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Golf balls are expensive these days. As part of launching the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x for 2023, Titleist raised the MSRP of a dozen of its pro-line (at least until 2026) golf balls from $48 per dozen to $55 per dozen. The same goes for the AVX, a lower-spinning sister-model favored by golfers with not-quite-professional swing speeds.
It's understandable that in the wake of rising prices, golfers might want to squeeze a few holes more out of a single golf ball than in the past. A scratch or slight bit of cart-path road-rash that would have been grounds for retiring a ball might be stomached a little longer.
It also helps that the golf balls of today - Titleist's offerings in particular, I've found - are far more durable than the balatas of the 90s, which got scuffed if you looked at them funny.
Graham Stevens, a 4-handicapper in Charlotte, N.C., should know a thing or two about using funds wisely - he's a CFO. This winter, one of Stevens' yellow Titleist AVX golf balls was serving him well, and he decided to see how long he could keep it in play.
Well… old yella now haas 10.5 rounds completed. Still has a knack for finding the bottom of the cup instead of water and OB. Yella made a Turkey on 11, 12 and 13 so the birdie count is up to 23. pic.twitter.com/QTLo17V6GN
— Graham Stevens (@SGrahamStevens) February 20, 2023
It helps that Stevens' home course is Carolina Golf Club, a classic Donald Ross design. Like many courses of its vintage, there are fewer lost-ball possibilities around Carolina than most courses. Even so, playing more than a dozen rounds with the same ball is impressive, especially given its hilarious amount of wear and tear, which Stevens documented on Twitter.
Unfortunately, 237 holes - just over 13 rounds - after Stevens put it into play, "Old Yella" hopped the fence right of Carolina's 13th hole and entered into its eternal rest.
Rest in peace, old friend. You were a good ball.
I have sad news. Old Yella was tragically lost today on the 13th hole after a bizarre hard right bounce off the cart path and over the fence. This yellow @Titleist AVX 1 made it 13.2 rounds. 1036 shots. 237 holes. 28 total birdies after 4 today in 12 holes. It was a good run pic.twitter.com/N3de1evxYQ
— Graham Stevens (@SGrahamStevens) March 20, 2023
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