May 11, 2024
Updated: May 15, 2026
By Alex Collins
In 1932, Phil Young, an amateur golfer and owner of the Acushnet rubber company in New Bedford, Massachusetts, blamed a missed putt on a poorly made golf ball. He had the ball x-rayed and found the core was off-center. That small discovery set off a chain of events that would eventually produce the best-selling golf ball in history.
The first Titleist ball rolled out in 1935. To promote it, Acushnet built a mechanical driving machine they called the "Field Demonstrator" and took it on a national barnstorming tour, cranking 400-yard drives for crowds across the country. By 1939, their ads were boasting 600-yard shots and 400-yard hole-in-ones. Every ball was x-rayed before leaving the factory.
What followed over the next nine decades is a fascinating window into how golf saw itself, how equipment evolved, and how one brand managed to stay on top through all of it. I collected dozens of original Titleist print ads, organized by decade below, with notes on what was happening in the game and the company at the time.
Image: Titleist.com
The Acushnet name was front and center in these early ads, often more prominent than Titleist itself. Beyond Titleist, Acushnet also manufactured three other ball brands at the time: Bedford, Green Ray, and Pinnacle. Pinnacle is still owned by Acushnet today. That Acushnet prominence would gradually fade over the next five decades as Titleist grew into a standalone identity.
Miami Herald (1936)
Life Magazine (1939)
Life Magazine (1939)
Life Magazine (1940)
Collier's Weekly (1946)
Additionally, Titleist's strategy during this period highlighted that the company didn’t pay tour pros to use its balls, a point made clear in ads with phrases like “No one is paid to play Titleist.” This claim was a staple in Titleist advertisements until the early 1970s.
Golf Digest (1955)
San Francisco Examiner (1959)
In 1968, Titleist got a little playful by branding its golf balls as Bandits, a nod to their ability to capture winnings at golf tournaments. This creative approach lasted for two years.
Golf Digest (1960)
Golf Digest (1966)
Golf Digest (1966)
Life Magazine (1968)
Life Magazine (1968)
Golf Digest (1969)
In contrast, Titleist offered the Titleist DT ball, designed with a DuPont Surlyn cover and a wound interior for enhanced durability. This ball lasted significantly longer than the more expensive balata golf balls. The 1970s marked the end of Titleist's black-and-white ads.
While the Acushnet brand became much less prominent, it still maintained a diminished presence in golf ball ads.
Golf Digest (1970)
Golf Digest (1973)
Golf Digest (1977)
Sports Illustrated (1985)
Golf Digest (1989)
In a notable departure from tradition, a 1998 Titleist ad in Sports Illustrated showcased its roster of sponsored tour players for the first time, featuring notable pros (from left to right) Tom Lehman, Davis Love III, Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie, Karie Webb, David Duval, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, and Tiger Woods, who had won his first Masters the previous year. This marked a significant change from the company's decades earlier stance that “no one is paid to play Titleist.”
Golf Digest (1991)
Golf Digest (1996)
Sports Illustrated (1998)
Golf Digest (1999)
In the mid-2000s, Titleist expanded its lineup with the NXT series, accompanied by playful print and TV advertisements featuring comedic actor John Cleese. This marked a return to the brand's cheeky advertising style reminiscent of the late 1960s.
Golf Digest (2001)
Golf Digest (2001)
Golf Digest (2013)
Sports Illustrated (2007)
What's striking looking back through these ads is how consistent the core message stayed. From 1949 onward, the pitch was essentially the same: the best players in the world choose this ball, and you should too. The execution changed with every decade, from the black-and-white technical diagrams of the 1950s to the Bandit branding of the late 1960s to the Tiger-and-friends spread of 1998, but the underlying argument never wavered.
Ninety years in, the Pro V1 is still the most-played ball on the PGA Tour by a wide margin. Phil Young's obsession with a missed putt turned out pretty well.
Spotted an ad I missed, or have a correction? Let me know.
Updated: May 15, 2026
By Alex Collins
In 1932, Phil Young, an amateur golfer and owner of the Acushnet rubber company in New Bedford, Massachusetts, blamed a missed putt on a poorly made golf ball. He had the ball x-rayed and found the core was off-center. That small discovery set off a chain of events that would eventually produce the best-selling golf ball in history.
The first Titleist ball rolled out in 1935. To promote it, Acushnet built a mechanical driving machine they called the "Field Demonstrator" and took it on a national barnstorming tour, cranking 400-yard drives for crowds across the country. By 1939, their ads were boasting 600-yard shots and 400-yard hole-in-ones. Every ball was x-rayed before leaving the factory.
What followed over the next nine decades is a fascinating window into how golf saw itself, how equipment evolved, and how one brand managed to stay on top through all of it. I collected dozens of original Titleist print ads, organized by decade below, with notes on what was happening in the game and the company at the time.
1930s - The origin story
Phil Young didn't work alone. He partnered with Fred Bommer, a rubber specialist, and spent three years developing a ball with a truly uniform, consistent core. When the first Titleist finally launched in 1935, every single ball that left the factory had been x-rayed.The Acushnet name was front and center in these early ads, often more prominent than Titleist itself. Beyond Titleist, Acushnet also manufactured three other ball brands at the time: Bedford, Green Ray, and Pinnacle. Pinnacle is still owned by Acushnet today. That Acushnet prominence would gradually fade over the next five decades as Titleist grew into a standalone identity.
1940s - A unique sales approach
In those days, most golf equipment was sold through department stores, but Titleist chose a different approach by exclusively selling its golf balls through golf course pro shops. This strategy allowed golf professionals to highlight the quality and value of Titleist balls more effectively than department store clerks could. Titleist's marketing consistently emphasized this distinction. Later, in the 1960’s, the specific phrase "Sold thru golf pro shops only” was used everywhere, which remained a part of its advertising until 1980.
1950s - Now the #1 ball on tour
In 1949, Titleist achieved a major milestone when its golf balls were the most played at the US Open at Medinah, marking the first time the company reached this distinction at a major tournament. This accomplishment paved the way for Titleist's advertising to emphasize its popularity among top golfers. As all golfers know, it’s remained a central message in their marketing efforts -- since the 1950s. From 1978 onward, the phrase “#1 ball in golf” was incorporated into the Titleist logo.Additionally, Titleist's strategy during this period highlighted that the company didn’t pay tour pros to use its balls, a point made clear in ads with phrases like “No one is paid to play Titleist.” This claim was a staple in Titleist advertisements until the early 1970s.
1960s
The 1960s brought radical change, and Titleist's marketing adapted... slightly. The brand introduced more vibrant ads and highlighted themes such as superior ball feel (attributed to Acushnet’s “true liquid center”) and lasting gloss (due to scuff-resistant paint). These ads continued to emphasize Titleist as the preferred choice of professional golfers.In 1968, Titleist got a little playful by branding its golf balls as Bandits, a nod to their ability to capture winnings at golf tournaments. This creative approach lasted for two years.
1970s
The brief experiment with the Bandit’s creative branding was short-lived, and Titleist soon returned to its core focus on being the #1 ball in golf and emphasizing its key features. In the 1970s, Balata golf balls gained popularity due to their thin cover that provided high spin and feel, although they were more prone to scuffing and cutting compared to other balls. This seemed at odds with Titleist's reputation for producing durable, high-quality golf balls, so the company created ads to highlight the benefits of balata balls while also explaining their quicker degradation.In contrast, Titleist offered the Titleist DT ball, designed with a DuPont Surlyn cover and a wound interior for enhanced durability. This ball lasted significantly longer than the more expensive balata golf balls. The 1970s marked the end of Titleist's black-and-white ads.
While the Acushnet brand became much less prominent, it still maintained a diminished presence in golf ball ads.
1980s
The Acushnet brand faded from view, now only visible in the copyright text at the bottom of Titleist's ads. Despite this shift, Titleist's marketing remained consistent, emphasizing its reputation for durability and its status as the #1 ball in golf. The company took pride in its 384 dimple design, a point often touted by ball manufacturers as an advancement in performance. However, did dimple patterns ever generate enthusiasm in golfers? Personally, I say no.
1990s
In the early 1990s, Titleist launched the two-piece Titleist HVC ball and emphasized the technical specs in its marketing campaigns. The company touted the ball as the longest and most durable two-piece option available, with a “cuboctahedron” dimple pattern that promoted optimal ball flight. This ball was later succeeded by the HP2 Tour and Distance balls, further focusing on the benefits of two-piece construction.In a notable departure from tradition, a 1998 Titleist ad in Sports Illustrated showcased its roster of sponsored tour players for the first time, featuring notable pros (from left to right) Tom Lehman, Davis Love III, Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie, Karie Webb, David Duval, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, and Tiger Woods, who had won his first Masters the previous year. This marked a significant change from the company's decades earlier stance that “no one is paid to play Titleist.”
2000s
The introduction of the Pro V1 golf ball in October 2000 during the Invensys Classic of Las Vegas marked a seismic shift in the golf industry. The Pro V1 quickly became the preferred choice among tour professionals, and its limited release to stores in 2001 sparked incredibly high demand among golfers. Titleist amplified the buzz with a four-page spread in the April 2001 Golf Digest, highlighting the ball's exceptional distance and Drop-and-Stop performance, accompanied by endorsements from numerous tour pros. This launch set a new standard in the industry. The Pro V1 stands not only as the most successful golf ball ever created, but also as the most successful piece of golf equipment overall. Titleist continues to offer updated versions of the Pro V1, maintaining its dominant position on tour and in the market.In the mid-2000s, Titleist expanded its lineup with the NXT series, accompanied by playful print and TV advertisements featuring comedic actor John Cleese. This marked a return to the brand's cheeky advertising style reminiscent of the late 1960s.
Then and now
Titleist still runs the occasional print ad, but the era of full-page Golf Digest spreads as a primary marketing vehicle is long over. The company's budget today goes toward tour player sponsorships, digital content, and the kind of grassroots presence at pro shops that they actually pioneered back in the 1940s. In a sense, they've come full circle: still selling through golf professionals, still leaning on the credibility of what tour players put in the bag, just doing it through different channels.What's striking looking back through these ads is how consistent the core message stayed. From 1949 onward, the pitch was essentially the same: the best players in the world choose this ball, and you should too. The execution changed with every decade, from the black-and-white technical diagrams of the 1950s to the Bandit branding of the late 1960s to the Tiger-and-friends spread of 1998, but the underlying argument never wavered.
Ninety years in, the Pro V1 is still the most-played ball on the PGA Tour by a wide margin. Phil Young's obsession with a missed putt turned out pretty well.
Spotted an ad I missed, or have a correction? Let me know.