The Best Golf Balls in 2023

The golf ball is the only piece of equipment that you use in every shot. Most golf balls look pretty much identical. However, all golf balls are engineered and designed to perform differently. 

The construction of the ball affects the height and distance. The cover and number of dimples affects how the golf ball spins when it lands.

Playing a golf ball you find in the woods or while playing may seem like a great idea (and sometimes it is necessary). However, if you are not used to this ball, you may hurt your scores because it spins too much – or not enough!

It may not perform around the greens in the same manner as a ball you are used to.

So before you get out to the course this season, spend some time reviewing this guide to help find the best golf ball for your game.

This advice is great for all golfers – young beginner, experienced, or a senior golfer, be sure you pick the right ball. 

Getting fit for a golf ball is one of the easiest ways to improve your game. At Best Golf Accessories, we try not to give very generic advice – however, we can not recommend this enough.

My Top Pick – Titleist ProV1

The Titlist Pro V1 golf ball is a three piece golf ball that has been a player favorite for years.

The Pro V1 is a lower compression golf ball that offers lower long iron spin and fantastic control around the greens. Through the years Titleist has adjusted the ball to perform just a little different.

When compared to the 2017 Pro V1 – we found that the golf ball has been altered to spin less off the driver and more spin with wedges.

The Pro V1 is a great golf ball for those that high the ball high and would benefit from lowering their spin off of their driver. 

Features

  • Great for golfers with higher ball flights
  • Best ball for low handicap golfers
  • Fantastic design with top notch performance
  • Extremely Durable
  • Best ball overall
  • Premium performance
  • Low spin off long irons and driver, high spin and control with wedges
Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, White, Standard Play Numbers (1-4), One Dozen
  • Extraordinary Distance with Consistent Flight
  • Very Low Long Game Spin and Penetrating Trajectory
  • Drop-and-Stop Short Game Control
  • Very Soft Feel
  • material type: Urethane

Best Golf Balls On The Market

Best Overall

Editors Choice

Best Value

Best For Beginners

Most Underrated Ball

Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, White, Standard Play Numbers (1-4), One Dozen
Srixon Q-Star Tour Golf Balls, White (One Dozen)
Srixon Z-Star 6 Pure White Golf Balls (One Dozen)
TaylorMade Project (a) Golf Balls, White (One Dozen), Large
Callaway Golf Chrome Soft Golf Balls, (One Dozen), White (Prior Generation)
Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, White, Standard Play Numbers (1-4), One Dozen
Srixon Q-Star Tour Golf Balls, White (One Dozen)
Srixon Z-Star 6 Pure White Golf Balls (One Dozen)
TaylorMade Project (a) Golf Balls, White (One Dozen), Large
Callaway Golf Chrome Soft Golf Balls, (One Dozen), White (Prior Generation)

Best Overall

Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, White, Standard Play Numbers (1-4), One Dozen
Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, White, Standard Play Numbers (1-4), One Dozen

Editors Choice

Srixon Q-Star Tour Golf Balls, White (One Dozen)
Srixon Q-Star Tour Golf Balls, White (One Dozen)

Best Value

Srixon Z-Star 6 Pure White Golf Balls (One Dozen)
Srixon Z-Star 6 Pure White Golf Balls (One Dozen)

Best For Beginners

TaylorMade Project (a) Golf Balls, White (One Dozen), Large
TaylorMade Project (a) Golf Balls, White (One Dozen), Large

Most Underrated Ball

Callaway Golf Chrome Soft Golf Balls, (One Dozen), White (Prior Generation)
Callaway Golf Chrome Soft Golf Balls, (One Dozen), White (Prior Generation)

Titleist ProV1

Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, White, Standard Play Numbers (1-4), One Dozen
  • Extraordinary Distance with Consistent Flight
  • Very Low Long Game Spin and Penetrating Trajectory
  • Drop-and-Stop Short Game Control
  • Very Soft Feel
  • material type: Urethane

The Titlist Pro V1 golf ball is a three piece golf ball that has been a player favorite for years. The Pro V1 is a lower compression golf ball that offers lower long iron spin and fantastic control around the greens.

Through the years Titleist has adjusted the ball to perform just a little different. When compared to the 2017 Pro V1 – we found that the golf ball has been altered to spin less off the driver and more spin with wedges.

The Pro V1 is a great golf ball for those that high the ball high and would benefit from lowering their spin off of their driver. 

Pros

  • Great for golfers with higher ball flights.
  • Best ball for low handicap golfers
  • Fantastic design with top notch performance.

Cons

  • $50 per box is expensive​

Titleist ProV1x

Titleist Pro V1x Golf Balls, White, Standard Play Numbers (1-4), One Dozen
  • Extraordinary distance with consistent flight
  • Very low long game spin and penetrating trajectory
  • Drop-and-stop short game control
  • The Package Weight Of The Product Is 36 Pounds

The Titleist Pro V1x is on the opposite end of the spectrum when compared to the Pro V1. The Pro V1x is a four piece ball that offers higher spin and launch than the Pro V1.

A lot of higher handicap players enjoy the Pro V1x over the Pro V1.

It is easy to get caught on the fact that the Pro V1x needs more compression, however, in the end the ball is designed to spin more. The added spin is designed to give some forgiveness to players when hitting longer irons/longer clubs.

Golfers with higher swing speeds may not enjoy the V1x as the added spin may cause some of their shots to balloon from the spin. 

This golf ball is designed to be durable and last more than one round of golf. In our tests, a single golf ball was strong enough to last two full rounds without any issues.

We did notice the feel of the golf ball became a little more “stale”, however, this did not affect the performance.

We ended up losing the test ball during the third round.

When I was playing, I did notice a difference in the way the ball grabbed the green on the third round. The other factors of the ball were still fine. Distance and control seemed to be consistent the entire time.

Our one gripe with this ball is how expensive it is.

Pros

  • Best ball for control around the greens
  • Great for golfers with lower ball flight
  • Fantastic feel on all shots

Cons

  • $50 per box is expensive​

TaylorMade TP5

TaylorMade TP5 Golf Balls (One Dozen), White, Large
  • Country Of Origin : China
  • The package height of the product is 2 inches
  • The package length of the product is 10.5 inches
  • The package width of the product is 3.5 inches

The TaylorMade TP5 golf ball is the softer version of the two TP5 golf balls. This ball is designed to have a slightly higher ball flight while offering exceptional spin and control around the green.

The 5 in TP5 is the number of layers that make up this ball. There are three layers on the core and two layers on the cover.

These added layers are designed to add spin and distance for each club. When we were testing we loved the added spin we had on shots around the green.

The TP5 felt great and reacted really well when I wanted to stop the ball or pull the ball back a touch.

Off the tee, the TP5 was LONG, but it was more difficult to control my draws and fades. After some time of playing the ball I was able to get more of a feel of how to control the shaping of my shots with this golf ball.

This ball offered a lot more distance than my current gamer (Z – Star). I was hitting the ball about 4 yards further on average with my irons and 8 yards longer with my driver.

The feel off the putter was a little dull – it didn’t really “spring” off the putter face. This is not a criticism, just an observation.

In the end, this golf ball is great for golfers that are more experienced and understand how to control their shot shaping.

Pros

  • Added distance
  • Fantastic spin off wedge shots

Cons

  • More difficult to control shot shapes

TaylorMade TP5x

TaylorMade TP5x Golf Balls (One Dozen), White
  • Country Of Origin : China
  • The Package Height Of The Product Is 2 Inches
  • The Package Length Of The Product Is 10.5 Inches
  • The Package Width Of The Product Is 3.5 Inches

The TaylorMade TP5x golf ball lives up to the hype. This 5 piece golf ball that is very different than the TP5. To start the TP5x is designed to give more distance to golfers.

They do this by designing the ball to spin less off of the driver and iron shots.

The TP5x is a harder golf ball and will provide more feedback on each shot. The TP5x is extremely durable and was able to last about two rounds when we tested.

We believe this ball is designed for the golfers that are wanting to play a premium golf ball and see the benefits of added spin and control around the greens while not sacrificing distance off of the tee.

The TP5x is engineered for mid to lower handicap golfers. That doesn’t mean that higher handicap golfers can’t play this ball.

We believe in getting fitted to find the best golf ball for your game.

Pros

  • Great spin around the greens
  • A little cheaper than other premium golf balls
  • Less spin than the TP5 – great for mid-handicap golfers

Cons

  • The ball was harder to compress than some of other balls we tested.
  • This ball spins more than most balls – this may hurt some golfers games.

Titleist AVX

Titleist AVX Golf Balls, Yellow (One Dozen)
  • Remarkable Distance and Penetrating Flight
  • Very Low Long Game and Iron Spin
  • Exceptionally Soft Feel
  • Premium Scoring Control

The Titleist AVX is a premium golf ball that is designed to offer a soft feel and fantastic distance. The name AVX is an abbreviation of ‘Alternative to Pro V1 or Pro V1x’.

This ball is engineered to have a lower ball flight and spin less when compared to the Pro V1 and Pro V1x.

This ball does just that – if you struggle with a high ball fight that is difficult to control because of the spin, this ball may be perfect for you. While this ball is designed to spin less overall, that doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice spin around the green with wedge shots.

This ball has a urethane cover that provides tour level performance in your short game to give you the control that you may lose when playing some other lower spin golf balls.

This ball is great for higher handicap golfers that need more distance off of each club while still wanting to have great spin and control around the greens. 

We believe this is the best overall golf ball for high handicap golfers in 2022.

Pros

  • Soft feel and exceptional distance
  • Great spin around the greens
  • Fantastic price point

Cons

  • None

Srixon Z-Star

Sale
Srixon Z-Star 6 Pure White Golf Balls (One Dozen)
  • Must buy 2 or 4 dozen for special Father's Day promotion
  • NEW 4th Generation Spin Skin with SeRMA coating with flexible molecular bonds digs deep into wedge and iron grooves, maximizing spin for more control and more stopping power.
  • 338 Speed Dimple Patternless drag and more lift boosts overall distance and flies straight, even in the toughest wind conditions.
  • 3 piece golf ball with a 90 compression.

The Srixon Z Star our favorite golf ball on the market for most every golfer, thanks to its macromolecule Slide–Ring (SeRM) technology.

The cover of the ball sits a little different and uses a move-able “cross–link”, this helps the ball’s shape return better than traditional balls and adds forgiveness and distance without spiking the spin. 

It also means this golf ball can take more damage and scuffing on the course. Srixon have designed the ball to take impact  better and be more scuff resistant . All of their efforts have produced a golf ball that absorbs vibrations better. All of these factors work together to give you a ball that’s really consistant around the greens without losing distance off the tee. 

Since these balls are designed to last longer you will notice a difference on your wallet. Assuming you aren’t like our writers and lose them in the rough.

Pros

  • Most Durable Ball
  • One of the best distance balls for the price

Cons

  • Advanced golfers are not very impressed with the spin on this ball.

Srixon Q-Star Tour

Srixon Q-Star Tour Golf Balls, White (One Dozen)
  • Must buy 2 or 4 dozen for special Father's Day promotion
  • Tour Urethane Cover A soft, thin urethane cover provides tour-caliber greenside spin for total control.
  • Energetic Gradient Growth Core Advanced core construction promotes seamless energy transfer to maximize distance and optimize ball performance on every shot.
  • 338 Aerodynamic Speed Dimple Pattern Optimal dimple design reduces drag and increases lift for maximum distance and a more stable, penetrating flight in any wind conditions.

The Srixon Q-Star tour golf ball is a three piece urethane golf ball that is designed to give players added spin and control around the green while also offering a ball that is long and straight off of the tee.

The Q-star tour does just that!

This easy to compress golf ball was one of our favorites that we tested. We think this is the best value golf ball for mid and high handicap golfers. 

The Q-Star Tour was able to produce a lot of speed and distance across all clubs. When compared to a Pro V1x, we were seeing that the lower spin of the Q-Star Tour produced three extra yards on almost all shots. T

he decreased spin also made it easier to keep the ball going in one direction when hit. While this may turn off some lower handicap golfers, because they will not be able to control the shot shape as much – we think this is a benefit to most higher handicap golfers.

One of our favorite things about this ball was the amount of spin and control this ball offered out of the rough and off of the green. It was easy to make the ball hold on the green and offered a lot of control when we tried to make the ball spin and grab more.

In conclusion, this ball is great for any golfers and would be a great ball to consider when playing in cold weather or windy/poor conditions.

Pros

  • Best value
  • Great control around the greens
  • Easy to hit straight

Cons

  • Some golfers may struggle to shot shape with this ball

TaylorMade Project (a)

TaylorMade Project (a) Golf Balls, White (One Dozen), Large
  • Dual distance core: Larger and softer 2 layer core
  • 322 seamless cast urethane cover
  • Low drag aerodynamic design
  • Tour level greenside spin

The TaylorMade Project (a) is one of our favorite golf balls for higher handicap golfers and golfers with a slower swing speed. Thanks to a urethane cover, the Project (a) golf ball has one of the softest feeling covers that we tested.

This ball is easy to compress and still offers a lot of the benefits that come along with the TP5 and TP5x. The Project (a) spins like a premium golf ball around the greens.

We found no issue getting the ball to stop and hold on full wedge shots. Whenever we were hitting long irons and drivers with this ball, we found that it was easy to shape shots.

Playing a draw and fade felt as normal as the ball I currently game (Z-star). This was eye opening to me as I was expecting this ball to perform more like most low compression balls – easy to hit straight, hard to maneuver in the air.

This ball was a fantastic sweet spot of control, spin and forgiveness without over spinning.

At $35 per dozen, we encourage everyone to give these golf balls a shot. The balls were durable and lasted two rounds easily. 

Pros

  • Great spin around the green
  • Low spin off long irons and driver shots.
  • Great for High handicap golfers

Cons

  • None

Callaway Chrome Soft

Callaway Golf Chrome Soft Golf Balls, (One Dozen), White (Prior Generation)
  • Fast ball speeds & low spin off the driver
  • Distance & control through the bag
  • Pinpoint greenside control
  • Ultra soft feel
  • Forgiveness

The Callaway Chrome Soft is a fan favorite. This ball features a soft inner core and provides plenty of distance off the tee with superb performance around the greens. The Chrome Soft is a mid-spin ball and is targeted at mid and high handicap golfers.

By offering a softer ball, the balance of spin, compression and lower trajectory really help golfer that struggle to hit the ball straight.

Softer golf balls such as the Chrome Soft are sometimes criticized around the greens for not spinning enough to hold on fast greens.

We found that this ball was just okay when it came to spin. The ball was not the best a spinning back when we were trying to pull wedge shots back – however, it was very consistent in the way it reacted whenever hit.

With other higher spinning golf balls, we found that they were more inconsistent in how much the ball would spin backwards. The Chrome Soft wouldn’t spin as much as we wanted – but it would stop on a dime very frequently.

In the end, consistency is key in this game. 

Pros

  • Extremely consistent
  • Great feel off the tee

Cons

  • Somewhat hard to shot shape

Callaway Chrome Soft X

Chrome Soft X Triple Track Golf Balls (One Dozen)
  • Chrome Soft X Triple Track Golf Balls combine Tour-proven distance and performance, unparalleled feel, exceptional miss-hit forgiveness, a Graphene Dual Soft Fast Core and our new Triple Track Technology.
  • Triple Track uses Vernier Hyper Acuity to improve alignment, for better putter putting accuracy compared to a regular side stamp alignment aid.
  • The Graphene-infused Dual Soft Fast Core with a new, larger inner core maximizes compression energy while minimizing driver-spin and promoting high launch for long distance.
  • Premium dual-core construction promotes more distance off of your longer clubs, and more control off of mid-irons, short-irons and wedges.
  • Thin ultra-soft Tour Urethane Cover feels fantastic and generates shot-controlling, stroke-saving spin on pitches and chips.

The Callaway Chrome Soft X is a golf ball designed for higher swing speed players that need more spin and feel around the greens.

Golfers that struggle with a slice or hook won’t find it easier to eliminate those shots when using this ball.

This high compression golf ball offers more speed to those that can actually compress the ball. This golf ball will have a higher ball flight than the Chrome Soft and will be a lot easier to shape shots with.

Just like the Chrome Soft – the feel off each club face was soft and felt fantastic. I really noticed the extra spin off the first few shots.

Controlling my draw became much more of a challenge.

However, after playing with the ball for a few holes – I really did enjoy the ease and maneuverability I had when hitting the ball.

The spin around the greens was amazing. I felt really confident when hitting full wedge shots into the green and was able to pull the shots back without any trouble.

From a personal perspective – I think this ball spins a little too much for my taste, however, I do want to play a few more rounds with it to give it more of a chance to make me switch.

The distance off the tee was superb and the durability of the ball was almost unmatched. This could be the new ball I use in 2022. 

Pros

  • Unmatched durability
  • Amazing distance off the tee and long irons
  • Wedge shots were easy to control and very consistent

Cons

  • Somewhat hard to compress and really get the value out of this ball.

Frequently Asked Questions About Golf Balls

Which brand of golf ball goes the farthest?

Titleist golf balls produce the longest golf ball line. The Pro V1x and AVX are some of the longest golf balls that we have tested by an average of +/- 3 yards. While that is our opinion, distance relies a lot on the swing of a golfer and vary’s between each player and each shot. 

Which golf balls are the best?

We found that the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x are the best overall golf ball based on performance. They are the most popular balls used on the PGA tour and the performance of the ball shows. While we think not everyone needs to be gaming one of these balls – using these balls is rarely going to “hurt” your game.

How do dimples make the difference?​

Dimples allow air to flow more smoothly around a ball’s surface, which decreases the wake and low-pressure area behind the ball, resulting in less drag. Dimples also increase lift by causing the air to move faster at the top of the ball, creating lower pressure there. Golf balls with more dimples typically spin more because they have more pressure adding to the spin. 

How many balls can pro golfers carry?

Under the Rules of Golf, a golfer is allowed carry as many golf balls as they please. Tour pros are not exempt from this – they can carry as many golf balls as they’re willing to carry around themselves or their caddie is willing to lug around for them. We found that most PGA Tour players carry around nine golf balls in their bag per round. Rory McIlroy once said “if I lose more than that(golf balls), I think I have bigger issues than being disqualified from the tournament.”

Do pro golfers use a new ball on each hole?

No, PGA tour players do not use a new ball on every hole. Typically golfers will change balls every 9 – 12 holes, depending on how the ball is looking. If there are any scuffs or scratches – they switch right away. If there is nothing wrong with the ball, they will play one ball the entire round.

Can pros use colored golf balls?

In professional golf tournaments, the USGA doesn’t restrict the color of golf ball you can use. However, they do restrict changing the color of the golf ball in the middle of a round. If they lose their original ball in tournament play – a player is require to use the same color and type of golf ball that they lost. 

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Last update on 2024-11-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API