Best Golf Balls
Top 10 Golf Balls 2025
By S. Dee Davis
The following list of the best top ten golf balls was determined from the authors opinion using the following criteria: Consistency in length off the tee, spin control and the ability to hold greens, “feel” of the ball around greens for chipping and putting, durability, and price/value. Combining a ball that’s long and straight off the tee with little spin, a ball that’s soft and controllable around the greens, and a ball that really takes spin with short irons is the ultimate challenge for golf ball manufacturers. See the golf ball comparison and ratings below with a link to the full review of each.
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Price Range: $39 to $58 |
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Cover: Proprietary Iothane |
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Cover: Soft Urethane |
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Price Range: $39 to $58 |
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Price Range: $35 to $45 |
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Cover: Urethane |
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Cover: SpinSkin |
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Cover: Ionomer |
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Cover: Urethane |
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Cover: Cast Urethane |
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Cover: Urethane |
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Golf Balls Buying Guide
How to Buy a Golf Ball
Matching Golfer Skill with Golf Ball Build
Dimple Design and Construction
There are many considerations when determining what type of golf ball you will buy and play with. One is dimple design. The number of dimples as well as the design can help you gain distance (or lose distance for balls with older technology). The size and shape of dimples and well as depth all play a part in how far and accurately the ball flies. One design flies farther, another straighter, and still another a mid loft, and another at low loft. Then there’s the roll on the greens. One roll purer and straighter than the other.
Layer Construction
Here we are talking about the number of layers in the construction of the golf ball. It could have 2 to 5 layers at present. The higher the number of layers in the ball construction the more the ball typically costs and the more feel and design is implemented. The simplest balls with 2 layer construction – though much improved – are more for beginning golfers and will cost less. Higher layer construction balls like the ProV1x and Callaway i(s) give golfers more flexibility with varying swing speeds.
Spin Slope and Spin Control
In golf, how much spin the ball creates from impact has a lot to do with how straight it flies through the air. Higher spin slope balls are designed with better golfers in mind and will spin more with lower irons and with lower impact speeds. They also contain a soft middle core that when compressed by higher velocity shots from higher swing speeds reduces spin to allow for more distance and straighter ball flight. Lower spin slope golf balls will travel straighter and longer for lower swing speeds and be more consistent with lower velocity shots. However, they are typically harder around the greens depending on the cover. Essentially the more spin there is on the golf ball, the less far it travels because spin is creating some resistance.
Here’s a little table to help you decide which ball is right for you:
Generally…
| More limited attributes in the golf ball | = | less layers of construction | = | Less Expensive golf ball |
| More distance plus feel | = | more layers of construction | = | Higher price golf ball |
Lower Handicap Golfers generally prefer…
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Higher Handicap Golfers generally prefer…
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As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years and his work has appeared in numerous publications including CBS, the San Fransisco Chronicle… See more about S. Dee Davis |
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Filed Under: Featured • Golf • Golf Balls • Top 10 Lists
