(In technical terms it is called an ’inelastic collision’.) Having less energy, the ball doesn’t bounce as high. LeeH That answer works well for a nice bouncy tennis ball. A very non-bouncy ball, say a lump of clay, will bounce better on some soft surface like a trampoline than on a hard surface like concrete. read more
Balls, including ping pong balls, bounce after they hit a solid surface because an equal and opposite force from the surface pushes them back upward. Ping pong balls have a tendency to bounce well because they're made out of a plastic material that is especially stiff and springy. read more
Since the golf ball is "stiffer" than the ping pong ball, the stresses travel faster through the golf ball and the time the golf ball spends on the ground will be less than the ping pong ball. This is the primary cause for the balls bouncing at different frequencies during a low bounce. read more