Do tour pros warm up for tournaments using the same golf balls they play during a round, or regular range balls? Craig Holding, NSW

True story. One day, a bloke walks into a pro shop and asks for two buckets of range balls. Pro says, “That will be $20, mate.”

The bloke hands over $20, walks out of the pro shop, puts the buckets in an old, bomb of a car and drives away.

We bring this up because pros could pretty much do the same thing at every US PGA Tour stop. Only they don’t have to fork over $20, the balls are new, and the car is European. No matter which ball a pro plays, there are bags of that make and model. These bags are usually found on a table by the range, and the pros can take as many as they want.

However, because most pros have a putting routine that involves markings on their ball, they opt to use their own balls when they practice putt, but they get those for free, too – from their equipment sponsor.

If only we had it so good.


I keep landing my shots short of my course’s elevated greens despite using a rangefinder. Why does it keep happening? Jane McCormack, VIC

First, we applaud your honesty. Most golfers blame coming up short on their partner, 7-iron, air pressure, global warming or Malcolm Turnbull. The reason lies in your question.

If you’re using a rangefinder to get a distance to an elevated green, keep in mind it’s going to play longer than the distance you get. When you hit to an elevated green, the ball doesn’t stay in the air as long as it would hitting into a flat green, and that means it won’t go as far.

Next time, select at least one club longer than normal. Still short? Now you can blame us!

You’re welcome.


Who decides the colours of a course’s stakes? Andrew Wykes, VIC

The colour of stakes and lines that define boundaries and hazard margins are determined by the Rules of Golf in its Definitions section.

It’s mandatory to use yellow to define water hazards and red for lateral water hazards, but any colour can be used for defining out-of-bounds – though white is most common in Australia.

Frankly, we’d like to see something in tangerine tango or rich razzleberry – maybe even fluro yellow?

That being said, if you’re wondering who decides where exactly the stakes are placed around the course, it’s completely up to those in charge of the golf club you’re playing at.