[PCCraig]

What is everyone's thoughts on ball washers located on every tee box? Necessary? Or unnecessary clutter?


Instead of ball washers, have any clubs successfully substituted water buckets (or "caddy buckets") throughout the course?

[Terry Lavin]

Too much Committee time is my diagnosis, my friend. Just keep doing what you do.

[Joe Bausch]

Dear PCCraig,

I agree with the Judge's ruling.

Sincerely,
Doug L.

P.S.  Rusty has some papers for you to sign before you head to your next Committee meeting.

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[Peter Pallotta]

P - don't listen to the high hats and swells; listen to the common man. Please don't take away our ball washers. Far from being clutter, they're our beloved signposts - of things (times and courses) past, and of things (golf holes) yet to come. And they suit the walking golfer perfectly; unlike the big shot in a three piece suit, riding in his cart, the walker can always take a route that leads right to them.
Respectfully yours
Counsel for the Hollywood 10 

[John Kavanaugh]

Next time you wash your ball count the pumps. It will be a prime number, thus came the term prime the pump.

[John Kavanaugh]

What I don't understand about ball washers is that they were invented when a balata ball was lucky to last six holes and a caddie cost less than a half dozen balls. The more I think about it I find the ball washing ritual much like the pencil sharpening of middle school. You proudly went in front of the class noting your intellect by the lack of lead in your regal pole. You had written such knowledge so quickly that the ole number 2 couldn't maintain pace. The teacher, who secretly wanted you, was impressed. Crank, crank, crank until the point was true. It was your first dominate sexual experience. Now you find yourself in the land of 1000 lakes lack of lubrication to remove the grass stains from a well struck wedge. The ball washer gives you solace. Now what are the prime numbers?

[Chris Cupit]

Not trying to be a smart aleck but who putts with a dirty golf ball?  If your ball is cleaned after you marked, lifted, cleaned and then putted, how did it get dirty between the green and the next tee?

[Jeff Shelman]

I am a golfer that carries a towel that has one end wet, so I'm not exactly the target audience for the ball washer.

That said, there are many casual golfers who seem to like them or at least expect them. We here are a bit of a unique breed and find different things important than casual golfers.

To me, ball washers don't bother me all that much. If I was in charge, I'd spend my efforts in other areas. For example, I'd rather have water buckets by water coolers to try to change behavior of golfers who use drinking water to wet their towels.

[BHoover]

My old club, Windsong Farm, had no ballwashwers. Instead, we had metal water buckets every few holes. Much preferred.

[MCirba]

Next time you wash your ball count the pumps. It will be a prime number, thus came the term prime the pump.

Nice discovery.  Consider me pumped.

[Kalen Braley]

Funny thread.


JK could be on to something.  There are 3 prime numbers right in range when you step up to the "pump"....


P.S.  I've never used a bucket of water to wash my golf balls, just my club heads...


P.P.S.  Pretty sure Keynes was the one to coin the term

[Greg Chambers]

Ball washers clutter shit up....but water buckets?!?  Are your golfers cows?

[Sean_A]

Water buckets?  That looks better than a ball washer? I am now used to not have ball washers because they seem to be scarce in GB&I...I play with a dirty ball and wash my hands after the round.  I think its reasonable to have a handful of washers depending on the type of soil/turf of a course, but its not a big deal. 

Ciao

[Duncan Cheslett]

I have one of those round rubber sponge holders attached to my golf bag. Wet it with a bit of water and keep you ball nice and clean all the way round.


I can't understand why so few golfers have them. They're like a couple of quid...


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Masters-Golf-Ball-Cleaner-and-Tee-Holder-3-99-FREE-Delivery/172363017695?_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3D331dafd1ca77490c907612714518506e%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D33%26sd%3D182525124509

[jeffwarne]

Too much Committee time is my diagnosis, my friend. Just keep doing what you do.

+1
I can't wait to open a course with ball washers and visible 150 yard bushes or birdhouses.
Drives the clutter and form over substance crowd crazy.
Might just put the cartpaths right down the middle of the fairway as well to encourage straighter driving and faster play

[Peter Pallotta]

Not trying to be a smart aleck but who putts with a dirty golf ball?  If your ball is cleaned after you marked, lifted, cleaned and then putted, how did it get dirty between the green and the next tee?

Chris - for me, unless my ball is in anyone's line of play and/or has a clump of dirt on it, I don't mark and lift it; I just leave it where it's landed and putt when it's my turn. And if the ball does have a clump of dirt on it, I mark and wipe off the dirt with my hand and then put it down again; when they are four golfers on the green, most of whom are putting for par, and there's a foursome waiting to hit in the fairway, I'm not going to walk over to my bag on the other side of the green just to get to a wet towel and wipe my ball clean before walking all the way back to place it down carefully before I putt. And so, when we've finished up and get to the next tee, it's a perfect time to get the grass stains off and get a clean shiny ball using the ball washer.
Peter

[John Crowley]

My old club, Windsong Farm, had no ballwashwers. Instead, we had metal water buckets every few holes. Much preferred.

Right Brian, our buckets at WSFGC enable you to clean your golf ball, wet your towel and clean your club heads while maintaining the minimalist ethos of the Club. Very pragmatic and thrifty.
John

[MCirba]

I do like water buckets when you're using sand tees.i'll try to post a picture of that later today.

[Rick Shefchik]

Not trying to be a smart aleck but who putts with a dirty golf ball?  If your ball is cleaned after you marked, lifted, cleaned and then putted, how did it get dirty between the green and the next tee?

Chris - for me, unless my ball is in anyone's line of play and/or has a clump of dirt on it, I don't mark and lift it; I just leave it where it's landed and putt when it's my turn. And if the ball does have a clump of dirt on it, I mark and wipe off the dirt with my hand and then put it down again; when they are four golfers on the green, most of whom are putting for par, and there's a foursome waiting to hit in the fairway, I'm not going to walk over to my bag on the other side of the green just to get to a wet towel and wipe my ball clean before walking all the way back to place it down carefully before I putt. And so, when we've finished up and get to the next tee, it's a perfect time to get the grass stains off and get a clean shiny ball using the ball washer.
Peter

I putt with a dirty ball, too. I haven't noticed that a grass stain or a dirt smudge affects my results.


Some guys carry their wet towel onto the green, clean the ball before they putt and toss the towel on the green until they walk off. That works, too.

[Carl Johnson]

Our experience for what it may be worth.  About 9 years ago my club eliminated ball washers.  Never had water buckets.  The club does hand out wet towels at the beginning of the round for ball and club cleaning purposes on the course, but they'll dry out often and members have to improvise.  Maybe wetting them from drink stations, ponds, or at the on-course bathroom.  At first, there were complaints about losing the ball washers, but I've heard none in recent years.  At the same time we also eliminated permanent signs at the tee areas indicating the hole number, length of hole, par and whatever else.

Personally I like the clean look.  We've had at least one USGA event in recent years at which the USGA installed for the competition their own USGA hole markers at the tee areas -- big, ugly white things.  I'm glad they did it because it made me appreciate how much better the course looked without them.

[John Connolly]

We recently took them off our course. One figures out how to clean a ball - but there is no fix for the visual noise of ball washers.

[Steve Lang]

Probably more architecturally relevant is whether you're using muni-Green, designer black, or barn yard silver for accent...


personally , I like a good spit shine, towel buffed ball for green and tee

[Mike_Young]

How can anyone play without a wet towel for cleaning grips and club after a shot.  Seems to work for the ball also.  The ball washers are for cleaning the balls you find in the pond and the rough...

[Ian Mackenzie]

Pat -


Clubs get dirtier than balls and there are no "club washers" on courses....;-)


However, I do believe that there should be "a few" ball washers.
Funny, the place where you truly need a ball washer is next to a green, not a tee box. If you clean your ball on the tee, doesnt that mean that you just putted with a dirty ball...?..;-)


We had this debate and it it went in every direction possible as is predictable when you have 1) committees and 2) a board and 3) uninformed decision makers


If you have caddies, take them off, save 2-3.
(Put one near the putting green and one at "halfway house.)
If you do not, then it's up to you.


As for buckets, they are for dipping your towel in and I have never seen players use them, only caddies.
(Except for a bucket near the "staging area" where before you walk to the first tee.)


There was a past-president at a club here in Chicago who independently became enamored with some retro-vintage ball washers. Without consulting anyone, he told the green keeper to order 19 of them @ $500 each!!


The membership woke up to see them on every tee box. They were electric bright white metal boxes visible from hundreds of yards away. I heard that the greens committee then removed all but 5 of them and they are now all gone save for a couple.


Here's a simple test for you:


1. Put out 4-5 ball washers.
2. Fill them with water and soap.
3. Position the attached towel so that it covers the top of the ball washer making it necessary to move before using.
4. After 3 days, see how many towels have been moved.

[David Davis]

I try to bring a "water boy" with me at all times on the course. He carries the water bucket to personally wash balls and clubs in between holes and after shots where necessary.


Yes that's in addition to my cart chauffeur, spotter, shadow caddy and the rest of the entourage. That renders ball washers on each hole irrelevant.


No in all seriousness...what do they do at The Old Course or Muirfield for example? Something tells me those might be good examples to follow if the carts you are leasing don't have build in ball washers. 

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