Putting for Distance – Getting It Close

Sandy’s Suggestions for Lag Putting
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There are two things to concentrate on when putting – distance and direction.  While most players can putt in the direction of the hole, they often end up 10 feet short or 10 feet past it.  A 2-putt becomes a 3-putt and the score grows.  Controlling distance – lag putting – is essential for success on the green.

  • The key to lag putting is the size of your stroke.  Think about making your backswing the same size as your follow-through swing.  If you swing the putter back 10″, try to follow through the same distance.  Think of a pendulum.
  • Putt with a consistent pace, one that you are comfortable with.  With a constant pace, a steady tempo in back swing and follow-through, you simply control the distance by the length of your swing.
  • Don’t try to control distance by the force of your putting stroke, ie. “how hard or softly you hit the ball.”  Many players mistakenly try to hit a putt really slowly on short putts and really hard if they have a 30 footer.
  • Take the little muscles out of the equation.  Don’t use your wrists.  It’s an arm-shoulder-trunk muscle movement you’re after.
  • A consistent method of putting with solid contact makes it easier to adjust to variables such as moisture, grass conditions and, yes, wind.
  • Practice, practice, practice.  Putts are a good 1/3 of your game.  They deserve 20 minutes of your one-hour practice!

A good lag putt positions the golfer for a simple and easily makeable follow-up putt.  Kiss those 3-putts goodbye.
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Equity Decisions – You Are Entitled To the Lie Your Stroke Gave You!

You have played a pretty good shot to the green, and the ball has come to rest on the fringe or collar. A fellow-competitor then blasts out of a greenside bunker depositing sand all over and around your ball. Doesn’t seem fair, does it? The USGA agrees with you, and has adopted many Decisions they call Equity Decisions to take care of situations such as this. There is a principle in the Rules of Golf that says that a player is entitled to the lie his shot gave him. That principle comes into play here, and in the instance described above, the player is allowed to remove all the sand around his ball, even the sand on the fringe, and he can lift and clean his ball even though he is not on the green.

The same is true, in some circumstances, if another player’s pitch-mark through the green interferes with your lie or line of play. Normally, you may not improve your line of play by eliminating “irregularities of surface” or “pressing down cut turf”. Therefore, if the pitch-mark is there when your ball comes to rest near it, you will not get relief. But, if the pitch-mark is created after your ball came to rest, in equity, you will be allowed to repair it.

Your ball lies in a bunker. You take a practice swing outside the bunker, and by mistake, tear out a large divot which lands behind your ball in the bunker. That divot is a loose impediment, and you are not allowed to remove it without penalty. However, if another player does the same thing to you, you are allowed to remove the divot under the principle that “the player is entitled to the lie his stroke gave him.” The same would be true if your ball lies in a water hazard.

Suppose a branch falls from a tree and comes to rest on your ball lying in a bunker. You might assume that under this generous principle you are entitled to remove it. Not so. The principle applies only in cases in which the lie of the ball has been altered as a result of an act by another player, caddie, spectator or other animate outside agency. In this case, the lie was altered by natural causes and you are not entitled to relief.

The principle may also be applied when a player’s area of intended stance is affected by another player’s stroke. For example, if another player removes a huge divot when playing his ball, and that divot hole now affects your stance, in equity, you may restore that area as nearly as possible without penalty. The equity ruling even goes so far as to say that if the area of the stance can’t be restored, you may place your ball, without penalty, on the nearest spot within one club-length of the original lie that provides the most similar lie and stance to the original. This new spot may not be nearer the hole or in a bunker.

This equity principle also applies if your lie or line of play gets improved instead of damaged. For example, your ball lies in a bunker, and before you can reach the bunker, a greenkeeping staff member rakes the bunker improving your lie or line of play. As long as you have not sanctioned the raking, you are absolved of penalty.

The general rule of thumb is that if another person creates the situation, you are absolved of blame and can get relief. However, if you create the situation yourself, or it happens through natural causes, you are just out of luck!

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Jeanne Myers, Assistant Director-Rules & Competitions
Golf Association of Michigan

Chip It!

The next time you have a shot inside 30 yards of the green, ask yourself if you need loft or not. The rule of thumb is “when you don’t need loft, don’t use loft”. The chip shot, also called the bump and run, goes low and rolls a lot – it’s an easy and essential way to lower your score. Let’s take a look at the thinking and the mechanics of the chip shot.

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Opt For The Chip Whenever You Can
Rolling a ball is easier and the consequences of a less-than-perfect roll are less dire than a high wedge shot gone wrong.
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A Chip is a Cousin to the Putt
They both roll, but the in the chip shot the club has a little bit of loft on the face of the club. The putter has essentially no loft. That really is the only difference.

Select Your Club
You can use any club in your bag and yes that includes your hybrid! Try it – it could be your favorite short game shot. To select a club, look at your lie, the distance to the pin, and any obstacles between you and the green. You want a low trajectory that gets the ball to the predictable surface of green as quickly as possible.

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Practice Makes Perfect  – Or Nearly So
You will want to practice with your clubs to see what each of them will do for you from the different distances but it will be time well spent. Having confidence in your chip will shave points from your score.

Chip Shot Mechanics
From my Instructional Cheat Sheet For Golfers

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  1. Position the ball near your right foot if you have a less lofted club and want more roll or in the middle of your stance if you have a more lofted club and want less roll.
  2. Your body weight is more on your left leg and leaning towards the target to create a slightly lower ball flight and more roll.
  3. Your left arm and shaft of club will form a straight line on our backswing and follow thru.
  4. AT IMPACT (the moment of truth) – your left arm and shaft of club HAS TO FORM A STRAIGHT LINE!!!
  5. You have to hit the bottom of the ball to make it go in the air. You can’t hit the middle or top of the ball and have it go in the air!
  6. The swing length is the same on both sides of your swing and no more than waist high on both sides.  Hold your finish on follow thru to see if your left arm and shaft are straight. Be your own instructor and learn to evaluate your finish.

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Marking and Lifting a Ball

Marking a golf ball seems to be a simple thing, but most of us haven’t spent much time reading the Rules dealing with marking. For example, most golfers believe that they have to mark the ball on a cart path before they lift it to take relief, but that is not the case. Rule 20-1 says you only need to mark a ball before lifting it if you are going to have to put it back (replace it). That would be the case on the putting green, or if someone asks you to lift your ball because it interferes with his shot. But when you are taking relief from a cart part, you are not going to have to replace the ball on the path – you are going to drop it somewhere else. Therefore, you do not have to mark it. You can, but it is not necessary. This is also true if you are taking relief from any other immovable obstruction, or abnormal ground conditions such as casual water, ground under repair, or a hole made by a burrowing animal

A ball may be lifted by the player, his partner, or another person authorized by the player (such as the player’s caddie.) Just as a side note here, it may be replaced by the player, his partner, or the person who lifted it. So you can see that if a caddie lifts the ball, the player may replace it. But if the player lifts the ball, the caddie may not replace it. In stroke play, if your ball is lifted by a fellow-competitor without your authority, there is still no penalty, and the ball gets replaced. However, in match play, if your opponent lifts your ball without your authority, he gets a one stroke penalty.

When marking a ball on the green, the marker may be placed behind, to the side of or in front of the ball as long as nothing is done (i.e. pressing down a tuft of grass) to influence the movement of the ball when played. There are a lot of ways to mark a ball, many of them not recommended, but they are permissible. You may place the toe of a club at the side of or behind a ball. You may use a tee or a handy loose impediment (make sure it won’t blow away). You may not just point out a blemish near your ball and use that as a mark – you must physically mark the position of the ball.

Is there a “correct” way to move a ball-marker to the side because it interferes with someone else’s putt? You may measure from the side of the ball or from the ball-marker, as long as you reverse the exact same process to get the ball back on the spot from which it was lifted.

What happens if the ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved in this marking/lifting process? There is no penalty provided the movement of the ball or marker is directly attributable to the specific act of marking/lifting. That means if you nudge the ball forward as you are marking, you do not have a problem. But, if you are walking up to mark your ball and drop your putter on the ball, that will be a penalty of one stroke, and the ball must be replaced.

One point to remember: once you mark and lift your ball from the putting green it is no longer the “ball in play” – it has become part of your equipment. Once you replace it on the spot from which you lifted it, it is again the ball in play – even if you leave your marker in place. Therefore, if the wind blows it somewhere else, you must play it from its new location!

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Jeanne Myers, Assistant Director-Rules & Competitions
Golf Association of Michigan

Short & Sweet – The Pitch Shot

Take a good look at your last round of golf. Maybe you struggled a bit with the driver or approaches. Tally up the strokes though, and it’s obvious — it’s the short game that matters most. The biggest part of the game is played inside 100 yards.
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If you are looking to lower your score – and who isn’t? — practice your pitch, chip and putt. You’ll build confidence and consistency, and melt strokes off your score this summer. Over the next few weeks we’ll look at the three short game shots.

THE PITCH SHOT
Let’s start with high-flyer, the pitch shot.

When to Pitch
The pitch has high trajectory and little roll. It takes you over obstacles like bunkers and creeks and is usually in the 45 – 65 yard range. A pitch lands softly on the green and stays there – a thing of beauty.
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The Clubs – Wedges
Most players carry 2-3 wedges, a PW (pitching wedge) and a SW (sand wedge). The third club is a GW, the gap wedge. If PW has 48 degrees of loft on its face and SW has 56, the GW has 52. It fills the distance gap between the PW and SW. At a full swing, PW might go 80 yards, GW 70 yards, and SW 60 yards. In a pitch shot, the distance might be: PW: 40-50, GW: 30-40, SW 20-30. If you carry 3 wedges, you’ll have your distances covered inside 100 yards.

A Word about the Sand Wedge
Just because it says “Sand Wedge” doesn’t mean it’s only for sand! Not at all. The SW is your highest lofted club – so use it! When you don’t have much green to work with, a high, soft shot with SW will save the day.
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Pitching Motto
The key to hitting a pitch is to hinge your wrist on the backswing. “Hinge for Height” is my motto!

Pitch Mechanics

  1. Position ball in middle of stance.  This produces a higher ball flight.
  2. Use your higher lofted clubs – PW, GW, SW
  3. Hinge your wrists (HINGE FOR HEIGHT) on backswing to form an “L” between club and your left arm.
  4. AT IMPACT (the moment of truth) – your left arm and shaft of club SHOULD FORM A STRAIGHT LINE!!!!!
  5. You must hit the bottom of the ball to make it go in the air.  Hitting the middle or top won’t work!
  6. To generate more distance, rotate the clubface as the club gets near the ball.  This gives the club head more energy/speed and makes the ball go farther.
  7. On Follow Through – your right arm and shaft will form an “L” and our right arm will be roughly parallel to the ground.
  8. Make sure your right palm faces the ground on your follow through to ensure that you rotated the club face as stated above.
  9. Use your legs to help hit the shot!  This is the strongest muscle group you have!  Your belt buckle will face target on follow through – meaning as you start your downswing, your weight will shift towards the target.
  10. Hold your finish on follow through! Be your own instructor and learn to evaluate your finish!

The above 10 steps to pitching comes from my “Instructional Cheat Sheet for Golfers” that’s posted on the web.  Take a look!

Golf Goals

Breaking records is great, but most snow in February? Give me a warm March day anytime! For a golfer, possibilities and promise are in the air, and it’s the perfect time to set achievable goals for the season. A goal is just a dream with a date attached – and who doesn’t love to dream after a long winter?

Whether it’s whittling your handicap 2 or 3 strokes, building assurance in your short game or confidence in competition, or just plain having more fun with golf, setting goals is an effective way to approach your game. Here’s my golf goals game plan:

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  1. Start with the end in sight. What’s your dream? What’s your definition of a great golf season? Solve a slice, become a better putter, move up a flight in your league, make more time for golf. Pick one goal… or pick ten.
  1. Do a reality check.. We’d all like to be scratch golfers. Is it within the realm of possibility this season? Achievable goals make for big rewards. Golf is hard enough without overlaying it with outsized expectations.
  1. Make it challenging. Commit some energy and discipline to the cause.
  1. Define the how-to’s, the concrete steps to attain a goal. Want to have more fun with golf? Make a list of ideal partners and courses for the season, promise to stop editorializing after every bad hit, and toss in a feel-good charity event. You’d like to kiss your slice good bye? Why not start the season with 2 lessons, a commitment to a weekly practice and an honest assessment of your 10-year-old clubs?
  1. Write it down. Make it yours. Check out my earlier post on keeping a golf journal.

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  1. Pin a date on it. Let’s say, the end of the season, by Labor Day, or before the snow flies. Cancel that last one. We are so done with thinking about snow!!!

Why You Must Know the Definitions in the Rules of Golf

Jeanne Myers is Assistant Tournament Director, Golf Association of Michigan.

In order to apply the Rules of Golf, or even to find the answer to a Rules problem in the Rules of Golf, you have to know the definitions. There are only fifty-one of them, but there is a huge amount of information in them.

More than one golfer has given himself a stroke penalty for causing his ball to oscillate. The Rules savvy golfer, however, knows that oscillating, according to the USGA, is not moving. For a ball to have “moved” it has to leave its position and come to rest in another spot. So, even if you accidentally nudge a ball forward, as long as it returns to its original position, you are safe from penalty – because it hasn’t come to rest in another spot.

Under the definition of “equipment” you will find that when you are sharing a golf cart, when your ball is involved, that cart and everything in it belongs to you – unless the cart is being driven by the other person. And, that “everything in it” includes the other person when the cart is stationary. Therefore, assume another player in your group who is sharing a cart with you, drives the cart and parks it near the green and stays in the cart. You then proceed to play, and your shot hits the person sitting in the stationary cart. You have hit your equipment and will get a one stroke penalty. Hopefully, he will only get a sore arm.

A “stroke” is the forward movement of the club with the intention of hitting the ball. So, if you check your downswing voluntarily or alter your swing path so that you intentionally miss the ball, you have not made a stroke. But, don’t use this to try to disguise a “whiff.” We all know what a “whiff” looks like.

“Through the green” is the whole area of the golf course except the teeing ground and putting green of the hole you are playing and all hazards. Therefore, through the green includes fairways and rough. When you look up relief options, you will need to know that term.

A “rub of the green” is not bad luck. It is when your ball in motion is accidentally stopped or deflected by any outside agency. Therefore, it is a rub of the green if your shot is deflected out of bounds by a piece of mowing equipment, but it is also a rub of the green if it is deflected into the hole by that equipment.

There are no sand traps or pins on golf courses, so you’ll have trouble looking up a Rule involving either. Instead, there are “bunkers” and “flagsticks,” and you will have no problem finding the proper entries in the Index to the Rules of Golf to find the answer you need using those terms.

An “obstruction” is anything artificial except 1) objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences and stakes, 2) immovable artificial objects located out of bounds, and 3) integral parts of the course. If you know this definition, you will know that if retaining walls in a water hazard have been declared to be integral parts of the course, you will not get free relief from them even if your ball lies outside the hazard.

A “provisional ball” is one played for an original ball that may be out of bounds or may be lost outside of a water hazard.

The rest of those definitions are up to you!

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At Home On The Range – Etiquette at the Driving Range

The other day at the range I put my money in the ball machine and ALMOST forgot to put the bucket in place.  Only two balls escaped – comedy averted – but it got me thinking about being at the driving range.  Whether it’s a basic facility, a well manicured hitting area with practice balls in nice pyramids, or a full-service operation like Miles of Golf, there are ways to make your visit safe, considerate and fun.
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Don’t Go There
Never retrieve that mis-hit ball lying seductively just a few feet in front of you.   The unbroken tees out there aren’t worth your noggin either.

Keeping an Eye on the Other Guy
Don’t set up too close to other players or walk in back of them.  Before you walk into a stall, wait until golfers on both sides have finished their swings so they are not distracted.
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Curb Your Cell Phone
Enough said.

Pace of Practice
 If it’s crowded, you don’t need to rush your practice.  Be mindful, work efficiently, and move away quickly when you’ve worked through your basket of balls.

The Art of Saying  “Thanks….. and Goodbye!”
You know him/her – Helpful Herbie.  This is the person who has personal insights into your golf swing… and apparently all the time in the world to share them with you.  Try saying, “Thanks, I’m working on that with my coach”.

What’s Right?
It’s perfectly OK to set up right-handers next to lefties.  No particular etiquette there.

Save the Grass
On grass tees, try to keep divot pattern close together to minimize area that gets abused.

A Word About Winter
If you’re playing at heated tees, keep your clubs close to keep them warm – and turn off the heater when you leave.
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Picking on the Picker and Other Strategies For a Good Time at the Range
You know what they say about golf, it’s just a stick and a ball.  It’s all about having fun.  So go ahead… it’s OK to try to hit the ball picker (we checked!).  Play some games, promise yourself some rewards, (I WILL go shopping if I hit 10 wedge shots within a yard of the target.  OK, make that two yards of the target), try something new, shake it loose…. you get the idea!

By all means, put that basket under the spout on the ball machine
At least once a week at Miles of Golf, someone doesn’t… who said golf isn’t fun?

Golf Gifts For $25 and Up

HIT IT LIKE A PRO….
Men’s TaylorMade tour-caliber balls: TM TP Black and TM TP Red. Price: $43/dozen, now 2 dozen for only $55
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images-131HOT CLUBS AT COOL PRICES
TaylorMade Burner Series 2007. Our most popular metal wood line EVER!! Drivers, $149. Fairway Woods, $129. Hybrids, $99.  What a deal.

GOLF BAGS-LITE
images-6Bag manufacturers compete to make the lightest, most feature-laden, stylish stand bags. One favorite is the Ping 4 Under, as in under 4 pounds. PGA golfer Hunter Mahan used this bag recently in competition in New Zealand, a caddy-friendly move indeed. Price: $139.99. Miles of Golf has stand bags from Ogio, Sun Mountain, and Nike all under 4.5 pounds.
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images-7GET IT TOGETHER
Did you arrive at the course without socks? Do loose golf balls roam freely in the car trunk? Wish you had an extra hat or glove on hand?. Or maybe it’s a Rolaids? For every want-to-get-organized golfer on earth the Nike Trunk Organizer is the go-to gift. Price: $69.99

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The Last Bag® by Club Glove is used by more touring professionals tour than any other product in golf. Its heavy-duty features are too numerous to mention here…. but they don’t call it the “Last Bag” for nothing. It’s the last one you’ll need. Price: $279.99

COTTON COMFORT
While most golf apparel manufactures tout the benefits of all-polyester, Ashworth continues to offer shirts that are a cotton/poly blend. If you like the look and feel of cotton, you’ll like these. Men and Women. Price range: $39.99- $59.99
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EXPRESS YOUR INNER BELT BUCKLE
images-10Adidas Golf makes it easy for golfers to play mix and match with their buckles and leather straps. There’s an in-store display at Miles of Golf for building your own belt. Take a look at the three-stripe Adidas theme in brushed metal, white, black, silver, lime, orange. Price: Buckles $19.99, Belt straps $39.99

img-thingKEEP THE COLD OUT IN STYLE
The Nike Winter Sweater Knit Women’s Golf Hat and Scarf set looks good on and off the course. 100% merino wool. Machine wash. White, Red. Price: $39.99
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THE 15TH CLUB
Who doesn’t want to feel more confident on the course? Range finders and GPS devices can help you be just that. Read about them in this recent Miles of Golf Women’s Club post. Price range: $199.99 – $429.99

* * * * * FOR THE SMALL SET * * * * *

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“I went to the animal fair;
The birds and the beasts were there”
Daphne’s Head Covers are a fuzzy, friendly menagerie of animals. Delight assured. Price: $24.99

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US Kids Golf understands kids clubs. Their Ultralight and Tour Series are based on height and swing speed. Available as bag sets or as individual clubs. Prices: Individual clubs starting at $24.99. Starter sets with stand bag starting at $119.99
There’s currently a rebate program through 12/31/09 for the Tour Series: http://www.uskidsgolf.com/eng/storeSection/tsrebate.cfm

images-11SHOES THAT REALLY SWOOSH
Nike’s junior Remix shoe is water resistant and sports an integrated spike system. But the cool part: the 8 custom color inserts that let the small golfer switch up the colors of their Nike Swoosh. It’s like having 8 pairs of shoes. Boys and Girls. Price: $49.99

 

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Nifty Golf Gifts For Under $25

MILES OF GOLF RANGE CARDS at half price
Purchase $50 worth of merchandise, and you’re eligible to buy an unlimited number of $20 cards for just $10. A great stocking stuffer!!
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A TEE BELOVED BY GOLFERS AND MOWERS ALIKE
images-3Zero Friction’s unique 3-prong design drastically reduces contact area between tee and ball for awesome distance. Company claims it’s the #1 tee on the PGA. Made with environmentally friendly materials that are biodegradable, it’s safe for course mowers.  Price: $6.99 for 50

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Martini Tees stand up and are noticed with a full 3 1/4” length, festive colors, virtually unbreakable poly-resin, and a martini glass shape to make you smile. $4.99 for a 5 pack or $19.99 for a 24 pack with a free martini shaker!
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HIGH TECH, HIGH COMFORT SOCKS
images-5A feet treat. FootJoy TechSof Sport Socks are engineered especially for golf, targeting foot areas that receive the highest impact. There’s actually a left and a right sock! Nike and Adidas also offer high tech socks. Price: $9.99

TITLEIST HATS
Show your team spirit with a Titleist Golf hat. In addition to the Titlist script logo on the front, these hats have sports team logos. UM, Michigan State, Detroit Tigers… Price: $24.99

images-4PRACTICE RANGE IN YOUR BACKYARD
AlmostGOLF’S Point3 golf ball is the first CO2 pressurized practice ball with real ball flight and performance. It’s extremely soft and very realistic – except it only goes 1/3 the distance of a regular golf ball. Grab a pack – great gift for every level of golfer.
Price: 10 pack $10.99. 36 ball pack $29.99
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SPEAKING OF GOLF BALLS…
NEW Ladies iQ Precept Plus is the softest ball on the market. Longer distance at lower swing speeds and a soft touch around the green. Clear, Pink, White. Another option … Solaire, Callaway’s women’s ball, is a low-compression softie that is far-flying and light to the touch. Pure White, High-Vis Pink. Price: $19.99 per dozen