Question.....
Did you have any b4 that, that may have had little life left in it.
This is my thinking....
I am down to my last Callaway ball( or any for that matter) and I purchase more. When I start the game I am still using the last 1 b4 the purchased balls, and it only had a few hits left in it. Not thinking about the original last-one left ball , I can see how it would seem that a new ball only lasted a few holes.
Could be way wrong here but just a theory