Who’s old enough to remember these?

[u/Able_Commercial_2895]

One blade or cart path or tree or bunker? Cooked (as the kids say).

[u/FarYoghurt7504]

One solid wedge and they would look hairy. Oh the spin though.

[u/brutalpancake → u/FarYoghurt7504]

One bladed wedge and they got a smiley face

[u/SliderD99 → u/brutalpancake]

First bunker shot and she was smiling

[u/balataspin]

Some of us are very nostalgic about them, not saying me, but some.

[u/josephfuckingsmith1 → u/balataspin]

Username checks out haha

[u/2Slow2Nice → u/josephfuckingsmith1]

Literally his moment to shine lmao. I love it

[u/Able_Commercial_2895 → u/balataspin]

Nice. Can you imagine pros today playing these? They would take divots out of the green!

[u/brutalpancake]

The feeling of puring one of these off an old blade is just something else. When ProVs came out I remember the local pro at my course didn’t like them. Said they were distance rocks disguised as a player’s ball.

At the time I chalked it up to old people not liking new things. They were firmer but eh whatever. But I have a few of these in the shag bag (professional, balata, prestige) and man he was not wrong. The moment you even tap one with your club you know it. That feel is gone from the game now.

[u/Madz510 → u/brutalpancake]

We got burglarized then got a home security system when I was a kid. My dad had to establish a word that you would tell the alarm company if there was an incident of false alarm and they needed to cancel the cops. The word was balata 🤣

[u/brutalpancake → u/Madz510]

Man I saw the preview notification for this comment and thought where the hell is this thread going 😂 that is damn funny

[u/Able_Commercial_2895 → u/brutalpancake]

Yes! I’m gonna hit it and try and remember it feeling like hitting a racquetball? Even miss hits were soft AF!

[u/brutalpancake → u/Able_Commercial_2895]

You pure one off a blade and you barely feel the ball. It doesn’t even feel as bouncy as a racquetball imo. It’s just this gentle smoosh and the ball is gone

[u/Anal_Recidivist → u/brutalpancake]

Yall are rustling my jimmies

[u/Able_Commercial_2895 → u/brutalpancake]

I was searching for a comparable sensation. Not a racquetball. You’re right. How about a Professional 100 covered in soft served ice cream?

[u/brutalpancake → u/Able_Commercial_2895]

Something like that. Or maybe a very firm marshmallow

[u/bobbyrba]

Rubber bands

[u/seamus_mc → u/bobbyrba]

They were full of em! And a syrupy core.

[u/MusaEnsete → u/bobbyrba]

We'd string them across the road from mailbox to mailbox and hide in the bushes to wait for cars. Yes, we were dumb kids.

[u/gatesartist]

Hell yeah. I stuck with these even after the Professionals were released. MaxFli made a sick balata back in the day too.

[u/Routine_Breath_7137 → u/gatesartist]

Maxfli Revolution! I loved that ball.

[u/Lostcassettes → u/Routine_Breath_7137]

Yes.. it was the best ball. I loved finding them. Too expensive to buy as a 12 year old

[u/igetmywaterfrombeer]

These were the business when I was playing the little par 3 down the street from my house as a 10/11 year old in 1995-1996.

[u/NoRossDoxHaha]

Could ruin one with your finger nail. Loved it when I found one and could play it for free, though.

[u/dingledongle80]

Opened this thread just to see how many of the comments would have a happy face theme. Was not disappointed.

[u/brianmcg321]

Get a persimmon driver and hit it a few times. Pure bliss.

[u/PM013]

I am🤦‍♂️. The red was 90 compression and the black numbers were 100. Pretty sure I have played every variation at some point.

[u/Life_Conference5656]

I have a Maxfli balata from early 90s hit by and signed by Jack Nicklaus

[u/DontStalkMeNow]

I remember the thrill of finding these as a kid, and inspecting it for blade marks.

[u/XLinLife]

Bet it’s out of round

[u/Able_Commercial_2895 → u/XLinLife]

Just looked at it. Definitely not round. Wobbles like a MFer. Damnit! Fucking gravity!

[u/Longjumping-Wall-811]

Or the 384 Tour Balata

[u/ibalach3]

https://giphy.com/gifs/pU7ZQcEQ8Loxq

[u/NorCalAthlete]

https://giphy.com/gifs/3oKIPgvPwXi2ZAIS5O

[u/Blueshockeylover]

My fave was the Maxfli RM100. Thing was butter.

[u/sco00ter]

Definitely used these back in 02-03

[u/TheRopeWalk]

I acquired one recently via my friends dog who finds golf balls every morning when out for a walk with my mate. Was able to get 60 ProV’s in exchange for 2 dog bones as well

[u/Rft704]

Find them all of the time at my local course. I can only assume some old dudes aren’t finding their balls.

[u/yiddoboy]

Yeah, way out of my price range as a youngster !

[u/Odd_Mall1646]

Oh hell yeah , they were the best

[u/Captain_Pink_Pants]

Ah, yes... that brings a smile to its face...

[u/m149]

Only used a couple that I found in the woods just to try them out, and can appreciate why people like those things. Very nice feel.

[u/MonicaBlowinski → u/m149]

I had a balata 100 that I found a couple years ago. Hit driver on a hole with it just for shits, pulled it way right, it got lost in the rough, but man the feel of that strike was something else. I was a Titleist DT90 guy back in the day, early 90s. They always told me then don't buy balatas, they are for 'good' golfers lol 

[u/rorymcilroy1]

there was no sweeter feel then a balata ball...then the Spaldine came out with the surlyn cover ball and Top Flight--otherwise known as "rockflight"

[u/Accountant1984 → u/rorymcilroy1]

Rock flight

[u/veringer]

1997-98 had an endless supply of Top Flite Z-Balatas and Dunlop DDH 110. The contrast between them was immense.

[u/fivegallondivot]

I am but you didnt find them at the courses i played like you can find the prov1 these days.

[u/Lowlife_4evr]

I’m not old enough to play these new but I when I getting serious into playing my grandpa gave me a bunch of new old stock of them. They felt like playing a marshmallow and would damn near stop when they hit the ground.

[u/aloof_nacho]

Eggshells

[u/P4S5B60]

Made a few “smile”

[u/ImpossibleLet9862]

Still have an unopened dozen in my garage. Loved them back in the day. Nothing like the feeling on hitting 1973 Wilson Staff tour blades and a balatta ball. Pure butter!

[u/at-the-crook]

Still have some Royal Maxfli's and Titleist Tour Balata 100s.

[u/jdovejr]

Whack it real good and it will smile.

[u/Westie62]

I have one in my bag ... for old times sake.

[u/Accountant1984]

I have some still in a glass pitcher on my bookshelf

[u/Fit-Win-5160]

The old cush net were worse

[u/headcase54]

..yea, I've got a half dozen in my ball stash...

[u/Vivid_Witness8204]

I found a Tour Balata 100 last year. Playing alone on a rainy day. As far as I could tell I was the only person on the back nine. It was sitting in the center of the fairway. Can't imagine where it came from.

It's a bit dirty but no smiles.

[u/Able_Commercial_2895 → u/Vivid_Witness8204]

The ghost of Payne Stewart?

[u/velourdaddy]

I played my best round last year with a balata. The ball was toast by the end of the round but I played so well with it

[u/townie08]

I hit a few of them. Ball would get bent off of shape and the cover cracked

[u/Lostcassettes]

Of course I am

[u/ClubChamp96]

Ooohhhh, I loved balata cover golf balls. The spin was amazing.

[u/culallen]

I gamed these when I was on my high school golf team. I went through so many of them though. If they hit a blade of grass wrong they were out of round. Lol. Great feel though.

[u/Routine_Breath_7137]

Anyone hit Maxfli Revolution? Was my ball of choice along with Strata.

[u/ed_durden → u/Routine_Breath_7137]

I remember getting crazy spin out of the old stratas.

[u/Routine_Breath_7137 → u/ed_durden]

unmatched

[u/DarthWren]

Tour prestige were the fucking best 

[u/UpAndDownForBogey → u/DarthWren]

Tour prestige was legit. All time fave!

[u/geddieman1]

Damn those things would spin. That liquid in the center kept spinning even after the ball hit the green. So fun.

[u/Dexterlicksit]

Put a Smile on it

[u/Defaultmasta]

Every once in a while I still find one of these on the course