Golf Ball Care: Why Clean Your Golf balls?

Golf balls are equipped with airborne characteristics like the compression factors, dimples, spin, speed, and balance. Golf balls can get inevitably dirty, muddy, end up scuffed or marked with felt-tip pens. All these accumulated and unwanted stuff can alter the engineered characteristics of your ball. A corrupt ball can not fly straight, affect the fairway landing, or might get out of bounds. Keeping your golf ball clean is not only aesthetically pleasing to a golfer’s eye but helps one to avoid the negative effect on a ball’s airborne characteristics. Whether your golf balls are branded, used balls, from second-hand shop, or found while patrolling the golf courses, they need to be cleaned up just like new. Make the most out of your golf balls and tidy them up for a better and beautiful game.

Considering which golf ball cleaner to buy might be a little frustrating because there are a lot of professional cleaning materials to take advantage of in the market. ball cleaners vary from smaller to more affordable ones, and from professional sized to made-to-fit-on-your belt cleaners. But of course, these are cheaper alternative se to these expensive cleaners. You might as well consider a highly inexpensive “bucket of hot soapy water”. A golfer’s decision on what method to use in cleaning his golf balls might be influenced by his financial preferences and time restrictions. Let’s start cleaning with these straightforward and effortless steps.

1. Slightly dirty golf balls can be cleaned by putting them in the dishwasher or washing machine. Throw in really dirty golf balls with crushed peanut or almond shells in a concrete mixer and allow spinning for a while.
2. Golf balls that are partially covered with mold or algae can be tough. Soaking these balls in golf ball cleaners with oxalic acid, or applying undiluted bleach, ammonia, or white vinegar can get the gunk off your ball. Denture tablets are also good golf ball cleaners.

So Why Clean Your Balls?
Dirty golf balls can be lost and difficult to pick up in flight. Clean golf balls are bright white or bright clear color. Clean golf balls are bright and easy to locate as it flies through the air. The bright white color of a clean golf ball reflects more light, and appears bigger and prominent against the blue sky and lush trees. But if your golf balls are colored with neon shades, clean colored golf balls makes them show up like the sun in some places. In addition, clean golf balls soar faster, and farther. Allowing the golf course scrubbing stations to clean your beloved branded golf balls might as well be an option. You wouldn’t want to appear cheap if you just fished them out from a pond after a game, so cleaning them to stay shiny and new is a must to gain the hushed up performance of these dirt-loaded balls.

What makes a golf ball “Illegal”?

Golf equipment in the past 50 years has improved and undergone a tremendous technical revolution due to the latest golf technology. The huge changes in the capabilities of these equipments threaten the golf courses to extend. Widening of golf courses is not the problem but the main focus here is the issue on golf course real estate that is becoming more costly than before. With this, the United States Golf Association (USGA), which is the governing organization for golf in the United States, appoints performance limits on approved golf equipments to regulate the changing golf technology especially on golf balls.

USGA formulated golf ball specifications concerning weight, size, spherical symmetry, initial velocity, and overall distance standard. The Rules governing the five is defined by the R&A/USGA, Appendices III.

1. Weight - must not weigh more than 1.620 ounces avoirdupois (45.93gm)
2. Size - a diameter of not less than 1.680 inches (42.67mm); weight does not exceed 1.620 ounces
3. Spherical Symmetry - symmetrically spherical in shape
4. Initial Velocity - not be greater than 250 feet (75 m) per second (255 feet [76.5 m] per second maximum)
5. Overall Distance Standard – must not be more than 280 yards (256 m)

All golf balls are tested and subject to approval by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the United States Golf Association. If golf balls do not conform to regulations or exceed to these specifications and generally have different performance characteristics like soaring too high, they are considered “illegal golf balls.” These illegal golf balls are banned by the USGA. However, they are still generally used by the public because of the believed greater distance, and improvement these balls can bring.

There are a lot of illegal golf balls in the market. These illegal golf balls are a bit smaller in diameter, a little heavier in weight, and with a core engineered for maximum velocity, and soar with extra 20 to 25 yards off the tee, but do not break off or spin in the air. Professional golfers do not recommend these golf balls for the main reason that they do not develop and improve a golfer’s game instead they give a false sense of distance attributed not to the golfer’s ability but to the ball itself.

Cayman Desperado is an example of an illegal golf ball. Its core is designed to soar at maximum velocity and there is an estimated gain of 20 to 25 yards off the tee. You also have The "A" Ball, Fireball, Cayman Pirate, and The Hot One. These balls are designed and engineered not to spin back or stop, just soar far.

You may want to try playing with all the illegal balls offered in the market but just remember the feeling of accomplishment does not suffice the natural way o f learning how to improve our play within the established rules.

Should Golf be in the Olympics?

"The game's administrators and top professional players are uniting behind Olympic golf. The prospect of winning a gold medal will enhance golf's competitive landscape and at the same time, Olympic golf will really help to grow the game. Golf is commercially strong and will bring a huge fan base to the Olympic Games. It is the biggest sport not currently represented at the games and has irresistible Olympic credentials." - Peter Dawson, the Chief Executive of R&A

Two golf events (men's individual and team tournaments) were celebrated in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France where Margaret Ives Abbot from Chicago won the nine hole golf tournament and became the first ever female Olympic Champion. Plans for the inclusion of golf, along with rugby, baseball, softball, karate, roller sports and squash in the 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in whichever of the four finalist - Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro,and Tokyo will win in the bidding that was officially launched last May 16, 2007, is now a source of contention.

"Golf is one of the global games out there, one of the top five in the world...so why not include it?" The Great White shark, Greg Norman quoted.

There are 28 sports in the Olympics but there was no golf. It has been a century since golf was included in the Olympics so the golf's leading bodies are attempting to win golf and eventually have the sport lined up and included in the 2016 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee will officially announce the two sports out of seven in October 2009.

But what is the point of including it in the Olympics?? Golf has already reached its international popularity already. What for?

"...in countries where golf isn't so developed, it could grow the game tremendously," says David B. Fay, executive director of the USGA and joint secretary of the International Golf Federation, the body that deals directly with the IOC.

As the Representatives of the International Federation presented the case, several key points were laid out - "world wide participation and diversity, golf's economic and charitable impact, and its commitment to the youth of the world." The continued growth of these three areas in golf has been significantly, to such a degree, influencing the germaneness and attraction of the Olympic Games.

The seven sports will have a second presentation to the IOC Executive Board in June with the final result in October.

Golf in the 2016 Olympics

GOLF ETIQUETTE

Golf is a leisure-time activity which promotes and propagates international cooperation. It has been played ever since and it is of much importance to observe the rules of etiquette to simplify and enhance the game and not to require strict formalities or convey a complicated play especially to those who are new to the game. Therefore, strict adherence to the game must be observed just like a routine practice to:

1. speed up the play,
2. play better and enjoy the game more, and
3. maintain the good condition of the golf course.

In maintaining the Golf atmosphere be considerate and courteous to all people in the golf course. All players, newbie pro have one thing in mind when it comes to playing golf – play at their best. Concentration is needed in preparing to play golf so, stand out of any line in play and remain quiet when another player is playing a shot. Distractions like loud talking or shouting due to hitting unsatisfactory shots, using offensive language when complaining are examples of unacceptable behaviors that will absolutely distract players from your group or distant areas.

Take care of the Golf Course. Every player has a part in maintaining the beauty of the golf course so, it is important NOT to discard any litter on the course. Instead, keep candy wrappers or anything in your pocket. Place your golf bag in the cart to one side of the putting green nearest to the next tee. All motorized and hand carts must stay on the cart ways, away from the greens and off the teeing grounds. Stand away from any hole and do not step or stand at the edge of the hole when playing the ball. Do not to stand in any line of play. See to it that you, even your shadow does not get in the way of another players line. Also, walk carefully on the putting green so as not to mar the surface. Follow the procedure when marking or replacing the ball’s position to its original position by marking the lifting the ball only when requested to do so using a small coin or marker. But if the marker is not in your line of putt, move the marker to the spot measured out. Lift the ball out of the hole with your hand after putting out. Twisting the putter blade to retrieve the ball can mar or cause damage to the walls or edges of the hole. Be careful not to take the divots. Replace them and press firmly in place. Do not drop or throw the flagstick after removing it on the hole, instead lay it down. Remember to press back the grass around to a level surface so as not to leave ball marks on the putting green. The same is true after leaving a bunker. Leave everything in good condition or better just as when you entered it.

Callaway Golf vs Acushnet Golf Ball Patent Dispute Settled?

"We are very pleased with today's decision which will stop the sale of these infringing Pro V1 golf balls,” Callaway Golf’s Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, Steve McCracken said.

Pro V1 golf balls will be allowed to be used until the end of 2008. The United States District Court in Wilmington, Delaware ruled for a permanent injunction effective no later than Jan. 1 granting Callaway Golf's request to halt sales of Acushnet Co.’s Pro V1 golf balls and overruled Acushnet's request to overturn the jury's verdict last December 2007 regarding the validity of Callaway Golf’s four patents and Acushnet's Titleist Pro V1 golf balls.

Going back, Callaway Golf sued the Titleist Pro V1 line of golf balls manufactured by Acushnet Company, which was introduced in 2000, in June 2007 over golf ball patent dispute. Titleist Pro V1 is based on more than 70 of Acushnet own patents, Acushnet argued. However, Callaway insisted that its patents resulted "in performance that had previously eluded the industry and revolutionized the game."

Acushnet, a division of Deerfield, Ill.-based Fortune Brands Inc., announced that it will file an appeal regarding the Court's ruling saying the golf balls are outside the patents in question due to the converted production of the these balls. The company’s executive vice president, corporate and legal Joe Nauman firmly believed that the ruling will have no adverse impact on Acushnet's ability to supply Pro V1 to its customers. He further stated that the golf ball in question have been under “converted production” last September2008. The existing Pro V1 models are definitely “outside of the patents in question,” he added. Their unwavering expectation in having all their claims of the four patents in question underlies on the fact that “the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued final office actions which have determined these patents to be invalid." He also announced that there will be new and improved Titleist Pro V1 products in the first quarter of 2009 which are all out of the patents question.

Callaway Golf Company (Callaway Golf) based in Carlsbad, California specializes in golf and the manufacture of golf equipment, woods, irons, wedges, putters, golf balls, apparel, footwear, timepieces and accessories. Their market products are the Odyssey putter brand which was acquired in 1997, the Top-Flite, Strata and Ben Hogan golf brands.

Acushnet Company, an operating company of Fortune Brands is a golf equipment manufacturer whose primary brands major golf brands are Titleist, FootJoy, Scotty Cameron, Cobra and Pinnacle.