I see a lot of players playing with “scuff marked” and cut golf balls mainly because golf balls are expensive. Tour players replace their golf ball anytime a half a dozen times a round – some players replace the ball every hole. It is a personal preference, but the data doesn’t lie.
A golf ball with a “scuff mark” or tear mark can vary offline by as much as 10 yards over a 100 yard distance. That’s 10% from your target line!
The one piece of equipment that has the opportunity to be consistent from round to round, course to course and year to year is the golf ball you play. I recommend finding a golf ball you like and sticking to it. It will lead to more consistent shots, better scoring and over consistency from round to round.
When there is some damage to the ball, replace it – use that ball as a “shag ball”, which will allow you to have better more consistent practice sessions as well.