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Golf ball guru founds Snell Golf, will sell tour balls for $31.99

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If premium golf balls were more affordable, golfers would be more likely to buy them.

That’s the thought behind new golf ball company Snell Golf, which was founded by veteran golf ball designer Dean Snell.

Snell has spent the last 25 years designing golf balls for Titleist and TaylorMade, where he was involved in the development of products such as the Titleist’s Pro V1 and TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred.

His new company will sell golf balls direct to consumers in the continental U.S. through its website at a price point that’s significantly less than what golfers are used to paying.

[quote_box_center]“The performance and materials are there,” Snell said. “But I can sell my golf balls more affordably because I don’t have to pay millions of dollars for advertising and marketing.”[/quote_box_center]

My Tour Ball - dozen, sleeve, & ball

The company’s premium offering, “My Tour Ball,” will sell for $31.99 per dozen, a price that includes free shipping. It’s a three-piece model with a cast urethane cover that Snell says delivers the performance of golf balls that sell for $40 or more per dozen.

[quote_box_center]”I’ve designed golf balls for best players in the world and I want to bring that performance and technology to golfers at an affordable price,” Snell said. “A lot of good players don’t buy the good stuff … but they could actually use that performance because it actually helps them.”[/quote_box_center]

My Tour Ball - ball angled

“My Tour Ball” has a low-compression core (low 80’s) and a firmer, ionomer middle layer that work together with the ball’s cast urethane cover to give golfers long distance off the tee, consistency with their irons and maximum spin around the greens.

Snell Golf will also sell a two-piece golf called “Get Sum” for $21.99 with free shipping.

Get Sum - box, sleeve, & ball

[quote_box_center]“[Get Sum] is for the 8-to-10 handicapper or higher, or someone who doesn’t want to pay $10 more per dozen,” Snell said.[/quote_box_center]

The ball uses a large, soft core and suryln cover to deliver a softer feel. According to Snell, Get Sum has a slightly higher launch angle and a lower-spinning trajectory through the bag that limits hooks and slices.

Get Sum - ball (quarter angle)

[quote_box_center]“The spin rates [of the two balls] are almost the same with the driver, so they’ll both go the maximum distance off the tee,” Snell said. “The difference is shorter shots. With My Tour Ball, golfers won’t give up any performance.”[/quote_box_center]

The golf balls will be made overseas with distribution in New Bedford, Mass. They will begin shipping March 15.

Visit SnellGolf.com for more information. 

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45 Comments

45 Comments

  1. Scott

    Dec 30, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    Well I found one of these balls…..played it and I loved it….and have now purchased dozens….great ball.

  2. Edward

    Jul 1, 2015 at 1:52 am

    Try them…. I’m telling you they are great balls NOT a cheap knockoff. And the name is fun not all stuffy like the presumptuous big companies. My tour ball is a great name and it is just that his, mine or yours but they are the real deal and you can catch a special online that gets them in the 25.00 range. Ball snobs need not apply but if you want a great ball these are for you..

  3. SupD3

    Mar 30, 2015 at 9:20 pm

    I’ve played now 3 rounds with the Snell My Tour Ball. I gotta say I like it a lot. Compared to the most recent Tour Preferred ball there is very very little difference. Actually can’t pinpoint any. Plenty long, cover feels similar and no difference in spin on short shots.

    BTW, with respect to those who claim to buy Pro V’s for 20-30 a dozen. If you don’t care about precision I guess it doesn’t matter. If a golf ball sits in a lake for a month or in the woods for a few months it is not going to perform like a new ball. Let’s say you normally hit a 7 iron 167 on the nose. You come up a to par 3 with water in front. You nail a 7 iron but for some reason it only flys 164 (12 feet short) and lands in the water. You can’t figure out why, you thought you hit it well? Must have been the wind? Maybe it was that “new” Pro V you bought on ebay?

    I get that not everyone is looking for precision. I understand that not all x-outs or refurb balls are bad. For me however, this game is hard enough. I’d just assume remove a variable that I actually can control.

    Snell from here on out!

  4. terry

    Mar 24, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    its very possible these are just standard balls being mass produced and marketed by several different companies like Kick X Tour. But snell has a story. Maybe that’s what they are relying on. I like stories. I buy stories.

  5. 1badbadger

    Feb 20, 2015 at 8:24 am

    “The spin rates [of the two balls] are almost the same with the driver, so they’ll both go the maximum distance off the tee,”

    A 3-piece urethane covered ball and a 2-piece Surlyn covered ball are going to spin very differently. I’m surprised that a man with his credentials would make a statement like that. But on his website he makes THIS comment to a player who asked about sidespin: “A golf ball will not ever eliminate hooks and slices, but it can help reduce them. Try GET SUM… its lower spinning and great soft feel…”

    • Dean

      Feb 23, 2015 at 11:33 am

      1badbadger. Dont be surprised. Today, all 2pc, 3pc, 4pc and 5pc balls are able to be designed with low driver spin rates. So if you are able to get the ball speed high, and the spin rates are similar, then the drivers will all go about the same distance. In the past, tour balata type balls used to have driver spin rates of around 4000 rpm, and 2-pc balls were around 2800rpm… Today, just about every ball out there is around 2800 rpm… We use core compressions, layers, and materials to develop different constructions to have this lower, preferred spin. When you have a 2-pc design, typically having a low driver spin also means low spin all the way through the set… and conversely, the multi layered balls allow us to create a different spin curve within the whole set of clubs.. Thus higher spin than these low spinning two pc balls… So hitting a low spin, two pc ball like GET SUM will help you hit straighter shots throughout the set, cause the spin is lower as you progress through the set. So longer irons will have less spin, and help the hooks and slices…. So hope this helps, and thanks for going to the website and reading up on the forum questions…

  6. LLang

    Feb 15, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    Guys I just hit these balls this weekend on a florida golf trip. I am an 8-10 handicapper who has always played the prov1x. The my tour ball is very comparable was long off the tee with great feel around greens.

  7. Connor

    Feb 9, 2015 at 3:37 pm

    My best round of golf came in a college practice round with a corn-cobbed NXT. Lol. Good luck to Snell!

  8. AJ

    Feb 8, 2015 at 8:49 am

    You cant turn on the companies that made your career and steal the market share they earned through hard you. And you certainly cant sucessfully convince anyone these are truly the same quality at a lower price especially without advertising to communicate with the market, endorsements and brand recognition. Lower price will always be percieved as lower quality no matter what you say. And the guy who got his provs on craigs list probably paid for repainted rangeballs. #dumdum

    • kappy

      Feb 26, 2015 at 1:43 am

      AJ,
      if people never branched out and took chances on their own than there would never be anything new out there. don’t forget, the Dodge brothers left Ford in 1915. Guess they did pretty good for themselves and provided a great product over all these years.

    • terry

      Mar 24, 2015 at 12:43 pm

      I would say this guy did more for titleist than titleist did for him. And when you pay for a ProV you’re paying so you can hear every pro in a commercial say “i play a titleist”.

  9. Steve

    Feb 5, 2015 at 11:37 am

    There have been a number of startup golf ball companies launching “tour” balls simply trying to compete on a lower price. I think some of these balls are just as good as any pro v1, since they’re all coming out of similar factories, (it’s a commodity- solid rubber core construction), but perception tends to outweigh rational decision making. If their brand’s comes off as cheap they may struggle to gain traction. OnCore Golf, a company I helped co-found, has launched a truly unique golf ball, the MA-1.0, with a hollow metallic core construction. The ball is 44.99 a dozen, USGA conforming, and has been tested to truly improve dispersion off the tee, and on approach shots. We’re a youthful, fun brand, providing a highly engineered product. Check our website out or email us if your interested in a trial sleeve ([email protected]). I enjoy seeing the diversity of golf balls and startups competing against the goliaths of the industry, power to um.

    Best,
    Steve

  10. Rusty Putter

    Feb 4, 2015 at 11:17 pm

    Craig’s list deal got me 200 PRO V s for $125. Gotta love crack head zombies who walk SOCAL streets.

  11. Ben

    Feb 4, 2015 at 10:09 am

    Personally, I don’t care what they’re called. You could call it knuckler, super slice or duck hook, or under water… As long as it plays well, I’m in.

    I just ordered a sample pack.

  12. Roosterredneck

    Feb 3, 2015 at 8:19 am

    The name stinks what about S80 – this is reflecting the owners name Snell and the compression 80
    Priced too high- until this is proven to be worth it’s price, drop the price. too many other balls at or below this price that people play and love. Changing to another ball requires an entry price less than
    the present pricing of our favorite ball (limited time only) . THEN AGAIN WAIT TO SEE IT ON TOUR AS AWINNER .

  13. MBA-J

    Feb 3, 2015 at 8:07 am

    If you Snell…what the ROCK is cooking…

  14. leftright

    Feb 3, 2015 at 7:49 am

    It’s about image with many in golf. I used to be hung up on image until I got older and wiser. I stocked up on the Srixon Z-Stars for $30 a dozen until they are gone from the stores. Great ball and tour events have been won with it and some of the Cleveland guys play it. I might buy some just to check them out.

  15. Bruce

    Feb 3, 2015 at 3:17 am

    $27 for a split dozen might be worth a test.

  16. Luke

    Feb 3, 2015 at 12:53 am

    $31.99 for a “tour ball” is not cheap, do a little shopping around and you can find name brand “tour” balls for 20-30 bucks. I’m sure these balls are just as good as the tour preffered x balls I’m using now..except I paid 24.99 a dozen.

    • kappy

      Feb 3, 2015 at 11:12 am

      where are you buying tour preferred X for $24/dz? back alley?
      Its funny that people have all these comments without playing these balls yet. As Snell states, “Let it Develop”.

      try them then post some more comments. Curious to see what is said then. This guy obviously has the credentials to make balls of any caliber.

  17. Roge Brightman

    Feb 2, 2015 at 11:33 pm

    I have played Titleist golf balls for over 50 years now. I will however give my friend Dean Snell[s product a try. After all he does know what he is talking about.

  18. Alex

    Feb 2, 2015 at 10:35 pm

    I’m not going to knock Snell as a name, because it’s named after him.

    But “my tour ball” and “get sum” are dumb.

    It makes the ball seem cheap and many will disregard based on that alone.

    Just call them the Snell One and the Snell Two or something. Don’t make it sound gimmicky.

    • Kelly

      Feb 3, 2015 at 8:50 pm

      Agree 100%

    • Justin

      May 27, 2016 at 10:32 pm

      Well you sound beyond pretentious. Bet that helps your game. I always noticed when I looked down on others I gained a few extra yards…

  19. Philip

    Feb 2, 2015 at 8:11 pm

    Well, he partially owns the most relevant recent patents so definitely worth checking out.

  20. marcel

    Feb 2, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    nice – id love to give them a go but they wont be in Australia i guess anytime soon ;-(

  21. Shallowface

    Feb 2, 2015 at 4:08 pm

    I wish them well, but those who are hung up on what others think about them (and there are a lot of them) will never give it a chance. It’s Pro V or nothing for that group.

  22. Will

    Feb 2, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    you dont need to pay $45 to play a tour ball. ebay is your friend. for example… the ball that works for me is the lethal. i tried the new perferred X and didnt like it. for what its worth ive also always disliked the Prov1. regular one spins too much. X doesnt spin enough. bought 12 dz lethals on ebay at a price of $25/dozen

    • MHendon

      Feb 2, 2015 at 4:49 pm

      Yeah I don’t know if they’re still doing it or not butt Taylormade was selling bulk packs of Lethals a couple months ago. I bought the 50 ball pack for $100. 2 dollars a ball is hard to beat and its a great ball.

  23. Golfraven

    Feb 2, 2015 at 3:01 pm

    First of all the name sucks. I have seen similar companies spinning same business model and claiming their balls compare to v1 or NXT but at lover price. I tested some of those and can say that I was not impressed by looks, feel and performance nor didn’t have full confidence making a switch. I see here only 20-30% difference in price which is not really great selling point. If you want titleist and can afford it, well buy it, otherwise there are plenty of other well performing balls from great manufactures at good price.

  24. Joe

    Feb 2, 2015 at 1:51 pm

    The name is terrible. It sounds like the name of the ugly best friend in a chick flick.

  25. Jafar

    Feb 2, 2015 at 1:08 pm

    Finally, someone in golf appealing to peoples wallets. Definitely interested, will be sure to buy some for the upcoming season.

  26. greg

    Feb 2, 2015 at 12:04 pm

    Brand name balls equate to known performance, guaranteed quality, and status.. That is huge That said, I’ve been !bothered by prices lately and see no reason why I should pay extra for balls that Bubba, Phil, and Sergio are paid to tell me to play.

    I like the idea that someone, with credentials, offers a product without these costs factored in. I’ll try ’em.

    • Jeff

      Feb 2, 2015 at 1:46 pm

      Well,
      Wilson staff Duo,
      Srixon soft
      Calloway soft and now Snell.
      Could be a price war

  27. Andrew

    Feb 2, 2015 at 11:56 am

    Agree on the terrible name. And tbh, I’d rather spend my $43 on pro-v’s that are made here in the US.

    • slider

      Feb 3, 2015 at 12:30 am

      agreed

    • Jason

      Mar 4, 2015 at 8:36 am

      Pro-V1’s made in the U.S.? Only a small fraction of Titleists are made in the U.S. with the remaining plants expected to be gone in a couple years.

  28. Brutus

    Feb 2, 2015 at 11:51 am

    I like the fact that the tour ball is lower compression. I’ve noticed better performance with my swing at a lower compression. I’m gonna give it a try since the Bridgestone RX’s are 50% more than these and too much in my book. The name probably isn’t the greatest, but if it helps get lower scores,
    than who cares??!!!

  29. Chomper

    Feb 2, 2015 at 10:51 am

    Agree on the branding, but that is why it is so cheap right?

    • ken

      Feb 2, 2015 at 12:40 pm

      Because Snell DOES NOT pay tour players to use their golf ball. Simple.
      Here’s an example. Before Adams Gold started paying pros to use their clubs, Adams equipment could be had at a reasonable price. I bought a new set of irons some 10 years ago. Granted, these Tight Lies players model irons were a discontinued model and that lowered the price significantly, The off the rack price was still reasonable

      • Eli Yates

        Feb 2, 2015 at 1:08 pm

        the Tight Lies tour irons the ones with the graphite tips… I got some back in the day… those irons were awesome. I actually taped them off and painted the graphite and customized them they looked like a blue and white candy cane. I wish I still had them.

  30. Matt

    Feb 2, 2015 at 10:43 am

    Well, he might want to spend a bit of money on branding. Snell, My Tour Ball, and Get Sum are all terrible names.

    • MHendon

      Feb 2, 2015 at 12:37 pm

      I agree with you about the branding. However obviously he wanted to use his name so I imagine that will stay. I will say I’m interested and might give them a try since he has been involved in designing my two favorite balls on the market.

    • Jafar

      Feb 2, 2015 at 1:09 pm

      Disagree about the name. If he’s honest about his story, that is what I am buying.

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Equipment

What’s the perfect Mini-Driver/Shaft combo? – GolfWRXers discuss

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In our forums, our members have been discussing Mini-Drivers and accompanying shafts. WRXer ‘JamesFisher1990’ is about to purchase a BRNR Mini and is torn on what shaft weight to use, and our members have been sharing their thoughts and set ups in our forum.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • PARETO: “New BRNR at 13.5. Took it over to TXG (Club Champ but TXG will always rule) in Calgary for a fit. Took the head down to 12, stuck in a Graphite Design AD at 3 wood length and 60g. Presto- numbers that rivaled my G430Max but with waaaaay tighter dispersion. Win.”
  • driveandputtmachine: “Still playing a MIni 300.  The head was only 208, so I ordered a heavier weight and play it at 3 wood length.  I am playing a Ventus Red 70.   I play 70 grams in my fairways.  I use it mainly to hit draws off the tee.  When I combine me, a driver, and trying to hit a draw it does not work out well most of the time.  So the MIni is for that. As an aside, I have not hit the newest BRNR, but the previous model wasn’t great off the deck.  The 300 Mini is very good off the deck.”
  • JAM01: “Ok, just put the BRNR in the bag along side a QI10 max and a QI10 3 wood. A load of top end redundancy. But, I have several holes at my two home courses where the flight and accuracy of the mini driver helps immensely. Mine is stock Proforce 65 at 13.5, I could see a heavier shaft, but to normal flex, as a nice alternative.”

Entire Thread: “What’s the perfect Mini-Driver/Shaft combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”

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Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/26/24): Artisan 0521 custom putter

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for an Artisan 0521 custom putter

From the seller: (@Nobody2): “$775 -Artisan 0521 custom putter PVD (black finish) with sweep neck hosel.  There are no personal stampings other than my player # in very small print on the side of the hosel (all Artisan products have this along with the date it was made). This putter looks absolutely amazing and has only been used for 3 rounds. It has a black steel shaft and has a very Cam Smith look to it.  The putter looks new and has no wear marks anywhere on the putter.  It comes with extra weights (one set of of 5 gram weights and one set of 15 gram weights). The head cover is a a navy blue ‘quilted blade putter cover.’  If you are wondering why I am selling…I flat out have the yips and the only thing saving me is a broomstick.  New, this putter is $1085, so if the specs work for you (grip, length and lie can certainly be tweaked) it will save you some good money and 2 month wait time.

Specs:

Loft               2.75  degrees
Lie                  69  degrees
Length           35.25″
offset             .300 slightly less than full shaft offset
head weight     350 grams
Toe Hang          20 degrees
Grip                   Ionic Classic Pistol”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Artisan 0521 custom putter

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

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Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

 

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

 

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

 

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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