If you like to go out and play golf in the winter when the weather is cold, you need a golf ball that is made for the conditions. In this guide, I go over the best cold weather golf balls that you should play with.
Let’s say you are someone who likes to play a round or two in the winter (make sure to keep warm feet), and you come ready to play with your everyday favorite golf balls in tow. You may notice while playing that your balls tend to fly lower and are not as effective as they would be during warm weather.
Why is that?
It is simple physics at work here.
A golf ball will travel less distance under colder climates. Research conducted showed that for every 10 degrees (Fahrenheit) drop in temperature, a golf ball traveled 3 to 5 yards less when also taking into account the higher air density. It may be difficult to keep your balls warm the whole round (both types), so consider using a lower compression golf ball for more distance. Also, consider clubbing up to compensate for the loss in distance (i.e. use a 7 iron instead of an 8).
Check out our picks for the best cold weather golf ball below!
The Best Cold Weather Golf Balls
- Callaway ERC Soft (Best Overall“The Callaway ERC Soft Golf Balls provide fast speed off the driver with their dual soft fast core, which also provides more spin and control, making it one of the most accurate golf balls. It also has a very low compression rating which gives it a very soft feel, leading to long and straight flights. These balls are very soft, yet fly very long. Also, the yellow color is nicely visible in the cold months of the year.”
- Wilson Staff Fifty Elite (Best on a Budget)“A great golf ball at a great price. These were designed to fly great distances with optimal control even in the coldest conditions.”
- Titleist Tour Soft Golf Balls (Upgrade Pick)“Helps golfers who have hard time controlling their trajectory. This golf ball can fly better even on cold days.”
- Precept Laddie Extreme (Best for Women)“These golf balls are not just low in compression, making them great for winter, but they feature an “enhanced velocity muscle fiber core.”
- Callaway Super Soft (2nd Best Overall)
- Srixon Soft Feel (3rd Best Overall)
Best Cold Weather Golf Balls
Callaway ERC Soft
Best Golf Ball for Cold Weather
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KEY FEATURES
- Fast ball speed off the driver
- Increased spin and control
- One of the best accuracy balls
- Visible color scheme
- Relatively expensive
Another, newer product from the folks at Callaway are the ERC Soft golf balls. And as is the case, with a newer product comes newer features.
To start is the new “Dual Soft Fast Core, which allows fast ball speeds off of a player’s drive. Drives of this kind are hard to get with other low compression balls making this a great winter choice.
Adding to this balls features are the increased spin and control of the ball off of iron shots. These combined features make the ERC Soft one of the most accurate cold weather balls available.
Wilson Staff Fifty Elite
Best on a Budget
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KEY FEATURES
- Golf Digest Hot List, Silver Award winner
- Balanced performance
- Comes in multiple colors
- Not the softest available
Wilson is a name that has always been a pioneer in both golf and other sports. And with the Wilson Staff Fifty Elite golf balls, Wilson again was a pioneer, with this being one of the first low compression balls available, and which still holds its own today.
The original low compression ball, with a compression rating of 50, the Wilson balls were made to play in cold weather.
Titleist Tour Soft Golf Balls
Upgrade Pick
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KEY FEATURES
- Lower compression than other premium Titleist balls
- Still has a great 3 piece feel
- Responsive around the greens
One of the most important things to consider on those cold days on the course is that the golf ball can be compressed. When you are a great player, you are able to compress the golf ball anytime you go out to play. However, on those days when the weather is freezing, this gets a bit harder.
The Titleist Tour Soft golf balls make it easier to compress a golf ball, but the overall results and performance around the greens will help to ensure that you are not losing any performance. Essentially the Tour Soft golf balls still feel like they have the incredible technology that Titleist has to offer; they simply fly better on those really cold days.
Precept Laddie Extreme
Best for Women
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KEY FEATURES
- Great value
- Enhanced velocity core
- Increased durability and stability
- Only comes in white
Our next cold weather ball is the Precept Laddie Extreme Golf Balls. These golf balls aren’t just great in cold weather, either, as they help to save the consumer a little cash around the holiday months for some nice golf themed Christmas gifts.
At the current price you get more golf balls at a lower price then you may get with a lot of other low compression golf balls, which is great when saving money for winter energy bills and holidays.
Callaway Super Soft
2nd Best Overall
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KEY FEATURES
- Low compression rating
- Reduced spin for increased distance
- Supersoft
- Slightly harder to control
Our first golf ball comes from the golf wizards at Callaway with the Supersoft Golf Balls. With the Supersoft, Callaway promises a ball that is… well… super soft.
With one of the lowest compression ratings available at 35, the Supersoft is the softest ball available from Callaway. With this super low compression rating, balls are guaranteed to fly through the air even in the coldest weather.
Srixon Soft Feel
3rd Best Overall
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KEY FEATURES
- Aerodynamic speed dimples
- Great speed = great distance
- Not the lowest compression
Our final winter golf ball for today comes from the people at Srixon, a lesser known name in golf when compared to Wilson and Callaway. But with the Srixon Soft Feel golf ball, Srixon looks to prove that they can compete with the big boys.
The Soft Feel is made with aerodynamic “Speed Dimples”, which provides the ball with more speed off of your shots. This greater speed helps to send your ball flying down the course, helping you to get to the green quicker.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why Should I Use Cold Weather Golf Balls?
Cold weather golf balls are golf balls that are generally lighter, and have a low compression rating. This lower compression allows the ball to be able to withstand colder temperatures when in play, making them the perfect choice for golfing in the harshest of conditions.
Low compression balls are also recommended golf balls for beginners as well becausee the lower compression makes the balls lighter and makes the ball fly more off of lower swing speeds. In contrast, high compression balls, which are what golfers usually use, are heavier in weight and during the winter can freeze, making it seem as if you are smashing your club against a wall.
What Are The Downsides Of Cold Weather Golf Balls?
Granted, these lower compression golf balls do have drawbacks. These balls generally provide less control and spin, which is why higher compression balls are more preferred by golfers during the warmer months.
If you are playing in the winter, however, spin don’t matter as much thanks to course conditions, therefore these low compression “Cold Weather” golf balls are perfect. If you just so happen to be in the market for some of these balls, then you will want to take a look at this list of the best cold weather golf balls available today.
Does A Golf Ball Go Further In Cold Weather?
No, it’s actually the opposite. A golf ball flies less far in cold weather because a colder club and golf ball have worse energy transfer, resulting in more of your swing speed being lost. Cold air also has a higher density than warm air, which increases drag and brings your golf ball down sooner. Finally, ball compression is affected by temperature and will negatively affect the energy the ball is able to absorb.
Does Temperature Affect Golf Ball Flight?
Yes, it does. However it might be less than you expect. A rule of thumb is that for every 10 degrees of temperature drop you loose a couple of yards compared to your performance at 80 degree weather and above.
Testing Criteria Used for Evaluation
Now that you have a better idea of which golf balls on the market will work the best in the cold weather let’s take a look at how you can choose the best one for your game. This is the criteria that we look at when deciding on the best golf balls for cold weather. In addition, you can use this information to narrow these options down and pick the best one for your game.
Compression
The best cold weather golf balls will be low compression. As the temperatures decrease, it gets harder to compress a golf ball, and our swings are typically a little stiffer. In order to avoid issues with this, go with a lower compression ball, and you will see a much better overall performance. For instance, a player that uses a ProV1x can go to the ProV1 and be pleasantly surprised with its performance.
Feel
Feel is very important with a cold weather golf ball. You will want a ball that has a soft feel and allows you to work the ball around the greens. A hard golf ball on a cold day is difficult to control. Look for a responsive cover to get the most from your golf game.
Pricing
The pricing of a cold weather golf ball may end up being a bit less than a performance golf ball you would use on a warm day. The reason behind this is that the lower compression beginner-type golf balls are a good match for the cold weather. You can use these if you are trying to ensure you get the best distance and feel on a colder day.
Number of Pieces
Most cold weather golf balls are going to be two or three pieces. Anything more than this can be a bit too difficult to compress, making it harder to get the ball flight and overall distance that you need. A golf ball with two or three pieces is typically an excellent option for those that have average swing speed and need a bit of extra help in the cold weather conditions.
Conclusion
| NAME | EDITOR'S CATEGORY | PRODUCT |
|---|---|---|
| Callaway ERC Soft | Best Overall |  |
| Wilson Staff Fifty Elite | Best on a Budget |  |
| Titleist Tour Soft Golf Balls | Upgrade Pick |  |
| Precept Laddie Extreme | Best for Women |  |
| Callaway Super Soft | 2nd Best Overall |  |
| Srixon Soft Feel | 3rd Best Overall |  |
Hopefully, you now feel as though you can understand which golf balls will be the best in the cold weather. Playing golf in cooler temperatures should be enjoyable and fun; however, you must have the proper equipment in place to hit great shots.
Cold weather golf balls like the Srixon Soft Feel, Callaway Supersoft, and Titleist Tour Soft can ensure that golfers get both distance and control from the shots they are hitting off the tee and around the greens. Think about all of the cold weather gear that is available to golfers and choose accordingly.
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
