recreational golf Archives • GolfStinks

Why Piper Golf Should Be Your New Golf Ball

September 22, 2021 | By Greg D'Andrea | 4 Comments

Selecting new golf balls is never easy, but new Atlanta-based company Piper Golf provides both an outstanding ball and the best buying guide I’ve ever seen.

*Piper Golf will customize your ball to your game.*

We’ve previously posted about used or recycled golf balls. And while we feel playing second-hand balls would be a good choice for the recreational golfer, we also understand that many golfers simply want to play a new ball.

The problem is, the golf ball market can give weekend golfers a nervous breakdown. Which brand do you choose? And once you’ve picked the brand, which model do you go with? And will you hit it well once out on the course?

What about price? Will more expensive balls improve your game? Or should high-handicappers stick with inexpensive balls?

Well fellow golfers, to both answer these questions and find your perfect ball, look no further than new start up and Atlanta-based Piper Golf.

Born out of the pandemic, when golf was among the few socially distanced sports one could engage in, Piper Golf aims to both educate and arm players with the ideal golf ball, customized to their game.

Piper Golf manufacturers four incredible golf ball models…But they also offer a wonderful resource on how to choose the correct ball

Make no mistake, Piper Golf manufacturers four incredible golf ball models: Green, Blue, Black and Gold (very reminiscent of Johnnie Walker). But they also offer a wonderful resource on how to choose the correct ball. From the difference between 2-, 3-, and 4-piece balls, to which ball cover (urethane or Surlyn) is right for you, golfers simply cannot go wrong.

In fact, one of my favorite aspects of their website is the short quiz to help you select the correct ball for your game.

After taking the quiz myself (which took less than a minute), I was matched with Piper Blue – all based on things like my handicap, swing speed, and how far I hit my 7-iron.

Now in full disclosure, the good folks at Piper Golf sent me a sleeve of Their Blue model so I can test them out (I also received sleeves of Green, Black and Gold too).

There’s just something about the Piper logo that is very classic, yet unique and still easy on the eyes and calming when you’re about to strike the ball

*Piper Golf has a classic look that helps you get in the zone* .

Blue is a great fit for me. I’m liking them far better than my Bridgestone e6’s – perhaps due to the Blue’s Surlyn cover and three-piece construction. The feel is simply fantastic and there’s just something about the Piper logo that is very classic, yet unique and still easy on the eyes and calming when you’re about to strike the ball – be it off the tee or on the putting surface.

As for their other models: Green is of 2-piece construction and meant for beginners or high handicappers.

Meanwhile Black and Gold feature the softer, more spin-generating urethane covers lower handicappers love with the Gold model also rocking a high-performance 4-piece construct.

*Piper Golf Gold – the top-of-the-line model features a urethane cover and 4-piece construction.*

On a separate note, I’d be remiss to not mention Piper Golf’s Get Trashy guide, which is filled with side bets for unique circumstances (e.g. a “Sandie” is when you get get up and down for par from a green side bunker). It’s very reminiscent of our own Average Hack Golf Glossary!

We here at GolfStinks would like to wish the folks over at Piper Golf all the best – they make one hell of a golf ball. We’re really looking forward to watching this company grow!

Take The Mystery Out Of Choosing Your Golf Balls With Forté

October 24, 2017 | By Greg D'Andrea | 6 Comments

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.

3 Reasons Recreational Golfers Need A Rulebook

September 1, 2015 | By Greg D'Andrea | 10 Comments

Can all those USGA rules be hurting golf? (photo by Sonny Vega)

Believe it or not, the USGA doesn’t govern all of golf. And it certainly doesn’t preside over recreational golfers like you and I. The USGA, along with its rulebook, does have a place in golf. But the idea it’s the supreme ruler of all things golf is a rather widespread misconception (this goes for the R&A as well). That being said, I outline below why most recreational golfers should cast-aside the USGA rules in favor of something written more for, well…recreational golfers.

1) The USGA rules weren’t really written for recreational golfers
Let me begin by stating in no way, shape or form am I advocating we throw-out the USGA rulebook. Those rules are absolutely necessary to achieve the USGA’s founding mission: To determine the best golfers in the world. This history is clearly recounted on their website:

“1894 – In September, William G. Lawrence wins a ‘national amateur championship’ at Newport (R.I.) Golf Club. In October, Laurence B. Stoddard wins a ‘national amateur championship’ at St. Andrew’s Golf Club. C.B. Macdonald, runner-up in both events, calls for the formation of a governing body to run a universally recognized national championship.” – USGA.org

Today, the USGA is basically still doing the same thing for the top amateurs. In addition, the PGA has adopted the USGA rulebook too. This all makes sense for determining the best golfers in the world.

But what about the rest of us? All golfers – from the youngest to the oldest; the worst to the greatest; are ~~forced~~ encouraged to play by the USGA rules. This notion is foreign to many of the other major sports that also have youth and recreational participation. Think about your son or daughter’s little league; or your work softball team – do those strictly adhere to the rules of Major League Baseball? Of course not – the rules have been modified and/or made simpler to encourage new players and promote fun.

So that begs the question: Why isn’t there a separate set of rules for recreational golfers? For all that the USGA rules have done for the elite players in the game, the reality is the complexity of those same rules have hindered golf’s growth over the years – in particular with regards to recreational golfers (the vast majority of the game’s participants).

It should also be pointed out that while the USGA has been around for over 120 years, the game of golf was around for about 5 centuries before that. Makes you wonder how all those recreational golfers ever got by without the USGA rulebook.

2) Alleviate slow play
It’s no secret slow play is rampant in golf – from the pro tours all the way to your local muni. It’s perhaps the biggest complaint amongst average golfers and the current rulebook is (at least) partially to blame for this. A set of simpler rules for recreational players would go a long way in unclogging the links.

Why does there have to be out-of-bounds? If your ball goes into the woods, drop one near where it went in, take a stroke and move on. Why do we have to go through the entire “tend the flag” ritual? Leave the flag where it is and if the ball hits it, it counts as in. Why do we have to wait for the person furthest from the hole to play first? Instead, we should all be playing ready-golf.

I understand some folks are sticklers for this stuff, but these are the golfers a separate rulebook would help the most! A simpler rulebook would remove the hesitation some golfers have in bending the USGA rules in the first place, thus resulting in a speedier round for everyone.

3) Attract new players; and help keep the ones already playing
Try telling a newbie golfer about grounding his club in a hazard. Or that she has to walk back to the tee and re-hit if she loses her drive. How about that he or she can’t touch their ball until they are on the green. And if their ball lands in a divot in the fairway…oh well, sucks to be them. And the truth is, non of the aforementioned rules sound any better to veteran golfers either.

Watching golf on TV already has issues attracting potential players, but then the few that actually do want to try the game are met with this beast of a rulebook? It’s just not right. We should be doing everything possible to woo new folks to the game. And, part of that should be a simple set of rules that encourages fun out on the course.

Adding a rulebook specifically for recreational golfers won’t solve all of golf’s problems, but it will certainly help – especially in the longterm. And it won’t take much to implement either – there are already organizations out there like the U.S. Recreational Golf Association (more on them in a future post) who are trying to accommodate recreational golfers (including those golfers who keep a handicap) – whereas accommodating recreational golfers clearly isn’t the USGA’s priority.