Almanac Golf: Lofty’s old golf balls

Some old classics. Lofty Longden, golfer, golf teacher, and triviameister, was doing some tidying and found these at the bottom of the cupboard.

I note, Lofty, there is no Penfold Ace. I landed a Penfold Ace, wrapped in cellophane from memory, in the run-down, at the Gatton Junior Tournament won by Ian Baker-Finch.

 

 

About John Harms

JTH is a writer, publisher, speaker, historian. He is publisher and contributing editor of The Footy Almanac and footyalmanac.com.au. He has written columns and features for numerous publications. His books include Confessions of a Thirteenth Man, Memoirs of a Mug Punter, Loose Men Everywhere, Play On, The Pearl: Steve Renouf's Story and Life As I Know It (with Michelle Payne). He appears (appeared?) on ABCTV's Offsiders. He can be contacted [email protected] He is married to The Handicapper and has three school-age kids - Theo, Anna, Evie. He might not be the worst putter in the world but he's in the worst four. His ambition was to lunch for Australia but it clashed with his other ambition - to shoot his age.

Comments

  1. Those balls look like 1980’s to me. I always used a Hot Dot back then. Came in 80,90 and 100 compressions. Whatever the hell that meant. In the late 60’s when I learned the game the fancy “wound core” balls were Dunlop 65’s and Slazenger B51’s. I reckon my dad still has a box of those at the top of the wardrobe. The balls of those days had a soft surface layer that used to cut if you bladed it or it hit a rock. I remember pulling them apart as a kid and underneath was what looked like tightly wound rubber bands, with a centre that was a rubber sac filled with a gooey rubber paste.
    Country kids were always pullling things (like rabbits) apart to see how they worked. For the budget minded golfer there was the “solid core” Spalding Rocket which was basically like hitting a lump of concrete on a cold morning.
    Thanks for the memories Lofty.

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