Sticky balls

[Marino2112]

A few years ago my wife got a couple sleeves of Volvik Vivid balls (matte finish) at a conference. They were a give away, stamped with some company logo. I just found them in my golf stash and played a few rounds with them. Pretty much right out of the box they were extremely sticky. As in, the surface of the ball was tacky and picked up everything - every grain of sand, cut grass, debris, etc.  Needles to say this made putting an adventure, they were pretty much useless after they landed in a bunker, the dirt zapped a bit of distance, and control was nonexistent. I've played other Volvik balls and matte finish balls from other brands (e.g., Callaway), but have never seen anything like this. Generally, I like the little extra spin I get on short shots from matte balls. Does anyone know what the deal is with the surface material on these balls becoming so tacky? Has this happened to anyone else? The balls were about three years old and were stored indoors (in my home office). Thanks in advance.

Edited September 20, 2023 by Marino2112