Tour Balatas

[holehigh]

Found some in the garage, with about 70 other balls. I used to play these in the early 1990's. I played both the 100 and 90 compression. Had a few Professionals also. Put them in my bag to hit at the range. They almost made no noise, soft as a lambs ear, stopped on a dime. Hit them with the PW, 120 yards. They felt so good. Most of them were still round. Glad we don't have to play these anymore as I would have to put a new one in play every three holes. Give me the rocks of today. So do they even make wound balls anymore?

 

[SaffaClint]

Nope! They were way too inconsistent. I miss playing balatas, especially with my old square grooved irons, lol. Good times!!!

 

[Floor-is]

I still play square grooved irons, not the balatas though!

Loved them and hated them at the same time. Odd little wound balls that could be very inconsistent.

 

[Sox_Fan]

Inconsistent they were unless you had the scratch to change them out about every hole. They also like to surprise you with nice smiley faces if you bladed an iron!

 

[JB]

The wound ball officially died. Many have fond memories, but what the companies are putting out now are so far superior.

 

[pattyboy21]

I used to love those balls! In high school, we got a sleeve of new Titleist Balata's before every match. There was a Low Traj and a High Traj - I always took the 100 compression Low Traj!

 

[Typhoon]

I have some too...I played one last year with my Ping Eye 2 coppers and they went further than a prov1 off the irons. I think its because the older balls worked with the older tech irons. Flew lower and spun just as well

 

[Hawk]

I found one of these last year on the golf course. It was slightly egg shaped. Technology rules.

 

[Nebgolfer]

I found one of these in my practice balls bag and agree they hardly make a sound when hit. That being said, I'll take the modern consistency every day of the week.

 

[ShanksaloT]

Love the Pro 90 compression balls - but be careful not to blade it and get a smile or hit a tree and get a nice "lump" in it....

 

[6ixOhFore]

When I first started out I played Titleist balatas they were awesome. After I got the groove of the swing I was able to spin them off slopes on the green. Got 2 hole in ones with them as well. Found memories with them for sure


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[Golf 'N Gator]

I still play square grooved irons, not the balatas though!

Loved them and hated them at the same time. Odd little wound balls that could be very inconsistent.

This^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Scrap Iron]

The only old school balls I miss are the two toned Ping balls. I hated Balta's back then and I'm sure it would be worse today.

 

[mcrobertsjmac32]

What does "blade and get a smiley face" mean?

 

[MWard]

What does "blade and get a smiley face" mean?

They were so soft that if you bladed it by accident, you put a line dent in the ball that made it unplayable. Basically looked like a smile

 

[ATLGolfer]

They're fun to mess around with. I still have a couple in a shag bag.

But there's no way I'd try to game one. The new stuff is so much better.

 

[teed-off]

I had a set of Ping knock off irons with square groves. After playing four or five holes with the same balata ball it was fuzzy like a tennis ball. But, it would stop on a dime or spin back when ever you wanted it to. The new tech balls are great for consistency but the old balatas would "dance" on the greens if you knew how to hit them.

 

[mcrobertsjmac32]

They were so soft that if you bladed it by accident, you put a line dent in the ball that made it unplayable. Basically looked like a smile

Ohhh. Ok thanks. Makes sense

 

[Tedfroop]

They were so soft that if you bladed it by accident, you put a line dent in the ball that made it unplayable. Basically looked like a smile

No, you would usually cut the cover when you bladed a balata leaving a big smiley face. All other wound balls went out of round at the thought of being hit thin followed by some strange acrobatics as it flew.

Relatively speaking it was way more expensive to play back then especially if you hit the ball hard. On a really good day I would go through four to six balls - on a bad day you hoped they had your brand in the clubhouse so you could grab a sleeve or two at the turn.