Golf Nut, I have a question about playing with different golf balls. When I have a difficult golf shot where water is definitely coming into play off the tee, I usually play an older golf ball. My playing partner said that I could not do that. Who is right?

Well the Rules of Golf only specify one specific item in this situation. The golfer must finish each golf hole with the ball he or she started with (unless lost of course). So as long as you are hitting from the tee box, you are fine to substitute an old ball.

The only thing that you might run into is a local rule or a tournament rule that states something different. A lot of golfers do substitute golf balls during a hole. I have seem them tee off with an older ball and use a newer ball to putt with. This is not allowed unless the ball has been declared unfit to play. And that is a whole different can of worms that I won't go into.

I have also heard golfers say that you must play an entire round with the same type of golf balls. I may have missed it, but I haven't found anything in the rules of golf that state this. So continue to do what you have been doing with a clear conscience, you haven't broken any rules.

Good golfing to you and your partner!