It's very easy to spend a lot of money on golf balls, especially if you're determined to use the same balls as the pros. At time of writing, a dozen Titleist Pro V1 balls will set you back more than fifty quid. At that price, each ball you slice into a water hazard costs you approximately one Tesco meal deal (and that's without the Clubcard discount).
Which begs the question: is it actually worth paying top dollar for the very best golf balls? Or should you just swallow your pride, leave the tour-level merchandise on the shelf and opt for Billy's Big Bucket o' Bog-Standard Bulk Balls instead?
Expensive golf balls *can* make a difference...to a good golfer.
Now, golf ball manufacturing isn't one of those industries where price is no indicator of quality whatsoever and you're just paying for the name on the box. Obviously there are significant differences between, say, Rory McIlroy's TP5 and an unbranded ball that someone found in the woods. But the average golfer is not going to suddenly start hitting HIO after HIO just because they forked out an extra couple of notes for the ball that won this year's Masters Tournament.
Yes, if you're a skilled golfer with a low handicap, switching to a better ball might be the thing that takes your game to the next level. But if you're still relatively new to the game, you're better off sticking with the ball you're used to and focusing on improving your own performance instead.
It's not just that expensive golf balls won't make a difference until you reach a certain skill level. A tour-level golf ball can actually work against you if you upgrade too soon. Most 'premium' golf balls have a urethane cover, which gives them a softer feel and greater long-game spin. Attractive features for an experienced player, but urethane balls can be rather unforgiving for newbies. Cheap ionomer golf balls fly further and spin less, so you might have a better time with them if you're just starting out.
And of course there's the lost ball factor. Novice golfers lose more balls, so you're going to burn through a lot of money if you go straight to the most expensive option!
To sum up, then, here's our advice:
- If you're new to golf, don't bother splashing out on expensive golf balls
- Instead, try a few different balls from the cheaper end of the spectrum and pick the one that feels best to you
- Stick with that same ball while you work on improving your game – keeping this element consistent will help you to get better faster
- Once you've lowered your handicap and you're looking for ways to level up, consider trying some tour-level balls to see if they're helpful
Here at banterballs, we sell golf balls with funny messages on them. All designs are printed on unbranded balls by default, but if you swear by a specific ball, you can pay a bit extra to get your chosen design printed on that ball instead. We stock a range of balls from all the top brands including Srixon, Callaway, TaylorMade and Titleist.
