Even experienced golfers can struggle to find the best golf balls that will give the perfect flight and distance, and help lower their handicap. Of course, every player has their own preferences and some don’t even know exactly what they want from a ball yet. Luckily, we’re here with the information you need to select the best golf balls to fit your personal requirements.
We reviewed dozens of golf balls to identify the best of the best. We considered a range of factors, including softness, distance, core construction, ease of control, and average customer reviews.
Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls are our favorite golf balls overall. They’re of tour quality and are available in standard numbers and high numbers. They have a low spin on the long game and plenty of short game control.
In This Article
The 5 Top-Rated Golf Balls
| Editor's Picks | Brand | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Golf Balls Overall | Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls | 4.9 |
| Best Straight Distance Golf Balls | Callaway Golf Supersoft Golf Balls | 4.8 |
| Best Budget Golf Balls | Nitro Maximum Distance Golf Ball | 4.6 |
| Best Tour Golf Balls | Vice Golf Tour Golf Balls | 4.5 |
| Best Soft Distance Golf Balls | Callaway Golf ERC Soft Triple Track Golf Balls | 4.8 |
*Ratings are from Amazon at the time of publication and can change.
Best Golf Balls Overall: Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls
Look no further than Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls for some of the very best golf balls available. Of course, all golfers have their own preferences, so they might not be perfect for everyone, but if you want to pack some exceptional golf balls into your golf bag, these are a fine choice. They have a very soft feel, which helps them go longer and straighter with little spin on the long game. The thinner-than-average cover, however, helps add additional spin and speed on short-game shots and approach shots.
You can choose between low numbers on plain white balls, high numbers on plain white balls, low numbers in pink on white balls, and low numbers on yellow balls. If you’re still figuring things out in relation to golf, these numbers are simply used to help identify your ball when playing with others, so they won’t make a difference to your game, though the bright yellow ball does have increased visibility. We love the combination of a long, consistent flight and short game control on these golf balls, which can certainly help golfers lower their scores. These balls are, however, on the pricey side, costing around $50 for 12 balls.
Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls Key Features:
- Larger casing layer improves long distance game
- Drop-and-Stop short game control
- Extra soft feel
Best Straight Distance Golf Balls: Callaway Golf Supersoft Golf Balls
The softest of all Callaway balls, Callaway Golf Supersoft Golf Balls are long, straight distance balls that are perfect for hitting far across the green. The HEX Aerodynamics reduces drag and enhances lift for longer distance shots. The softer cover formulation has low compression which helps with control, especially on the short game. The two-piece construction helps make them extremely forgiving, even for those new to golfing.
You can choose from six colors, either white, green, yellow, pink, red, or orange. The brighter colors offer better visibility, so you can easily spot your ball, plus it makes it easier to distinguish which is yours when you’re playing with others. The downside is that the color will wear off over time. Not only are Callaway Golf Supersoft Golf Balls fast and accurate, but they’re also reasonably priced for their quality, with a dozen setting you back $23.
Callaway Golf Supersoft Golf Balls Key Features:
- Excellent soft feel
- Great for straight distance shots but also well-controlled on the short game
- Low air resistance and impressive lift
Best Budget Golf Balls: Nitro Maximum Distance Golf Balls
You can’t expect Nitro Maximum Distance Golf Balls to perform as well as pro tour balls, but for the price you pay, these are solid golf balls that shouldn’t be overlooked. The titanium core is super reactive and gives you excellent energy transfer from your club to the ball, helping to get a good distance on your swings. The cover layer is virtually indestructible, so you can expect these balls to last a long time (assuming you don’t lose them). The symmetrical dimple design reduces drag and improves lift to help these balls go further.
If you’re looking for soft golf balls, you should choose an alternative, but if you want balls that fly high and far for a low price, you should certainly consider Nitro Maximum Distance Golf Balls. They cost around $8 for 12, so they’re certainly worth trying and if you don’t like them, you haven’t wasted much cash.
Nitro Maximum Distance Golf Balls Key Features:
- Aerodynamic design for good lift and flight
- USGA approved
- Available in either yellow or white
Best Tour Golf Balls: Vice Golf Tour Golf Balls
If you’re looking for tour golf balls that don’t cost the earth, consider Vice Golf Tour Golf Balls. They’re quality balls with three-piece construction for a balanced feel that are great for players of all levels. The thin yet durable DuPont™ Surlyn© cover gives the ball a soft feel without compromising durability. The inner two layers help balance unnecessary spin on the long game while giving the ball ample speed. Not only do these balls fly far, they’re great over the short game, too, with a “Keep-in-Line” putting line to help meet your putting needs.
The increased number of dimples helps with aerodynamics and lets these balls fly high and go far while retaining stability. You can buy a standard set of a dozen white balls for around $25 or special edition New York Knicks or Golden State Warriors NBA balls for $32.
Vice Golf Tour Golf Balls Key Features:
- Optimized resistance to crosswinds helps keep your ball on course
- High energy core improves your long game
- Stable, consistent flight
Best Soft Distance Golf Balls: Callaway Golf ERC Soft Triple Track Golf Balls
The hybrid cover of Callaway Golf ERC Soft Triple Track Golf Balls gives you an incredibly soft feel, faster speeds, high spin for control, and impressive distance. The Dual Soft Fast Core promotes a high launch and gives you tons of compression energy while minimizing driver spin, all of which combines for an excellent long distance ball. These balls also use Triple Track Technology for better alignment.
What’s great about these balls is that they’re Callaway’s longest balls, but they’re also excellent for increased control around the green, making them extremely versatile for most playing styles. Choose between either standard white or yellow for better visibility (especially useful if your ball often ends up in the rough). A dozen of these balls costs $35.
Callaway Golf ERC Soft Triple Track Golf Balls Key Features:
- Exceptionally straight flight over distance
- Soft feel both for putting and distance drives
- Impressive grapheme-infused Dual Soft Fast Core
Who Should Buy Golf Balls
Anyone who plays golf will need to buy golf balls. Without balls, the game of golf would simply entail swinging your clubs through the air, which certainly isn’t as satisfying! It’s important you have enough balls to keep you going if you lose one during the game. The rules of golf do allow you to borrow balls from your golfing partner should you run out, but in a one-ball game, the borrowed ball would need to be of the exact same make and model that you were using, and it isn’t especially likely that your partner will be using the same balls as you.
Important Features to Consider
A golf ball should have a few important features. Here’s what to consider when selecting a golf ball:
- Feel. Golf balls can have either a soft feel or a hard feel off the club. Traditionally, soft balls didn’t go as far or as fast as hard balls, but were more forgiving and easier to control. However, newer technology means soft balls can rival hard balls in terms of speed and distance, without sacrificing control. Some balls can feel hard when hitting off the driver, yet soft when putting due to differences in club velocity.
- Distance. Some golf balls are good distance balls, suitable for driving far across the course, whereas others are more suited to sort game play. You can also find versatile balls that work well for both.
- Construction. Golf balls can be solid one-piece balls or have multi-layered construction, up to five pieces. More layers generally offer greater performance benefits in terms of distance, energy transfer, and control. However, the most advanced balls can be less forgiving of off-center hits than those with simpler construction.
- Spin. Some golfers prefer high-spin balls but spin certainly isn’t everything. As long as you can get good distance from your ball, we wouldn’t worry too much about spin.
- Flight. Golf balls can either be designed for straight flight or for workable flight to the left or right. It’s more likely that you’ll need straight distance balls, but experienced players may like some workable balls in their arsenal, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all golf balls the same?
Golf balls might all look extremely similar, but they’re not all the same. Depending on the construction and materials used, you can get very different results from each ball, so it’s important to choose one that works for you.
Does the golf ball you use matter?
Yes, absolutely. As we mentioned above, all golf balls are slightly different, and therefore, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. If you use a high-end golf ball designed for distance shots, you might add an extra 15 or 20 yards to your drive compared to using a basic ball under the same conditions. As such, you should consider which ball you choose for various shots or, if playing in a one-ball game, select a good all-rounder.
Do hard or soft golf balls go further?
If you have a fast swing, you’ll generally find that hard balls go further, but they lack in accuracy compared to soft balls, which is detrimental to novice players. Newer ball technology means that soft balls can get some impressive distance, as well.
What are the best golf balls for high handicappers?
High handicappers should choose balls that offer maximum distance with a straight flight. Soft balls tend to be more accurate and forgiving compared to hard balls, which is useful for players with high handicaps. If you’re looking to improve your handicap, you might also want to check out our list of the best golf rangefinders.
Other Golf Balls We Reviewed
We looked at 20 other golf balls. Even though they didn’t make our 5 best golf balls list, they’re the best of the rest and each is still a great option. The information you’ll need to compare each one is included with the listing.
Tour Golf Balls
Bridgestone Golf Tour B RX Golf Balls
Thanks to the Gradational Compression core, these balls offer impressive distance and forgiveness. Choose between white and yellow.
Key Features:
- Enhanced aerodynamics from dual dimple technology
- Consistent flight
- Reduced drag
Cost: $25 to $35
TaylorMade Project (a) Golf Balls
Excellent tour quality golf balls with a seamless cover to reduce drag and improve distance, with tour-level greenside spin.
Key Features:
- Yellow or white balls on offer
- Large, soft dual-core
- Aerodynamic dimple placement
Cost: $30 to $37
The patterned design makes these balls easy to tell apart from those of the other people you’re playing with, but they perform excellently too.
Key Features:
- Graphics offer spin feedback
- Five-layer construction
- Extremely fast
Cost: $30
Excellent tour quality golf balls with a soft feel for impressive distance, as well as decent shot game control.
Key Features:
- Accurate, consistent flight
- Penetrating trajectory
- White or yellow options
Cost: $30
These balls are optimized for distance with a stable trajectory and a high energy core for increased speed.
Key Features:
- Impressive spin rates from the S2TG technology
- Excellent green-grabbing control
- Available in white, yellow, or red
Soft Feel Golf Balls
Bridgestone 2019 e6 Golf Balls
Soft golf balls that are made for distance with aerodynamic designs to increase lift and reduce drag.
Key Features:
- Consistent flight
- White or yellow balls
- Impressive control
Cost: $22
Callaway Golf Chrome Soft Truvis Golf Balls
These high-quality soft balls have fast speeds with a low spin off the driver and are available in several patterned designs to track spin and improve visibility.
Key Features:
- Excellent control
- Ultra-soft feel
- Forgiving of off-center hits
Cost: $35 to $50
Callaway Chrome Soft X Triple Track Golf Balls
Thanks to these balls’ triple track design, you get improved alignment, plus they have high energy graphene-infused cores for speed and distance.
Key Features:
- Excellent distance and performance
- Impressive spin
- Very soft feel
Cost: $35
TaylorMade Noodle Neon Matte Color Golf Balls
Available in a range of matte colors, these might not be the best balls out there, but they have a pleasantly soft feel and straight flight.
Key Features:
- Colored with non-fade paint
- Impact propulsion core
- Great feel
Cost: $15
Titleist DT TruSoft Golf Balls
The softest compression golf ball available from Titleist, this one has an impressively long distance for such a soft ball.
Key Features:
- Great flight thanks to reduced long game spin
- Excellent short game stopping power
- Low compression core
Cost: $24 to $28
Similar to our top pick, but these are slightly softer with a lower flight and decreased iron spin.
Key Features:
- Excellent distance
- Penetrating trajectory
- Great short game control
Distance Golf Balls
With distance as their primary concern, these balls use Callaway’s HEX Aerodynamics for less drag, and more speed and hang time.
Key Features:
- Extra-large high energy core
- Thin cover with moderate feel
- Highly forgiving
Cost: $17
Kaede Max 2 Tone Colored Distance Golf Balls
The innovative design of these golf balls deflects airflow at an angle, which reduces drag by up to 18% and ultimately increases distance. Plus, they look great.
Key Features:
- Straight flight
- Conforms to R&A and USGA rules
- Large core for good energy transfer
Cost: $50
These balls offer incredible straight distance performance thanks to the core delivered the highest USGA-permitted initial velocity.
Key Features:
- Low driver spin
- Excellent control
- Soft feel
Cost: $35
Taylor Made 2018 Noodle Easy Distance Golf Balls
Inexpensive golf balls that provide a surprisingly good distance game. The impact propulsion core carries them further.
Key Features:
- Dimple layout enhances straight flight
- Soft yet durable cover
- Increase spin around the green
Cost: $15
Top-Flite 2019 XL Distance Golf Balls
At such a low price point, they won’t rival top brands, but these are great distance balls for players on a budget or when you’re just golfing for fun and don’t want to use your best balls.
Key Features:
- Two-piece construction
- Highly resilient core
- High, fast launch
Cost: $11
Wilson Prime Distance Golf Balls
With a high energy core and specially designed cover, these balls help you attain maximum distance from the tee to the green.
Key Features:
- Great value pack of 36 balls
- Soft feel
- Simple pattern reduces spin
Cost: $28
Wilson Smart-Core Straight Distance Double Dozen Golf Balls
These high-performance balls are great for long-distance drives, with a straight, consistent flight.
Key Features:
- Firm response off the driver for increased distance
- Soft feel for the short game
- Two-piece construction
Other Golf Balls
Callaway Golf Superhot Bold Matte Golf Balls
Thanks to the high energy core, you get decent distance shots pared with increase spin and exceptional control for your short game.
Key Features:
- Several high-visibility color options
- Strong, consistent flight
- Soft cover
Cost: $23 to $25
Volvik Vivid Matte Finished Colored Golf Balls
Available in a range of colors, these balls are easier to spot than standard white golf balls, plus you won’t get them confused with your playing partners’ balls.
Key Features:
- Three-piece construction
- Accurate short game control
- Less glare than other bright balls
Cost: $24 to $28
