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Royal County Down Golf Club, a majestic setting to validate the performance of the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls.1/18
Michael, one of our Royal County Down players, is a Pro V1 loyalist. 2/18
Positive feedback from players like Michael was necessary before the 388 Prototype could advance to production as the new 2023 Pro V1 golf ball.3/18
One of Michael's opponents in the friendly match was Phil, shown here as the group gets their first glimpses of the new prototypes. Phil would play the 388 prototype on the front 9...4/18
...and the 348 prototype on the back 9. After successful results during Validation, the 348 proto would go into production as the new 2023 Pro V1x.5/18
For Reeve, the third member of the foursome, feel is a big consideration in his choice of golf ball. "I want the ball to feel like it’s coming off with a bit of speed and new Pro V1x certainly did that.”6/18
Olivia, the fourth member of our validation group, hits a towering iron approach with her 388 proto. “I tested Pro V1. It felt really nice around the greens and it seemed to last a lot longer than usual - it’s very durable.”7/18
Michael tees off on one of County Down's tricky par-3 holes.8/18
Olivia tees off with the Irish Sea at her back.9/18
Phil leans into a driver.10/18
A beautiful flighted wedge shot from Reeve with his 348 prototype...11/18
...that gave Olivia something to shoot at on the green.12/18
Putting can be challenging on wind-swept links course like Royal County Down, but Olivia struck this putt with deft touch, leaving just a tap-in with her 388 prototype.13/18
Reeve and Phil admire one of several great drives that Olivia would hit on the inward nine.14/18
A striped iron shot from Reeve, who said this about the 348 prototype: "Great launch. Felt like I got plenty of speed off the face. It seemed to go some good distances."
15/18
Olivia on the 16th tee.16/18
Michael and Olivia share some thoughts about the new models as they head home.17/18
Thanks to Reeve, Phil, Olivia and Michael for a memorable experience at Royal County Down!18/18
At this year's Open Championship, more players will tee up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball than all competitor golf balls combined. At Titleist, we take great pride in the trust that professional golfers place in the #1 ball in golf. At golf's most important championships, with golf history on the line, the world's best players consistently choose Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
However, the professional game is not our sole focus at Titleist. The vast majority of golfers who play our products will never post a score at Royal Liverpool (let alone compete there). Dedicated amateur players, and their needs, are every bit as important to us as the players who seek major glory. Our unwavering goal is to make sure that you, just like the tour pros, can have complete trust in your Titleist golf ball when you face your biggest challenges.
This is why we invest so heavily in testing and validating the performance of our golf products with dedicated amateurs. In late 2022, we launched the broadest and most extensive validation effort in our company's history, as we prepared to introduce the new Pro V1 and new Pro V1x golf balls. Validation is the final stage in golf ball product development, a demanding final examination that 2023 Pro V1 and Pro V1x had to pass before we could bring the new models to market in January.
During validation, we supply golfers with what we hope are the final version of new golf ball models. At this point they've gone through hundreds of rounds of tests and numerous refinements and prototype iterations. These late-stage validation prototypes have checked all the boxes as it relates to the original design objectives established by Titleist R&D.
But whether we've truly succeeded or not is not up to us. It's up to you. And thousands of golfers like you. Players at every level of the game – from champions on the worldwide tours, to PGA club professionals, to competitive and aspiring amateurs – they all test these "final" prototypes and decide whether we advance to full-scale production – or head back to the drawing board.
This latest validation effort was a global affair, relying on Titleist teams around the world to reach thousands of golfers wherever the game is played. It was important to know that the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x would perform on all types of golf courses and under any playing conditions. So we were very excited to learn that Titleist UK had organized a validation event at one of the finest golf courses in the world, Royal County Down in Northern Ireland.
Royal County Down overlooks the Irish Sea, on the east coast of Northern Ireland in Newcastle, County Down. The first nine holes were laid out by a Scottish schoolteacher named George Baillie in 1889. Later that year, Old Tom Morris was commissioned to expand the course to 18 holes, which were completed in 1890. Another golf legend, Harry Vardon, made additional modifications to the course in 1908. Just this past year, Golf Digest honored Royal County Down, by putting it the very top of its World’s 100 Greatest Courses rankings (a list which excludes U.S courses).
Huw Hawkins, Creative Content Producer for Titleist UK, organized the Validation event on the Championship Course (Royal County Down also boasts a second 18-hoile layout, the Annesley Links). Here's how Huw described the day:
"It was a 1 PM tee time, overcast weather with sunny spells and a fair breeze. The teams were Olivia and Michael against Reeve and Phil, four-ball format. Olivia had been taking some time away from the game following an intense couple of seasons at college but played superbly using all of her local course knowledge. Olivia and Michael took the lead early-on and never looked back. The breeze calmed down on the back nine for a pleasant walk in. I would say the overall vibe was more friendly than competitive, but maybe that’s an Irish characteristic. Lots of laughs and dry Irish humour."
As you might imagine, spin and the ability to control flight are big concerns in links golf. Both the 388 prototype (Pro V1) and the 348 prototype (Pro V1x) passed the Royal County Down test with flying colors. An interesting characteristic that all all our Irish golfers commented on was the durability of the new models, For example, here's what Michael had to say:
“I was testing the new Pro V1. It felt on the putts a wee bit firmer. For me I want a golf ball that’s going to last and new Pro V1 feels like it will last a long time.”
Huw and team captured some stunning photos throughout the afternoon. Check out the slideshow gallery above for some more insights from our Royal County Down foursome and for some amazing views from a true gem in links golf.
•••
Thanks very much to Huw, Olivia, Michael, Reeve and Phil! And our sincere thanks, too, to Royal County Down Golf Club for their gracious hospitality.
Have you had a chance to experience the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls? Please weigh in and hear what other players from around the world have to say on on our Pro V1 and Pro V1x Validation page.