Best Golf Balls For Cold Weather 2023

Enthusiastic and observant golfers have probably picked up on a seldom talked about nuance of the game.

As a game that is meant to be played outside, you are subject to the elements when you play golf.

And a lot of golfers don’t realize just how much temperature can affect golf ball performance.

In general, when the weather is cold the air is denser which means more lift but also more drag on the ball.

As a result, you may have noticed that your launch is higher but your overall carry distance is shorter when the weather is cold.

When the golf ball itself gets too cold, it is likely to lose a bit of velocity off the club face affecting ball speed.

So how does one combat this drop-off in distance when the weather gets cold? The answer to that is a bit tricky as there are multiple considerations you have to make. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Firm or Soft Feel

There are some players that swear that firmer compression balls perform better in the cold.

Their reasoning is that firmer balls carry better even when the air is denser. Then there are some players who believe that softer compression balls will give you more distance in the cold.

A firmer compression ball might actually perform better when the fairway is soft too.

When the weather gets cold, the fairway will more than likely soften up. However there is no definitive answer to what firmness is the best for cold weather.

Distance Vs Short Game

If you were to choose a firmer ball to play when the temperature is cold, you also have to consider how that might affect your short game.

However, firmer balls may actually perform better in colder temperatures because again, you are likely to be dealing with softer fairways.

Of course, this is also a matter of personal preference. Softer balls might actually get your more spin around the green; but may not perform as well for your long-game when the temperature drops.

Visibility

As you can imagine, sunshine isn’t so prominent in the winter months. It may be harder to spot a plain white ball when the fairway is dewy or has frost on it. Overcast skies can also make it harder to spot your ball.

So if you often play in cold, overcast weather, you may also want to consider a more visible ball in a color other than white.

Price

And of course, you have to make sure that playing golf is sustainable for your budget.

Even though it’s a good idea to change up your golf balls based on the weather, make sure that you are not overspending on winter balls.

Now let’s get into the list of the best golf balls for cold weather.

#1 – Titleist TruFeel – Best Choice

Selling Points:

  • 2-piece construction
  • Alignment line
  • TruTouch core

The Titleist TruFeel golf balls keep spin low pretty much across the board. These are 2-piece golf balls with an enlarged core so they resist spin from the tee, fairway and around the green.

Our first impression of these balls was that they were super soft. They come off the club face very hot but still manage to have a satisfying feel. They come in high-visibility colors such as red and yellow.

Plus, thanks to the 2-piece construction, these balls provide great roll in cold weather when the fairway is soft.

Pros:

  • Very soft feel
  • Low spin all-around
  • Good roll distance

Cons:

  • Low launch

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#2 – Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls – Best Premium

Selling Points:

  • Cast urethane elastomer cover
  • 388 tetrahedral dimples
  • 0 ZG core

At first, we were very pleased at the feel of these balls. To be completely honest though, we are suckers for balls with urethane covers; but we didn’t let our bias taint our testing. The Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls balls feel very grippy off the face of irons and wedges.

And that’s exactly what you want when you’re around the green. We will say that they spun a bit high from the tee which was a bit of a surprise considering that these balls have a 4-piece design.

Overall though we were very pleased with how they performed in the cold. Overall distance was more than adequate and short gamespin was amazing.

Pros:

  • Great short-game spin
  • Medium compression
  • Good flight

Cons:

  • Spun a bit high off the tee

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#3 – WILSON Staff Zip Golf Balls – Best Budget

Selling Points:

  • Ionomer cover
  • 50 compression rating
  • 2-layer construction

This was another ball that really impressed us with the roll distance on softer fairways. The WILSON Staff Zip Golf Balls have a soft feel but spin rates are not compromised when you get into your short irons and wedges.

Plus, you can essentially get a 24-pack of these balls for just over a dollar each. They have a slightly low ball flight; but that shouldn’t be a problem for players with fast swing speeds.

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Zero compression core
  • 302 dimple pattern

Cons:

  • Limited color choices

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#4 – Callaway Supersoft – Best Short Game Balls

Selling Points:

  • 2-piece construction
  • 6 color choices
  • Low compression core

As the name implies, these balls feel very soft. That’s due in part to the low-compression core but also to the soft cover. Our first impression was that these balls were too soft to be viable for players with faster swing speeds – and for the most part we were right.

However, our moderate swing speed testers got great distance with these balls even in cold weather. They also come in high-visibility colors like yellow, orange, red, green and pink so they are great if you’re looking for a ball that’s easy to find in the winter.

We also liked that the Callaway Supersoft golf balls produced high launch. The low compression and high launch will be a winning combination for higher handicap players. But of course, the short-game performance was really the show-stopper.

The Callaway Supersoft balls perform great on approaches – again, great for high handicappers because they play very straight off the iron face. Roll distance was solid and the high launch will help you land soft on the green.

Pros:

  • Great launch
  • Great for slower swing speeds
  • The produce straight shots

Cons:

  • Not great for players with fast swing speeds

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#5 – Taylormade Distance + Golf Ball – Best for Distance

Selling Points:

  • 2-piece construction
  • 77 compression rating
  • 342 dimple pattern

Right away, we loved the “plus”alignment marker on these balls. It really helped our testers improve their accuracy around the tee. It’s also highly visible on your downswing with your driver.

The only thing we didn’t really like about it was the ionomer cover which is good around the green, but lacks a substantial feel off the tee. And because these are 2-piece balls, spin stays very low off the tee which is great in cold weather.

These are pure distance balls but they are also surprisingly durable. During our testing session, we didn’t notice any major scuffs or damage to the cover.

Pros:

  • Very durable
  • Low long-game spin
  • Helpful alignment marker

Cons:

  • Poor feel from the ionomer cover

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#6 – Titleist Velocity 2022 Golf Balls – Best for Stopping Power

Selling Points:

  • 350 octahedral dimples
  • 2-piece construction
  • NAZ+ cover

Our first impression of these balls was that they had a firmer feel than past Velocity balls. They were also more consistent in terms of flight path. Indeed, the core of the 2022 Velocity balls has been firmed up a bit so this helps retard spin off the tee.

Another thing we noticed pretty quickly is that these balls launch ridiculously high with very little effort. Quite frankly, the launch alone makes these balls amazing on long and even short approaches.

They will come down with snow on them and help you land dead on fast greens. However, the low spin continues on through your wedges and short irons so they lose a bit of viability on very chip shots.

Pros:

  • Very high launch
  • Affordable
  • Good carry distance

Cons:

  • Limited short-game spin

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#7 – Callaway 2021 REVA Golf Balls – Best for Women

Selling Points:

  • Tri-blend ionomer cover
  • Oversized design
  • 2-piece construction

One thing we noticed about these balls almost immediately is that they are inclined towards straight flight. From the tee and from the deck, these balls fly straight. They also launch very high and provide plenty of roll.

This is part of what makes these balls viable in cold weather – you are likely to get a boost in roll and overall distance. They are also slightly oversized and many of our female testers noted that the Callaway 2021 REVA Golf Balls were very easy to hit.

You can get the Callaway 2021 REVA Golf Balls in pink which is what we recommend if you’re playing in overcast weather. The ionomer cover is durable; but it lacks a lot of feel in our opinion.

Pros:

  • Very easy to hit
  • The pink color is highly visible
  • Decent price

Cons:

  • Cover material lacks feel

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#8 – 2021 TaylorMade Yellow TP5 Golf Balls – Best Premium Taylormade Ball

Selling Points:

  • Cast urethane cover
  • 5-layer construction
  • Gradient firmness

We could talk all day about the 2021 TaylorMade Yellow TP5 Golf Balls. They are pretty much everything we love in a golf ball. It starts with a cast urethane cover which imparts a soft feel yet gives you plenty of feedback.

Then, Taylormade constructed these balls with layers that decrease in firmness as you move away from the core. And did we mention this is a 5-layer ball? This means you get incredible long and short-game distance.

We loved these balls pretty much right away. They feature larger cores than former TP5 models which means they spin less off the tee. And of course, the 5-layer design means that they spin like a dream off your wedges and short irons.

And as the name implies, these balls are available in a high-visibility yellow cover so they are easy to spot on frosted or dewy fairways. These are some great all-around balls that will maintain a high level of performance in cold weather.

Pros:

  • They don’t lose initial velocity in cold weather
  • Great all-around performance
  • Highly visible

Cons:

  • A bit pricey

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#9 – Srixon Soft Feel Golf Balls – Best Srixon Option

Selling Points:

  • Gradient design
  • 338 dimple pattern
  • 2-piece design

To be quite honest, we weren’t expecting very much from these balls at first; but we were pleasantly surprised at how they performed in cold weather. First of all, these are 2-layer balls so they will inherently retard spin off the tee.

And the cold, dense air didn’t seem to slow down these 338 dimple pattern balls. The dimples seemed to carry these balls aloft for a long time. In fact, carry distance off the tee was very impressive with these balls.

Our only major gripe with the Srixon Soft Feel Golf Balls is the ionomer cover. Ionomer loses a lot of feel the closer to the pin you get. But the 60 compression rating makes it a viable option for slow to moderate swing speed players.

They are also pretty affordable so we would definitely recommend them to higher handicap players who are looking for a ball to use in cold weather.

Pros:

  • Good price
  • Low drag
  • Good roll distance in cold weather

Cons:

  • Poor greenside feel

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#10 – Taylormade Tour Response – Best Urethane Option

Selling Points:

  • 70 compression rating
  • 3-layer construction
  • 100% cast urethane cover

A 70 compression rating coupled with a soft yet durable cast urethane cover are what make the Taylormade Tour Response balls a great choice for mid to high handicapper looking for a good cold weather ball.

The low compression and 3-layer construction will also help you maintain distance when the air gets denser. And there is not much spin lost around the green with these balls. In fact, our low handicap testers really liked them on short approaches and chip shots.

They seem to grip your wedge grooves very tightly so you can really feel your short shots. Plus, the Taylormade Tour Response golf balls feature a soft inner layer surrounded by a firmer mantle so energy from your swing is preserved magnificently.

Pros:

  • Gradient design
  • The preserve swing energy very well
  • Durable cover

Cons:

  • Not great for fast swing speed players

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How do Winter Balls Differ From Summer Balls?

It will depend on your preferences but in general, winter balls will be ones that hold up better in cold, dense air when drag is a major factor. You may also find that the best winter balls are ones that have a naturally moderate launch.

Overall Best Option

We really liked the performance of the Titleist TruFeel balls. They have everything we like in a winter ball including a 2-piece construction, good roll and a low to middle launch angle.

Final Thoughts

The debate is still ranging as to which golf ball features are really best for cold weather. In the end, it really may be just a matter of opinion.

That’s why you should keep your options open and try a few different balls to see which one suits you best in cold weather.

That’s why we highlighted numerous balls we think performed great in cold weather. Be sure to check them out for yourself and start playing better in the winter!