these, they aren’t the neon balls of 25 years ago. Touted as not only brightly colored, these babies absorb UV light from the sun to provide maximum visibility – in fact, they absorb so much light, they actually glow!
Obviously for the average golfer, the more visible a ball is, the less chance you have of losing it. But beyond this advantage, the UV:X3 also touts an extremely “durable and slick” cover that creates “less drag in flight and greater overall distance.”
In addition, Vision collected information from many golfers who complained other golf balls were hard to identify during play. To this end, the company decided to imprint large, highly visible numbers in two locations on the UV:X3 (the numbers are large, but not an eyesore – making this slight improvement not only practical, but also design-friendly). And of course, the ball completely conforms to the USGA and R&A rules.
This is perhaps the most stinky golfer-friendly ball I have seen to date and it’s completely legal (unlike some other balls out there). To help launch this cool new golf ball in North America, there’s a crowd funding campaign setup here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/vision-golf-balls. There’s no word on what these balls will retail for in the U.S. yet, but a donation of $38USD via the aforementioned link will get you a dozen of these sweet little yellow orbs.
I started playing golf at the age of 14. In the ensuing 20+ years, I (like many) have developed the ability to accurately gauge golfers just by looking at them.
Now don’t get me wrong – you can’t always judge a book by its cover, but any of the signs below usually mean I’m in for a long (and somewhat interesting) afternoon on the links – and all this can be ascertained BEFORE you actually tee-off on the first hole. Let’s take a look at some easy observations:
1. They carry a ball retriever
There it is, sticking out of the golf bag like a sore thumb. Whether it’s used to fish-out their own errant shot or the errant shot of somebody else, it’s going to come out of the bag and the rest of us are going to have to wait. “But I can get it, I see it right there…” This is golf, not fishing…drop a ball and move on.
2. They’re bringing more than one ball up to the tee
You know these people – they will load their pockets with golf balls before stepping up to each tee, figuring they will probably take at least one (maybe two or three) Mulligans. You know, it’s a good mental strategy to leave the extra ball in your bag. Oh well, hopefully they’re only playing nine.
3. They’re a member of the “Tennis Shoe Crowd”
They say you have to have patience to play golf. I think it’s for when you are paired with a member of the Tennis Shoe Crowd. Usually sporting a wife-beater, cut-offs and tennis shoes – these people play golf once, maybe twice in a decade. If you get paired with them, I guess it’s your lucky day!
4. There’s beer in the cart basket
This could be trouble – especially if it’s a cooler full of beer…double-trouble if there’s 5 or 6 cans already empty. Don’t get me wrong, I love beer. But the cart isn’t a portable keg and the ensuing lawsuits stemming from a golf cart packed with alcohol are endless…
5. They’ve got golf gloves on both hands Tom, our co-founder here at Golfstinks, wears two gloves constantly on the course – even to putt (see figure 1). Tom’s a great guy and we’ve been friends for years, but I just don’t get the two gloves thing – it’s just strange…and typically so is anyone else you may encounter wearing two golf gloves. On a side note, Tom also carried a ball retriever in his bag until a few years ago…
6. They’re playing range balls
This should be an obvious tip-off you’re in for an interesting round…and was actually witnessed by me on the first-tee one time (hard not to notice the double stripes painted on the ball). Sometimes you just have to shake your head in amazement.
7. If duct tape is holding any of their club-heads on
Another obvious sign of trouble. Stinky Golfer Pete has witnessed this first-hand. In fear for his life, he literally hid behind the cart every time the person tee-off.
8. If they take more than 3 practice swings
There’s no reason for this at all – that’s why there’s a driving range. One or two swings is common. Three swings is pushing it. More than three? Settle in – it’s going to be a long day.
9. If they’re bragging about how good they are
This makes me stop in my tracks – I’m almost hesitant to shake the guy’s hand. We haven’t even teed-off and he’s already letting the rest of us know about the 78 he shot last time out. Inevitably, this person will double-bogey the first hole and then proceed to hack-up the rest of the course (reminding us the whole time by constantly saying: “I’m really off my game today”).
And finally…
10. They’re teaching another member of the foursome how to grip a club
If you see this (or see them teaching someone how to swing, stand, put the tee in the ground, etc.), you seriously need to reconsider how much you really want to play that day.
So the next time you’re paired-up with someone, be observant and prepare mentally. And if you know of any other pre-round signs out there – help us all out by leaving a comment.
#1. The speed of the clubhead at impact greatly affects the distance the golf ball will travel. A faster club head speed will cause the ball to travel further; a slower club head speed will lead to less distance.
Whoa, whoa whoa…malarkey! I’ve seen someone, Tom (co-founder of Golfstinks), smash a drive off of an elevated tee and the ball had this ridiculous sinking ability it would have made Brandon Webb* proud!
#2. The degree to which the ball is struck in relation to the club’s “sweet spot” affects both the distance and direction of the ball. The closer to the sweet spot the ball is struck, the further and straighter the ball will travel.
Sweet spot?!?! Where the hell is that? I mean, I’ve got a sweet spot for…wait…Do you mean the “center of persussion”? Why didn’t you say so! Now I get it. Geez, I could have been on the tour by now if I knew that!
#3. The direction the clubface is pointed at impact greatly affects the direction of the flight of the ball. The more the toe or the heel of the club is in front at impact, the more side spin will be imparted to the ball which will influence the curvature of the ball’s flight.
Look here chief…if I can see where the clubface is pointing at impact then call me Col. Steve Austin because I would also be able to see through the clubhouse walls and into the ladies locker…ok, moving on!
#4. The initial direction the ball flies after impact is greatly influenced by the path of the clubhead. The faster the clubhead speed at impact, the greater this influence will be.
Infuence? Influence…hmmm…I get it! The more I’m under the influence the better a player I will be! That is genius, now I know why the Scottish and Irish don’t export the good stuff!
#5. The steepness of the club’s path at impact affects both distance and curvature. A steeper angle of attack will cause the ball to go higher and less far because of the degree of backspin generated. A ball struck above its center of gravity will go lower than a ball struck below its center of gravity.
Yeah…and if you take pi and divide it by the colpanarity sum of the pythagorean theory, divide it by last year’s tax returns, add it to your last scorecard score, subtract what your last scorecard’s score really was and, voila! I think that just gave me a headache.
*Brandon Webb is a MLB pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks who has a friggin awesome sinker.
Well, we’ve all read about, heard about and maybe even tried out the so-called “cheater ball,” the Polara golf ball. Though we here at GolfStinks have already given both the 
