Titleist’s ad campaign was genius. The idea of “How do you mark your golf ball?” is something that had really never been talked about before. In fact the company even went so far as to give away Sharpie Markers with some purchases of a dozen golf balls. For the last few months I have always been marking my golf ball with my future wedding date. It was easy, and made finding my ball a breeze. I would have liked to have something unique on the side of my ball, but I am just not artsy enough to pull it off. Even when I write my initials on the ball, they looked like chicken scratch.
When a couple of THP readers sent over a link to a company that specializes with this very thing, we immediately reached out to them. We got the chance to speak with David Poole, President of Transfer Studios, and he told us that he would send some samples for us to try out and review. In speaking with Mr. Poole, he had us pretty excited to try the Golfdotz out. Here is the info from them on what exactly these things are:
Golfdotz are a new generation transfer that simply bond with the skin of the ball when firm pressure from your thumb is applied. In 5 seconds or less you are ready to play! Designed and tested by golf enthusiasts tired of the same old methods, Golfdotz is a new and unique product for serious and casual golfers alike.
So about two days later a package comes in the mail with quite a few product samples for us to try. I must say that I was impressed with the total package but was very skeptical about the way it works. After reading the directions (this is not hard to do) we got a brand new box of golf balls and went to work. Rather than give you instructions, I decided to just photograph the quick and easy process.
Step 1 – Take a sheet out of the package and cut off the design you want on your ball. In theory I guess you could skip this step. But I like to keep things nice and neat and make sure that we follow directions when doing reviews. Plus you run the risk of messing up a couple of others when we move on to the next step.
Step 2 – Lineup where you want the marking to be on your ball. Press firmly for about five seconds. Then remove the plastic backing.
Step 3 – Admire your handy work. It is just that easy.
So as you can see, the installation of these little Golfdotz is a breeze. Is it as easy as a marker? Of course not, but it certainly looks a lot better.
My real question coming into this review was exactly how durable were these things going to be. Would they last a shot or two or would they last a round? So off to the course we went and since it was slow, I went to hole 10 and played 2 balls. Each one with a Golfdotz decal on them. Both tee shots were good and when I approached the ball both decals were firmly in place. Hole 10 is a par 5, so my next shot was a 5 iron and again, I approached the ball and the decals were in place. My last shot on both of these balls was a 56 degree wedge with deep grooves. (Nickent Arc Wedges) Both balls landed on the green and I was really curious about the decals, since these wedges chew the cover off of the ball. When I approached the green, one decal was still in perfect shape and the other was just missing a tiny little piece on the side.
Will these stand up for 18 holes? Maybe, but how many of us play a ball for 18 holes? They seemed quite durable to me.
The MSRP on a package of these are $5.99 and in each package contains enough decals to cover 24 golf balls. You can find them online at Golfdotz or at a select few National retailers such as Golfsmith and Golf Galaxy.
In conclusion I liked the Golfdotz and thought they were fun. I think some of their designs are great and they are obviously easy to use. They seem durable enough for someone like me and I would think they will hold up for most golfers. I would like to see the company do two things for me to give them the ultimate THUMBS UP.
1. Have the “dotz” precut. I would like to keep them in my golf bag but to have to carry scissors around would not make them practical for me. This way I could throw them in a container and just apply before I use a new ball. Cutting them was the most time taking part of the exercise.
2. More design choices. If they could have NCAA or pro sports teams, it would be a must have for our readers. But having just a few choices limits it’s reach.
Overall, if they have some designs you like, give them a shot. It is a great idea that was kind of fun and a conversation piece on the course. And, you can always join us in the forums where Transfer Studio was kind enough to give us a few extras that we can let some lucky readers try out.
Till Next Time
Josh B.
Considering I am as Irish as you can get I’ll pretty much have to buy these now considering you used the shamrock decal for the demo! Thanks JB, great product here. I’ll have to see if I can find these at our local shops.
Very cool idea. If they made NCAA logos, I would be all over it.
I love GOLFDOTZ and have found them very durable. Smiley faces are my personal favourite. I got over the having to carry scissors by pre-cutting them and keeping them in a little plastic pill box.
Delighted that you like them JB! A lot of effort goes into every aspect of these little dotz. They are not stickers and have zero profile which is why they look as though they are printed on the ball. I would love to hear what your readers would like to see golfdotz add to the line up. If we get enough requests I may create them. (Thanks for your input Jack) BTW I will be launching a web only limited edition George W golfdotz next week. It is a photo golf dot and great fun. Being English I could not vote but Red or Blue you will get a kick out of these and say goodbye to W in style! Limited edition through January 20th 🙂
David Poole. Golfdotz.
I love the ladybugs and wanted shamrocks too but couldnt buy them. Trouble is everytime I put a ladybug into play I lose the ball – now Ive only got one left out of 2 packs – are they jinxed?
I have been using GolfDotz for this entire season; have used the same ball for several 18 hole rounds. They do not come off.
I use the shamrock, and I can say my ball is very easy to spot from 10 or more yards away when the shamrock is visible.
Just a super product, and I am delighted this company is getting the recognition it should get.
love these things,theyre great just need more choices,ncaa,nfl,mlb,nhl,nba,,professions,like pigs or cows for butchers,ruler and notebook for teachers,chefs hat for chefs,,u get the point,thakns again joe
I bought these at the Milwaukee golf show and put them on a dozen new titleist balls. I applied pressure with thumb using two hands to balance ball for 6 or 7 seconds. I used paws and black and white circles. My swing speed is between 110 and 115 mph. The weather has been in the 50’s mostly. Within 3 holes I lost a couple of the paws, the circles seem better being larger. Maybe when it’s warmer they’ll hold up better. So it’s a mixed bag so far.
The product is awesome, but their customer service is questionable at best.