Golf Equipment -
X-Out: What You Need to Know
X-Outs, or x-out golf
balls, are name brand golf balls on which that name brand has been
crossed out - usually with a row of X's - and sold at a steep discount
to that brand's regular price. A Maxfli, to use an example, Noodle X-Out
is essentially identical to a regular Maxfli Noodle. But at some point
in the production process, a small blemish of some sort occurs. It could
be cosmetic, or perhaps the weighting or sizing is a tiny bit off.
Rather than just tossing out these balls, the manufacturers stamp over
the name brand and sell them as "Maxfli Noodle X-Outs" (or whatever the
brand may be). Most recreational golfers will not be able to tell any
difference in performance between X-Outs and their "regular"
counterparts.
X-Out golf balls are sold in many golf shops and retail stores in dully
packaged boxes at steep discounts to "regular" golf balls. That's
because an X-Out ball is the result of a mistake in the manufacturing
process.
X-Outs are name-brand golf balls on which that brand has been stamped
out, usually with a row of X's, because of imperfections in the ball.
Those imperfections are often cosmetic in nature, and usually so small
as not to be noticeable. The balls usually play the same as their
counterparts, or at least close enough that most recreational players
could never tell the difference.
Let's use Titleist for the sake of illustration. If during the
manufacturing process some tiny little error occurs and the resulting
balls are not up to Titleist standards, the company will not package
those balls and try to pass them off as Titleist golf balls.
But Titleist doesn't want to toss them out with the garbage either,
because that would be a complete loss of money.
So instead, Titleist stamps a row of X's across the "Titleist" name on
the ball, packages such balls in generic packaging and puts a very cheap
price on them. Titleist still makes money, and many golfers get practice
balls - or play balls - on the cheap.
So that's what an X-Out is. Should you use them? Are they "legal" under
the Rules of Golf?
The USGA and R&A maintain a list of conforming golf balls, and only
balls that appear on that list are "legal" in tournaments or at clubs
where the Conforming Ball condition is in effect.
Needless to say, X-Out balls are not submitted by their manufacturers to
the USGA or R&A for approval, and so they would not appear on the list
of conforming balls.
Therefore, if you are competing in a tournament or at a club where the
Conforming Ball condition is in effect, X-Outs are illegal for play.
Does that mean that you can't use an X-Out when it's just you and your
buddies having a good time? No, it doesn't. And not all competition
committees enforce the Conforming Ball condition, so it's possible that
you might even be able to use X-Outs in competition. If you're willing
to be laughed at by the other competitors.
X-Outs are played mostly by beginners or by golfers on a strict budget.
Better golfers wouldn't be caught dead using an X-Out for play, but
might buy them as practice balls.
Here at About Golf, we believe that there's no shame in price controls.
If an X-Out is what fits your budget, and you don't have to worry about
the Conforming Ball condition, then there's certainly no shame in using
an X-Out.
As for the official stance on X-Outs from the USGA, it appears in
Decision 5-1/4 and reads like this:
"Q. 'X-out' is the common name used for a golf ball which a manufacturer
considers to be imperfect and has, therefore, crossed out the brand name
on the golf ball. What is the status of an 'X-out' ball?
"A. The vast majority of 'X-out' balls are rejected for aesthetic
reasons only, i.e., paint or printing errors. In the absence of strong
evidence to suggest that an 'X-out' ball does not conform to the Rules,
it is permissible for such a ball to be used. However, in a competition
where the Committee has adopted the condition that the ball the player
uses must be named on the List of Conforming Golf Balls ..., an 'X-out'
ball may not be used, even if the ball in question (without the X's)
does appear on the List."
From:
http://golf.about.com/cs/rulesofgolf/a/faq_xout.htm
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