The best golf balls
A box of good balls is the present no golfer turns down. Here's which to choose for a gentle swing, a keen club player and a medal-round treat.
The right ball depends on the swing. Soft, low-compression balls help a gentle swing get the ball up and away, while tour balls with a urethane cover add spin and control for players who strike it well. Yellow and brightly coloured balls are easier to follow and to find.
Every box here holds 12 balls. If you're buying for someone else, look at what's in their bag now: a golfer who loses a few balls a round gets more from two boxes of a soft value ball than from one box of a tour ball.
What matters
- Compression: softer balls suit slower swings.
- Cover: urethane for spin, ionomer or Surlyn for distance and durability.
- Colour: yellow and bright balls are easier to spot.
- Price per box, because golf balls go missing.
#1 of 5
Best overall
Callaway Supersoft Golf Balls 2025 (box of 12)
£28.99 RRP
A soft two-piece ball for everyday club golf: the HyperElastic SoftFast core adds ball speed, and the hybrid cover keeps a little bite round the greens. It costs little enough that losing one in the pond doesn't hurt.
What owners say: Owners say it feels lovely off the club, has good pace and is easy to see on the course, and they find it great value, especially for beginners and mid-handicappers.
A closer look: Soft enough to feel good on the putter without the price of a tour ball, it's a safe box to give when you don't know what someone plays. The yellow version is easier to follow against a grey winter sky.
- Box of 12
- Two-piece build
- HyperElastic SoftFast core
- Hybrid cover
- Also in yellow and matte colours
Best for: Everyday golf at a fair price
- Construction
- 2-piece
- Cover
- Hybrid
- Colours
- White, yellow, matte colours
#2 of 5
Best premium
Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls 2025, Enhanced Alignment (box of 12)
£52.00 RRP
Built for control: a three-piece ball with a soft cast urethane cover that grips the grooves, so approach shots stop on the green. When Titleist launched it in Las Vegas in October 2000, 47 tour players switched to it in the first week.
What owners say: Owners say the quality is excellent, they're pleased with the performance and distance, and a box makes a great present for a keen golfer.
A closer look: It pays off for golfers who hit greens regularly and want the ball to stop quickly; someone who loses several a round will get more from the Supersoft or Duo Soft. For a keen player, it's the box they rarely buy for themselves, which makes it a proper treat.
- Box of 12
- Three-piece build
- Soft cast urethane cover
- 388-dimple tetrahedral pattern
- Extended alignment sidestamp
Best for: Keen golfers and a treat
- Construction
- 3-piece
- Cover
- Cast urethane
- Colours
- White, yellow
#3 of 5
Easiest to spot
TaylorMade SpeedSoft Golf Balls, Ink colours (box of 12)
£20–£30 Price range
TaylorMade's softest ball, with a PWRCORE centre and a compression under 50, so a gentle swing still gets good speed off the tee. The Ink finish splashes colour over the white, which makes it easy to pick out in the rough.
What owners say: Owners love the soft feel, especially on the putting green, find the colours easy to spot and say they play as well as dearer balls.
A closer look: The bright splashes make it easy to tell your ball from a playing partner's in the middle of the fairway. TaylorMade aims it at everyday golfers, and moderate swing speeds get the most from the soft core.
- Box of 12
- Two-piece build
- PWRCORE, compression under 50
- Ionomer cover
- High-visibility Ink colours
Best for: Finding it in the rough
- Construction
- 2-piece
- Cover
- Ionomer
- Colours
- White, yellow, Ink colour splashes
#4 of 5
Best all-rounder
Srixon AD333 Golf Balls 2026 (box of 12)
£28.00 RRP
Now in its twelfth generation, the AD333 balances distance and control: the FastLayer core runs from soft in the middle to firmer at the edge, and a Spin Skin coating helps wedges grip for shots that check round the greens.
What owners say: It's early days for the 2026 version, but owners so far rate it very highly.
A closer look: Reviewers pitch it at mid and high handicappers who want a little more short-game control than a pure distance ball gives. It comes in Pure White or Tour Yellow, boxed in paper with no plastic or foil.
- Box of 12
- Two-piece build, 68 compression
- FastLayer core
- Spin Skin coating
- Plastic-free packaging
Best for: Mid-handicappers
- Construction
- 2-piece
- Cover
- Ionomer, Spin Skin coating
- Colours
- White, yellow
#5 of 5
Best for slower swings
Wilson Duo Soft Golf Balls 2025, TRK360 (box of 12)
£20–£30 Price range
Wilson calls it the world's softest golf ball, and at 37 compression it's made for gentler swings, launching high with a soft feel on every shot. This TRK360 version has a red and black stripe all the way round.
What owners say: Owners find them soft with plenty of distance, like the stripe for lining up putts and tee shots, and say they're easy to see and good value.
Heads up: It's made for slower swings; a big hitter will get more from the AD333 or the Pro V1.
A closer look: A thoughtful box for a grandparent or a newer golfer, as the soft core helps a gentle swing get the ball airborne. On the green, point the stripe down the line of the putt before you set up.
- Box of 12
- Two-piece build, 37 compression
- Surlyn cover
- TRK360 stripe for lining up
- Also in bright colours
Best for: Slower swings and seniors
- Construction
- 2-piece
- Cover
- Surlyn
- Colours
- White, yellow, red, orange, green, pink
How they compare
| Feature | #1Callaway Supersoft | #2Titleist Pro V1 | #3TaylorMade SpeedSoft Ink | #4Srixon AD333 | #5Wilson Duo Soft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Easiest to spot | Best all-rounder | Best for slower swings | |
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 |
| Price | £28.99 RRP | £52.00 RRP | £20–£30 Price range | £28.00 RRP | £20–£30 Price range |
| Construction | 2-piece | 3-piece | 2-piece | 2-piece | 2-piece |
| Cover | Hybrid | Cast urethane | Ionomer | Ionomer, Spin Skin coating | Surlyn |
| Colours | White, yellow, matte colours | White, yellow | White, yellow, Ink colour splashes | White, yellow | White, yellow, red, orange, green, pink |
| Best for | Everyday golf at a fair price | Keen golfers and a treat | Finding it in the rough | Mid-handicappers | Slower swings and seniors |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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