Keeping it Clean on the Golf Course... with Ball Brite

OK,  I've got to admit it, I have a thing for clean balls.  Though some may debate the degree to which performance is affected by a layer of dust, or a smudge of mud, or a cart-path scuff, there's no denying that golf balls are carefully weighted and designed for proper aerodynamics, and... I don't know... I just find I play better with balls that shine.

It would be easy for me to fill this post with titillating double-entendres and ribald references... that's always easy when the subject is golf... but I'll try to avoid that tempting trap because what I'm writing about is a ball cleaning product, that's so practical and effective I think it deserves some focus.

Ball Bright is a slender sleeve of neoprene lined with an absorbent inner lining. The idea is, you pour in a small amount of water (a shot glass works) and clip it onto your back belt loop or your bag, then when you find yourself with a dirty ball your just press it into the sleeve. Then slide it around in there for a few seconds and pull it out clean and dry.  It's as simple as that. I received my Ball Brite, right before leaving for Greece and decided to take it along and test it over there. Turns out I couldn't have picked a better testing ground. Greece is a dry country, particularly in August. Dirt and dust are par for the course... quite literally... as are dry pine needles. The fairways and greens are kept in stellar shape with ample irrigation so the resulting muck that can build up on a ball is substantial, particularly if you're like me and tend to frequently miss fairways is an occasional fairway.

Over the course of my trip, and thoughout the five rounds I played there, I used my Ball Brite regularly, and everything about it worked. Even when I (miraculously) found my out-of-bounds ball...caked with sludge, in a grainy mud puddle produced by a forgetful grounds keeper's slowly leaking garden hose... Ball Brite came through, and turned it sparkling white in seconds. There was no dripping or leaking either. None. Nick even used my Ball Brite to clean his much-maligned pitching wedge when it became grimy and grass stained from a particularly challenging stint in the rough. It worked like a charm.

Once back in the USA I simply threw my Ball Brite in the washer and dryer. Now it's ready to do its thing on this side of the Atlantic. And, I just found out today that Ball Brite is offering a challenge to golfers: at their revamped website they're challenging golfers to “Throw in the Towel” and offering a FREE golf towel if they're not blown away by the effectiveness of Ball Brite. Details are at www.ballbritechallenge.com

Ironically, while enjoying my Ball Brite at Glyfada Golf Club I came upon an old abandoned ball cleaner (pictured above) and fell in love with it - you see, I've recently started a collection of retro golf relics. Anyway, I suggested to Nick that we might want to see if we could buy this beauty and bring it home with us. He politely told me to... Go To Hell. OK, that may seem like an over-reaction but it was just after his thing with the pitching wedge. Yeah, you're right... I probably should have waited a couple of holes.

Photos: Golf Ball Washers and Glyfada Golf Course © GolfGirlMedia ❀