GOLF BALLS

About 10 years.

Depending how well you look after your golf balls, you can expect them to last around a decade before you see a noticeable decline in their performance.

It’s best to store them in a dry, warm area. Exposing them to extreme temperatures can cause the core to deform, impacting performance.

The other thing to watch for is the erosion of the protective cover on the balls’ surface. This layer protects the ball from water.

Once it’s eroded, water can seep into the ball, causing damage.

At the top end of the scale, you can expect to pay around £90 for 24 golf balls.

At this price, you’ll be getting balls that won’t be out of place on the professional tour and have the technology built in that can give you more control over your shots to get lower scores.

If you’re on a budget, you can get a dozen golf balls for around £17, which could be good if you’re new to the game and not ready to make a significant investment.

But with golf balls, you get what you pay for, so if you’re looking for golf balls that will help your game the most, you should look towards the middle or top end of the price scale.

Maintaining your golf balls will help them last longer (protecting your investment) and also ensure they perform as they’re supposed to.

If you’re golf balls get too dirty or overexposed to water, it can damage the outer cover and inner layers of the ball. The best thing to do is to regularly clean your golf balls (after every round) in warm soapy water to get rid of dirt.

If you’re struggling to remove the dirt, get a soft brush (like a soft toothbrush) and gently remove the dirt. Don’t use a wire brush, as you’ll risk removing the protective layer on the balls’ surface, which will cause them to deteriorate quicker.

While every golf ball is designed to help you get more control over your shots, the technology isn’t the same in all of them and some golf balls are designed to be better at different things.

Low compression balls, for example, are easier to hit and are more forgiving if your connection isn’t flush (because they’re less reactive to the initial impact). But, because they’re lighter, they can be more affected by things like high winds.

These tend to be better for newer golfers.

High compression balls, on the other hand, are harder to control (because the ball compresses more which means it’s more reactive to the initial impact with the club).

But they’re less affected by high winds because they’re heavier, so if you connect properly, there’s more chance of your ball going straight.

These tend to be more suited to better players.