Golf is one of the most expensive sports in the world, so it’s no wonder that many golfers are wracking their brains for ways to save money - in particular, ways to save money on their golf balls. As an alternative to scouring the edges of local golf courses and parks, many amateur golfers have fallen into the worst trap of all: buying refurbished golf balls.
In this blog, we will explore the world of refurbished golf balls and explain why, even in a pinch, you shouldn’t use them.
Callaway or Wilson? Yellow or white? Soft or hard? At gimmeballs, we know that picking the right golf ball can be a tough decision. We also know that picking a ball that is tailored to your playing style, skill level and personal preferences makes a world of difference when it comes to your game.
In this blog, we will be unpacking the key differences between hard and soft golf balls to help you find the par-fect ball that elevates your playing!
The world’s oldest (and most iconic) golf competition is back for its 152nd round! Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 British Open Championship.
The 2024 Open Championship will take place at Royal Troon in Ayrshire, Scotland. The prestigious course dates back as far as 1878 and has already hosted the golfing event nine times!
Royal Troon was designed by five-time Champion Golfer James Braid ahead of its first Open in 1923 and shares similarities with the traditional out-and-back manner of the Old Course at St Andrews.
Official sources say "Troon's test begins with a gentle opening through some of the most striking links land to be found at any of the Open venues and concludes with a back nine as tough as any finish in the world."
The Open 2024 will begin on July 14 and end on July 21. This will be the 10th Open held at the legendary Royal Troon since it first hosted in 1923!
The 2024 British Open lineup features the world’s major champions, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and last year’s winner Brian Harman, as well as several players who will make their Open debut. See below for the full list.
So, you reckon you're a pretty good golfer, eh? You think that, just because you hit the links every weekend and you're whittled your handicap down to nothing, you can shoot under par on any golf course in the world?
Well, think again. In this blog post, we're going to look at five of the toughest golf courses on the planet - places where even the pros fear to tread.
Pack your golfing essentials and your passport, because gimmeballs is taking you travelling!
- Saujana Golf Club
- Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club
- Whistling Straits
- Carnoustie Golf Links
- The Ocean Course
Saujana Golf Club at The Palm Course in Malaysia ranks number five on our list.
It is most commonly recognised as "The Cobra", given its profound challenge, as well as the fact that cobras were introduced to keep the crop-destroyin rodents away. It hosted six of the last 13 Malaysian Opens, all of which are co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.
Surrounded by deep greenery water, and sand hazards dispersed throughout the course, just reaching the greens is a considerable obstacle; nevertheless, the real difficulty commences on the greens.
The putting surfaces of Saujana Golf Club are exceptionally fast and feature seriously sloping arcs, making them arguably the most difficult putting grounds on the globe. Only golfers who specialises in putting have the opportunity for sucess at this club.
At number four, we have the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club in China.
It is currently the world's longest course (8,548 yards) as well as one of the most challenging.
The course resides more than 3,040 metres above sea level in the Himalayas, where the thin atmosphere leads the golf ball to travel farther. The thin atmosphere causes the ball to swerve to the left or right, so it's difficult to keep the ball under control.
Our third-place contender is the Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
Pete Dye created this monstroisity, of course, on the abandoned artillery range on Lake Michigan's shoreline.
According to the article by the writers of Golf Digest magazine, there are an impressive 967 bunkers. This corresponds to rough average of 54 bunkers on each fairway. Many of them are so small that a golfer and a ball barely fit inside. Many are barely acknowledge as bunkers, as Dustin Johnson realised to his misfortune on the final hole of the 2010 US PGA Championship, when he was one shot ahead.
Taking our siler medal in the list of most challenging golf courses is the Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland.
On the merciless North Sea Shore, this Scottish golf course swiftly earned the nickname Carnasty following the 1999 Open Championshp, reducing golf champion Sergio Garcia to tears.
It birthed the term Carnousite effect due to it being riddled with dangerous pot bunkers; the name refers to the psychic shock that occurs when an individual with unrealsitic expectations encounters reality.
A famous Carnoustie effect was is the 1999 Open when Jean Van de Velde had a breakdown, involving a visit to the notorious Barry Burn, taking seven strokes to finish he hole, and losing the playoff to Paul Lawrie.
The Ocean Course in South Carolina is our top pick for the most difficult golf course.
Constructed by golf architect Pete Dye (dubbed The Marquis de Sod due to his excruciating cousrse designs), it is not surprising that the Ocean Course is number one on our list. The golf course's immense sand dunes, prickly marshes, laborious pot bunkers, and exceptionally quick greens are regularly proven to render even the world's most exquistie golfers into crumbling hackers (bad golfers).
In the 1991 Ryder Cup, which was presented on the Ocean Course, elite golfers such as Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Fred Couples, and Payne Stewart won holes with double-bogeys.
Can you prevail over the world's top five most challengign golf course or will you continue to golf on your own greens?
Have you ever been playing a game of golf and your ball has rolled uncomfortably close to your friends, obstructing their shot? We know it may be tempting to leave it there and hope this nuisance wins you the game, but golf is a game of etiquette and your competitor deserves a chance to putt without having to worry about the placement of your ball.
This is where a golf ball marker comes into play!
Golf ball markers are used to mark the position of a player’s ball on the putting green and have been used in one form or another since the very early years of the game. They are typically small, flat objects (coins are a popular choice) as this guarantees they will not get in the way of another player’s line.
According to the USGA Rules of Golf, “The position of a ball to be lifted should be marked by placing a ball marker, a small coin or other similar object immediately behind the ball.”, you may then lift your ball and clean it or just hold onto it until your next go. These rules also state that if the ball marker is interfering with the play or stroke of another player, it should be placed one or more clubhead-lengths to one side.
However, be careful when placing your golf ball marker, as if the marker is misplaced or you move your ball to a different spot, you will be penalized and have to take a penalty stroke.
In recent years, golf ball markers have become individualised in both the professional and amateur game. Famously, Tiger Woods uses a 1932 US quarter dollar to represent the year his father was born and Phil Mickelson uses a silver dollar that belonged to his grandfather.
Here at gimmeballs, we offer a wide selection of golf ball markers, all of which can be customised with your logo, text or design.
To order a custom golf ball maker featuring your company logo, contact the gimmeballs team or click the button below!
Yes, in fact pro golfers can choose from a huge range of coloured balls during tournaments and competitions, as long as the ball they choose adheres to the rules set by the PGA.
Coloured golf balls are popular for their many benefits on the course, especially in terms of improved visibility. Why then do so few professional golfers choose to use them?
Like most sportspersons, pro golfers are creatures of habit; once they find the gear that works for them, they’re hesitant to make any changes.
This is especially true of the golf balls they use. Most professional golf players will opt for the classic white balls despite the practically endless colour options available.
There are lots of reasons why this might be, but the most likely reason is simply familiarity. Since the game’s inception, white golf balls have been the standard. Today’s pro golfers will have grown up watching professionals play with white balls on TV, so they favour the classic colourway as well.
With so many variables out of the player’s control, consistency is key in golf. If a player finds success with a particular ball, changing it could disrupt their performance. That’s why it’s so important to golfers that they keep the same ball from practice to tournament to ensure their best play.
Beyond player preference, brand sponsorship also plays a role. Brands often require players to use specific balls for promotional purposes, further contributing to the dominance of white balls on the professional circuit.
Despite growing openness to coloured balls, very few pro golfers use them. Let's take a look at some pro golfers who have used coloured golf balls throughout their careers:
Trying out a bunch of different golf balls is a great way to improve your game. You might be surprised by how much difference the right ball can make!
If you're struggling to add distance to your drives, we recommend trying these five balls, all of which are optimised for maximum distance off the tee...
Need some golf stag do ideas? Here are some tips from golfing experts.
When you're planning a stag do for a golf fanatic, organising a golf-themed stag do is the way to go. What better way to celebrate and congratulate the groom-to-be than with a fun activity surrounded by fantastic scenery?
A golf-themed stag do is a much more interesting alternative to the classic ‘boozathon’ stag. You can still enjoy a crisp pint at the clubhouse after the game, too. Sound good? Here are some fun ideas to help you plan a golf stag do.
