Are You Allowed To Use 'Practice' Balls In Golf Competitions?

Some balls come stamped with ‘practice’ on them. Often the make and model can be high end. So can these practice balls only be used for practice, whether on or off the course, or can they also be used in your monthly medal or Stableford?

The Rules of Golf state that “‘Practice’ balls are typically listed, conforming golf balls that have been stamped "Practice" or with a similar stamping. ‘Practice’ balls are treated in the same way as golf balls that feature a golf club or course, company, school or other logo.”

So this means that these balls can be used in competition, even when the tournament organisers has adopted the List of Conforming Golf Balls as a Local Rule.

Nor is there any reason not to use these balls. For example, Titleist explains: “Pro V1 Practice golf balls do not have any construction or performance deficiencies. Pro V1 Practice golf balls differ only in that they have a cosmetic blemish such as paint, ink or registration of stamping.”

A practice ball is different from both an X-out ball and a refurbished ball, and different rules apply to the latter two types of ball.

An X-out ball is one where the manufacturer has crossed out the brand name as it considers the ball to be imperfect in some minor way, normally a cosmetic one.

A refurbished ball is a second-hand ball – often it is one fished out of a water hazard – that has been refurbished and so either has no markings on it, or is stamped as refurbished.

Unless there is what the Rules terms as ‘strong evidence’ to suggest these balls do not conform, they can be used in competition. However, they cannot be used if the organisers have adopted the Local Rule requiring players to use a brand and model of ball on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls. This is even if the ball which has been x-ed out or been refurbished is on the list.