Best Golf Balls 2023: How to Choose the Best Golf Ball for Your Game
Trying to find the best golf balls for your game can be a nightmare. There are hundreds of golf ball reviews out there that all say different things, and let’s face it, for most golfers you can barely tell the difference between a ProV1 and a Top Flite.
Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s true that choosing a golf ball can be a bit of a shot in the dark for most people.
The goal of this post is to help take some of the mystery out of finding the right golf ball, and to help you find the best ball for your skill level, swing style, and budget.
Table of Contents
Best Golf Balls: What to Look For?
We’ll start out by saying that there’s no such thing as a “best golf ball”. Because everyone is going to have different needs and preferences.
The best ball for a 70-year-old senior is obviously going to be different than the best golf ball for a scratch golfer, or a beginner.
And do you really need to spend $50 or more on a box of golf balls??
Probably not.
When choosing the best golf ball, we recommend you look at two different things:
- Skill Level/Swing Speed
- Budget
Why are these important?
Because if you don’t take those into consideration when choosing the best golf ball for your game, you could be leaving a lot on the table.
Golf is hard enough, your golf ball shouldn’t make it more difficult on you.
#1) How to Choose a Golf Ball for Your Swing Speed and Skill Level
Generally higher handicap and beginning golfers are going to want a two-piece golf ball. This is going to have a larger core which will help maximize distance and reduce spin.
Reducing spin is key, because let’s say you’re like most high handicappers and tend to have a big slice or hook – well the more spin the ball has, the more movement it’s going to have laterally, making it more likely to send the ball out of bounds.
Better golfers are going to want a multi-layer ball that will help give you better feel, and the thinner exterior will help give you more spin – but also reduce durability in the process.
Low compression balls will add distance for slower swing speeds, while high compression balls will enhance feel and control for better golfers.
#2) What’s Your Budget?
Let’s face it, golf is an expensive sport – and it can be even more expensive if you’re losing two sleeves of balls every time you play. And it’s not like we’re all rolling in money – so finding a ball that fits your wallet, is just as important as finding one that fits your game.
And if you’re a scratch golfer, but also broke? Just head down to the OB at your local country club and stock up on all those ProV1s lost in the woods 🙂
So with all of that said, what are the best golf balls on the market in 2023?
We’ve broken them down by category to try and help you decide once and for all what the best golf ball is for your game.
The Very Best Golf Ball on the Market: Titleist Pro V1
Let’s face it, the Titelist ProV1 is the world’s most well-known golf ball for a reason: it’s really, really good. It’s been perfected over years, and there are more tour pros playing ProV1s than any other ball – by a long shot.
But at upwards of $60 a dozen retail? They aren’t cheap.
So if budget isn’t an issue, and you want the ball that 95% of the golfing public truly recognizes as the best? Then buy your Titleist ProV1 or ProV1x and never look back – if it’s good enough for the pros, it’s good enough for you.
I’m a 10 handicap, and this is what I personally use. They really do feel the best, although at 30% cheaper the Vice I mentioned below get awfully close.
- Price: $60/dozen (but cheaper on Amazon or if you buy last gens).
- Where Can You Buy: Buy Titlelist ProV1. Buy Titleslist ProV1x.
- Solid Alternative: Taylormade TP5. In our TP5 review we liked them as much as the Titlelist, and they’re less money. But you lack the cache of the more well-known ball.
There's a reason the ProV1 and ProV1x are the most well-known balls in golf, they're just that good. Not much more you need to say here. If they're in your budget? Buy em.
Best Golf Ball for Most People: Vice Pro Plus
In our reviews, we’ve found the Vice Pro Plus to be the best combination of performance and price on the market today. They only sell their balls online and don’t spend a ton of money on marketing, so they’re able to keep the price of their balls lower than all of their major competitors.
In our review we found the ball to perform almost as good as the ProV1, but doing so at up to 50% of the price.
The Vice Golf Ball is perfect for low handicappers on a budget, or for mid handicappers that are looking to move up to a Tour Level ball, without the Tour Level Prices.
- Price: $35/dozen (but cheaper if you buy in bulk).
- Our Rating: 9.6 (Our Highest Ball Rating Ever)
- Review: Is the Vice Pro Plus Better than ProV1?
- Where Can You Buy: Buy Vice Golf Balls on Amazon Here
- Solid Alternative: OnCore Elixr – Similar brand strategy as the Vice, going direct to consumer.
I get asked a lot about what golf balls I play. Most of the time? I play Vice Pro Plus. I certainly like ProV1s, but at a fraction of the price? I think these are just as good.
Best Golf Balls for Beginners: Noodle Golf Balls
I’ve gotten a lot of flack from golfing friends for ever playing a Noodle golf ball as a (formerly) single-digit handicap.
But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Like when you head down to TPC Sawgrass and you’re too cheap to pay the ridiculous prices on golf balls they charge – so you buy a box of Noodles.
And then surprisingly, you actually enjoy them!
After multiple rounds, I’m convinced that the Noodle is the best cheap golf ball for beginners. You won’t find a better beginner’s golf ball for a better value.
- Price: $22/TWO dozen.
- Our Rating: 8.4
- Our Review: Noodle Golf Ball Review: The Best Cheap Golf Ball
- Where Can You Buy: You can buy Noodle Golf Balls on Amazon Here.
- Solid Alternative: Wilson Smart Core Golf Ball
I was surprised by how good these balls were. Now, it's all relative, they're no Tour-level ball. But at this price, for the average golfer who isn't a single-digit handicap, these will serve you just fine.
Best Cheap Golf Balls: Noodle Golf Balls
Yep not only do we think the Noodle is the best for beginners, but it’s also the best cheap golf ball we’ve tested. As I mentioned above, the Wilson Smart Core also does a decent job for those on a budget, but we’ve found the Noodle to be the way to go.
Best Golf Balls for Average Golfers: Bridgestone E6
The Bridgestone e6 has been one of my go-to balls for years. It hits that sweet spot of being affordable, playable for the better golfer, and not being lumped into the “cheap golf balls” category like the Noodle above.
A dozen costs about $25, so it’s a really good option if you want to stock up on a good ball that won’t break the bank.
Like many balls in this mid-range it promotes long-distance and soft feel. In practice, it’s not quite as soft as it might make you think with its marketing, but it’s still very good – and I’ve found it to help me keep my slice in check as well.
- Price: $24/dozen.
- Our Rating: 8.8
- Our Review: Bridgestone e6 Ball Review
- Where Can You Buy: You can buy the Bridgestone e6 on Amazon here.
- Solid Alternative: Srixon Q-Star
A mid-range ball that's got a good reputation, and is a solid tradeoff of price vs. performance. Great for mid to high handicappers.
Best Soft Golf Ball for High Handicappers: Callaway Supersoft
We’re not sure there’s a more accurately descriptive golf ball on the market. We mean it. In our testing, the Callaway Supersoft was exactly that: soft.
You might even say Supersoft.
If you’re a higher handicapper looking for some help around the greens? Look no further than the Callaway Supersoft. This ball performs, and we were very pleased with it.
- Price: $25/dozen
- Our Rating: 8.3
- Our Review: Callaway Supersoft Review: Great for Mid to High Handicaps
- Where can you buy: You can buy on Amazon here.
- Solid alternative: Bridgestone e6. We used to have Titleist Tour Softs here, but haven’t been as impressed with these during our more recent tests.
Looking for an incredible soft ball that's super forgiving? Look no further than the Callaway Supersoft. It's one of the best-selling balls in golf for a reason.
Best Tour Ball for Amateurs: Callaway Chrome Soft
I was pretty bummed when Taylormade stopped making their Project{A} balls, which I found to be one of the most versatile golf balls on the market.
From mid-handicappers to better players, it just worked.
Fortunately, Callaway has picked up the torch with their Chrome Soft line of balls.
If you’re looking for a fantastic all-around ball that is good enough for better players, without sacrificing performance for those who need a little extra forgiveness, then the Chrome Soft is an excellent ball.
It’s a little more expensive than some other models out there but is worth a slightly premium price.
- Price: $49.99
- Where you can buy: Buy Chrome Soft on Amazon Here
- Solid Alternative: Titleist AVX. A great all-around ball as well, but at a price approaching that of the Pro V1? They’re not cheap.
This is one of the most versatile balls on the market. Great for mid to low handicappers alike, this is one of the best all-around golf balls on the market.
Best Golf Balls for Distance: Titleist Velocity
If you’re a double-digit handicap and you’re trying to get as much distance as possible, and you want a ball to help you do it?
Then check out the Titleist Velocity. In playing with numerous older golfers, this seems to be the consensus favorite. It’s hallmarks are very low spin, high ball flight, and huge distance – which makes it great for the older golfer who might have lost some of their distance over the years.
- Price: $27/dozen.
- Where can you buy? You can buy the Titlelist Velocity on Amazon.
- Solid Alternative: Callaway Superhot.
Not a single-digit golfer, and looking to drop bombs? The Titleist Velocity is one of the best distance balls we've reviewed.
Best Tour Ball for Distance: Taylormade TP5
In our comparison, the Taylormade TP5 consistently added 4-5 yards on drives versus the Titleist ProV1. It doesn’t have quite the same cache as the Titleist ball, but there’s a reason that the TP5 has been making waves this year among the better golfers I know.
It’s good.
In fact, it’s probably the best ball Taylormade has ever made, so it’s definitely worth checking out and making comparisons of your own versus the ProV1 and Vice Pro Plus.
- Price: $43/dozen.
- Our Rating: 8.6
- Our Review: Taylormade TP5 Review: Is the TP5 a ProV1 Killer?
- Where can you buy? You can buy the Taylormade TP5 on Amazon.
- Solid Alternative: Vice Pro Plus.
The 2021 Taylormade TP5 or TP5x is a fantastic golf ball, and a worthy competitor to other tour balls like the ProV1. It doesn't hurt it's a few bucks cheaper, as well.
Best Golf Balls for Spin: Wilson STAFF Model R
Wilson is trying something unique this year with the latest version of their STAFF ball, the Model R. R stands for “raw,” and the ball is just that: raw. There’s no paint on them.
The idea behind it is to reduce imperfections that make the ball more balanced and cause straighter flight.
After playing a few rounds with it, I’ve gotta say: I liked the ball a lot. With wedges, the ball spun back on the green which always makes you feel like a better golfer than you are.
I even got a little bit of it with higher irons like my 8 and 9, which ended up working to my advantage on more than one occasion.
The downside? Due to the lack of paint, this ball gets beat up. After a hole or two it will look worn. While it doesn’t affect performance, on my last round I got a comment or two from the guys in my group 🙂
- Price: $45/dozen
- Our Rating: 8
- Where can you buy? You can buy the Wilson Model R on Amazon.
- Solid Alternative? Titleist ProV1x
The Wilson Model R (raw) has no paint on it, so it can get a bit scuffed up. But if spin is what you're after? This ball has it in spades.
Best Golf Balls 2023: A Recap
I could go on and add another two dozen golf balls to this review, as I’ve seen other golf blogs do. But generally, when that happens, they’re just trying to get affiliate sales 🙂
I honestly believe that the balls mentioned above will cover the vast majority of golfers. Regardless of what you’re looking for one of the following will be a great fit:
- Best Overall : Titlelist ProV1
- Best Golf Ball for Most People: Vice Pro Plus
- Best Tour Ball for Distance: Taylormade TP5
- Best Tour Tech for Amateurs: Callaway Chrome Soft
- Best Ball for Average Golfer: Bridgestone e6
- Best Soft Golf Ball for High Handicappers: Callaway Supersoft
- Best Golf Ball for Distance: Titleist Velocity
- Best Golf Ball for Beginners: Taylormade Noodle
- Best Cheap Golf Ball: Taylormade Noodle
- Best Golf Ball for Spin: Wilson STAFF Model R
I’m still working on a best ball for women, and will update the post as I have a good recommendation to make, and if I come across other balls that are worth checking out.
Looking for Other Golf Product Reviews?
- Best Golf Gifts – Golf Gifts for every age, gender, skill level, and price range.
- Best Golf Launch Monitors – From $300 to over $3,000, we’ll help you find the best one for you.
- Best Golf Rangefinders – Regardless of budget there is a golf rangefinder for you.
- Best Golf Push Carts – Like to walk but hate to carry? We got you covered.
- Best Golf Bags – Whether you ride or carry, we’ve got a bag for you.
- Best Golf Shoes – Soft spikes? Tour shoes? Casual? Formal? Check our list.
- Best Golf Books – Looking to get amped up for an upcoming round? Try any of these books.
This page contains affiliate links. This means that if you click a link and buy one of the products on this page, I may receive a commission (at no extra cost to you!) This doesn’t affect our opinions or our reviews. Everything we do is to benefit you as the reader, so all of our reviews are as honest and unbiased as possible.
There are no comments
Add yours