Which custom golf ball should you give your players?
Your audience largely sets the level of ball. The logo then has to fit on a very small area, and a sanctioned competition calls for a few precautions.
Start with the players, not the prestige
A commercial article aimed at event planners says the choice often comes down to the audience: accessible balls for charity tournaments with mixed skill levels, premium balls for client and executive events [5]. A tournament management software company notes that golfers appreciate well-known ball brands [6].
According to a ball manufacturer's head of R&D, most two-piece balls are built for the average golfer, and almost none have a soft urethane cover, which mainly affects spin on iron and approach shots [4]. In our view, that spin is rarely worth paying more for with occasional players.
A logo built for a tiny surface
According to a distributor, the printable area is limited to a small square, circle or rectangle on one pole of the ball, and the second pole costs extra [7]. Prepare a compact version of your logo (a symbol or short text) and provide its Pantone codes, which this distributor passes on to the manufacturer [7].
A 2003 U.S. patent describing pad printing explains that each image requires a new plate and that the equipment limits the number of colours [8]: for pad printing, plan a logo in a few solid colours. At least one manufacturer's program also limits the size and number of colours of the logo [9].
Two tournament software companies, which also sell or point to player gifts, suggest adding the sponsor's logo to them [6][11]; using the second pole then avoids squeezing two logos into the same spot. How well the imprint holds up in play is to be confirmed: a distributor says the clear-coated image won't come off under normal use [7], while a laser engraver manufacturer says prints can fade [10].
Sanctioned competition: check the ball's status
Every stroke must be made with a ball that conforms to the Equipment Rules [1]. A rules explainer site citing the official clarification says a ball marked "Practice" is treated like a ball bearing a club or company logo: the logo alone does not make it ineligible [2] (official wording to be confirmed). Refurbished or "X-out" balls (new, but usually deemed imperfect by the manufacturer), however, are generally not allowed when the course, club or committee requires balls from the conforming list through a Local Rule [3]; without that rule, the issue matters much less (official wording to be confirmed).
Quantity, packaging and timing
Work out the quantity from the number of players and the format you hand out: a three-ball pack per player or a dozen. According to a commercial article, a tube of two or three balls makes a ready-to-give gift [5]; one manufacturer's program charges extra for custom packaging [9]. Several suppliers count production time from artwork approval [5][7]; according to a distributor, an expedited order depends on how busy the manufacturer is and normally comes with a fee [7].
Écran Blanc's advice
For a company tournament with players of every level, a two-piece ball from a recognized brand is often a sensible starting point; save premium balls for a client day or the winners' prizes. Settle the sponsor question early and include the tournament date in your request.