PGA TOUR
Why do some golfers use yellow golf balls? Are there any advantages for using a colored ball?
Peter Malnati won the Valspar Championship and he got our attention for using a yellow-colored golf ball. He and his bucket hat are at the US Open this week.
We’ve seen them on the driving range and some brave souls play with them on the weekends at municipal courses, but not many professional golfers use a yellow ball. So, the question is, why does Malnati choose to use a yellow one? Are there any advantages or any other examples of pro golfers with colored balls? Malnati has played very well this season and is looking to continue at that level at Augusta National.
Peter Malnati has a very specific and special reason for using a yellow ball: His kids like the color and when he’s playing it reminds him of his family.
What are the advantages of using a yellow golf ball?
Before we answer that question, let’s look at the disadvantages: The biggest disadvantage is definitely having to listen to fellow golfers make fun of you. Golf is a traditional sport. That is changing a little as you’ll see some hoodies on the course and some guys wearing tee-shirts, but in general it’s trousers and collared polo shirts. Golfers don’t like change and the aesthetics of the game haven’t changed much over the last 100 years.
Advantages: they’re easier to see. That’s true in most cases and they’re definitely easy to find when you’re looking in the trees or rough. Another plus would be that you don’t have a problem knowing it’s your ball. So, they’ve got that going for them: easy to find and easy to identify.
They don’t go farther or fly higher and they definitely don’t help you cut strokes off your scorecard, but some guys like to stand out from the crowd and don’t worry about what other guys think.
Who are some other golfers who have used colored balls?
Bubba Watson is the most famous golfer to use a colored ball. The two-time Masters winner used a yellow ball and a pink one at one point. He claimed he could see the ball better and was a big fan of the Por V1x yellow ball. “There’s just something about that bright yellow finish where I feel like I can see it better. For me it was a no brainer,” he said.
Other examples of pro golfers who used colored balls on tour are Mark Calcavecchia, Rory Sabbatini and Jerry Pate. As you can see below, now golf balls come in all kinds of colors and designs: