If you play golf year-round and don’t update your equipment when the weather gets colder, you could be leaving yardage, feel, and shots on the course by playing the wrong ball.
We all know the struggle of hitting a shot that felt perfect, only to find it falling short of the green. Playing the wrong ball for the weather can lead to disappointing results like this when playing in low temperatures.
Our team tested a myriad of golf balls in the winter months and we have created a definitive guide for the best-performing balls in cold weather.
Whether you’re just looking to land a few more shots in the fairway or you’re looking to move your handicap closer to zero, this guide can help you find the perfect ball to play when it gets colder outside.
We’ll provide several options for every handicap and the best features of the top-performing balls we tested.
Ready to find the perfect cold weather golf balls?
Let’s dive in.
Best Cold Weather Golf Balls 2023
Golfible Picks:
Editor’s Choice: Callaway Golf Supersoft (click to see)
Best Budget Option: Wilson Staff Fifty Elite (click to see)
Best for distance In Cold Weather: Titleist DT TruSoft Golf Balls (click to see on eBay)
Best Premium Option: Titleist Pro V1 (click to see)
Best For Visibility: Bridgestone e6 Soft Yellow Golf Balls (click to see)
Short on Time? Here’s A Quick Product Synopsis
| Golf Ball Name | Callaway Golf Supersoft | Wilson Staff Fifty Elite | Titleist DT TruSoft Golf Balls | Titleist Pro V1 | Bridgestone e6 Soft Yellow Golf Balls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Rating | 9.4/10 Editor’s Choice | 9.2/10 Best Budget Option | 9.2/10 Best for distance In Cold Weather | 9.5/10 Best Premium Option | 9.0/10 Best For Visibility |
| Pricing | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section |
| Ball Construction | 2-Piece | 2-Piece | 2-Piece | 3-Piece | 2-Piece |
| Ball Color | White/Matte Yellow/Matte Orange/Matte Green/Matte Pink/Matte Red | White/Orange/Pink/Yellow | White/Yellow | White/Yellow | Optic Yellow |
| Cover Material | Ionomer | Ionomer | Ionomer | Urethane | Surlyn |
| Dimples | 332 | 302 | 376 | 388 | 330 |
| Compression Rating | Low (40) | Low (50) | Low (60) | Medium (87) | Low (45) |
| Read Review | Jump To Callaway Golf Supersoft Review | Jump To Wilson Staff Fifty Elite Review | Jump To Titleist DT TruSoft Review | Jump To Titleist Pro V1 Review | Jump To Bridgestone e6 Soft Yellow Review |
Callaway Golf Supersoft
Editor’s Choice
Rating: 9.4/10
uSA Suppliers (Also deliver to Canada)
Pros
- HEX Aerodynamics technology helps increase distance off the tee.
- Callaway made it the softest ball available to the public at 35 compression.
- The soft core increases spin.
Cons
- Some of the colors such as blue can be difficult to see.
- Different users complained about the colors be too bright and distracting.
With its combination of spin, distance and price, the Callaway Supersoft was our selection for editor’s choice and best cold weather golf ball.
This ball features low spin leading to increased distance on drives and more accuracy. It is built with low compression.
Callaway made the ball with HEX Aerodynamics to launch the ball off the tee.
The product is a two-piece ball with a soft trigonometry cover leading to more bite and spin when greenside.
Callaway dubs it the softest ball the company created. The rating for the compression is 35.
You can buy the ball in a multitude of colors.
Wilson Staff Fifty Elite
Best on a Budget
Rating: 9.2 /10
uSA Suppliers (Also deliver to Canada)
 Pgatoursuperstore.com
|
$17.99 | View Deal |
 Amazon.com
|
$35.00
3 new from $34.89
|
View Deal |
Pros
- 50 compression.
- Durable
- Good for golfers who need the extra yards.
Cons
- Doesn’t have the best spin.
- Not as responsive as some users wanted.
The Wilson Staff Fifty Elite is one of the lowest priced name-brand golf balls available.
The Fifty Elite’s 2-piece build was designed to help give golfers better distances and desirable results.
The ball is a low 50 compression and carries well when struck. The ball doesn’t provide maximum spin around the greens but it does provide enough to get your ball close to the pin. When playing in cold weather this is an extremely ideal ball for the price.
Wilson’s improved rubber chemistry enables the ball to have a core that is 22% softer than other balls.
Its 302 PhD aerodynamics showcase shallow dimples that penetrate through cold air. If you look close enough you can see how they are uniquely flat bottomed.
The balls don’t have to be replaced often thanks to their plastic slidepacks that were added by Wilson to make them durable.
The Fifty Elite’s hard core evens out with the responsive cover that gives it a mix of long distance and good feel.
The ball is available in orange, pink, yellow and white.
Titleist DT TruSoft Golf Balls
Best for distance in the cold
Rating: 9.2 /10
Pros
- The 342 dimples aids golfers in battling the elements and creates for a higher ball flight.
- 4CE grafted cover is grafted to create spin greenside.
- Made with largest Titleist core ever.
Cons
- Different golfers said the ball didn’t spin as much as they wanted it to.
- Some users complained they weren’t getting much distance and the ball was super hard.
The DT Trusoft is a great low compression creation from Titleist that specializes in cold weather golf ball distance.
The Trusoft’s have the biggest core’s in the brand’s balls. The company created the ball to spin around the green. When cold, the huge core helps keep drives lengthy.
A laser thin 4CE grafted cover makes it react more to different types of swings and contact. The MPH increases for the ball as well.
The ball is two-pieces with a small number for compression with a 1.6 inch core.
Tour soft’s make is with 342 cuboctahedron dimples.
The colors available to the public are white and high optic yellow.
Titleist Pro V1
Best Premium Option
Rating: 9.5 /10
USA Suppliers (Also Deliver To Canada. Globalgolf.ca Is Canadian Delivery Only)
Canada Suppliers
uK Suppliers
Pros
- Extremely long off the tee with a thin cover.
- Very soft feel.
- 352 dimples provide extreme spin around the greens.
Cons
- Golfers can get a ball nearly as good for a lot cheaper.
- Golfers can pay less for a mid-compression, long and high spin ball.
- Only available in white and yellow.
We’ve heard the narrator say it countless times on television during Titleist’s commercials: “The number one ball in golf.”
Titleist’s Pro V1 and Pro V1x are used by the majority of top-ranked players on tour
Many people ask about the difference between the Pro V1 and Pro V1x. The biggest difference is the compression. The V1 is a mid-compression golf ball compared to its twin the V1x, which has a high compression. Mid-compression golf balls tend to perform better in cold weather than high compression.
Some notable golfers who have used the Pro V1 are: Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Paul Casey and Tony Finau. Oosthuizen and Stenson have won the Open Championship in cold weather while Scott has a runner-up finish.
The Pro V1 is made of urethane and has a very soft feel to it. The proprietary cast thermoset urethane elastic cover helps the ball respond to the golfer when trying to score.
The ball is great for penetrating through the cold air and providing bombs off the tee.
Titleist manufactured the ball with 90 compression and 352 dimples.
The New Pro V1s have a 17% thinner cover which helps add speed while maintaining control and spin.
Bridgestone e6 Soft Yellow Golf Balls
Best for Visibility
Rating: 9.0 /10
uSA Suppliers (Also deliver to Canada)
Pros
- Easy to see.
- Flies easily through wind and cold air.
- 3-piece cover.
Cons
- For the price some people might prefer Pro V1s.
- Some users said it felt too hard and not soft.
The Bridgestone e6 Soft is a 3-piece ball with 330 dimples and a Surlyn outer cover.
It was designed as an affordable high-performance ball that can give both a good feel around the greens and good distance with its low spin off the driver face.
The ball has a Delta Wing dimple design that allows it to cut through the air and strong winds.
It is a mid-compression ball that has straighter and lower ball flight than higher compression balls.
Bridgestone designed it with an anti-spin mantle coating that allows golfers to smash it off the tee during windy or cold days.
The company added in a proprietary soft gradational core that lets the ball respond to different types of shots in a player’s arsenal.
It comes in an optic yellow color that is extremely bright. This makes it an ideal ball to play in foggy, snowy or dark conditions.
How does cold weather affect golf balls?
Cold air affects the performance of a ball golf ball in many ways including distance, ball flight and compression.
Dense air puts more drag on the golf ball so when it’s colder the golf ball will fly slower.
Key impacts and reasons why:
Ball Flight: In cold weather, ball flight tends to be slightly higher. It rises a bit higher in the dense air.
Speed: Both ball speed and swing speed can be affected by the cold. Ball speed will be slightly lower after a ball is struck in the dense air. The ball speed will lessen by a “few miles per hour” according to Golf Digest.
Swing speed will decrease if a golfer is uncomfortable or restricted by multiple layers of clothing.
Low compression: When it’s cold, a softer ball with low compression will provide a better feel at impact. They are good golf balls for cold weather. Softer compression balls compress more in the cold and have a good chance of flying slightly longer than harder golf balls.
How much distance do you lose in cold weather?
Golf balls lose distance when it gets colder and colder. According to Golf Digest, a golf ball loses one yard for every 10 degree drop in temperature.
Using low compression golf balls for cold weather can help you prevent losing yards off the tee.
Does freezing damage golf balls?
If the temperature is freezing outside and you try and hit a frozen golf ball it can cause damage to both the ball and the club. It is important to keep your golf balls warm.
Keeping golf balls warm
It’s vital to keep your golf balls warm during the winter for optimum performance. This means not leaving them in your trunk overnight. You can also cover them with a towel in your golf bag. It is recommended during a round in the cold to rotate your golf ball with a warmer one in your bag.
The following video below is from Neil Marr of Meldrum House Golf Club in Scotland. Marr is a Golf Monthly Top 25 golf coach. He used a Trackman device to measure his drives with cold balls versus warm balls. He left balls on the range overnight in cold temperatures and hit them while comparing his distances to balls he had stored indoors.
Conclusion:
If you’re looking for the best cold weather golf ball, the Callaway Supersoft is an optimal choice. After conducting our cold weather golf ball review it was an easy pick for editor’s choice thanks to its versatility and combination of strong qualities for low temperatures. With its HEX aerodynamics that helps produce long drives and the soft trionomer cover that gives it responsive spin, it’s an all-around ball.
The Editorial Staff at Golfible is a team of golfing geeks and enthusiasts led by founder Alec Rose. All have the same obsession with golf tech, equipment updates and avoiding rain on the course.
FAQ
Do soft golf balls go further in cold weather?
No, soft balls lose distance in cold weather due to the loss in speed.The USGA indicates that for every 10-degree drop in the temperature you get 2 yards less distance.Cold air is thicker than warm air causing more drag than cold air.
What is the longest golf ball in cold weather?
The Longest Cold Weather Golf Ball is arguably the 2021 Bridgestone e6 is. Its 2-layer construction combined with low compression and high energy core makes it ideal for cold conditions.
Is Pro V1 good in cold weather?
Yes, Pro V1 golf balls are good in cold weather as they are the bestselling all-round golf balls.The polybutadiene rubber core and a urethane elastomer (polyurethane) cover materials used in the construction are unaffected by cold weather
