Best Winter and Cold Weather Golf Balls 2024
Don’t let your game take a hit in the colder months with these superb winter and cold weather golf balls
A golf ball for cold weather? Is that even a thing?
It certainly is. As we descend into the colder part of the year, it makes sense to use a different golf ball.
Why? Well, while a soft urethane-covered premium ball can give you greater short-game spin during the season, this argument is removed in winter when greens are often softer than a treacle sponge.
Golf balls lose distance in the cold because the air is denser, which increases lift and drag so the ball flies slightly higher and a little shorter.
Switching to a model that is optimised for distance will help keep your yardages up in cold weather and will save you a few quid without sacrificing too much performance.
Best Winter and Cold Weather Golf Balls 2024
Titleist Velocity golf ball
I’m nowhere near the longest hitter on the range and, as a player who fluctuates between single figures and mid-handicap, shelling out £50 for a dozen Pro V1s isn’t a clever option given my propensity to find parts of the course better players don’t reach.
Grabbing any extra yardage can be a compelling proposition for the average player and in the latest iteration of their Velocity line, Titleist say we can have it all: high speed, high launch and explosive distance. So how does it perform?
It’s all about speed with Titleist’s latest Velocity model. The company promises ‘deep downrange distance’, combined with extremely low spin in the long game and a high flight on all shots. While I don’t think anyone would describe the Velocity as ‘soft’, they’re also saying you can achieve playable greenside feel.
A high speed LSX core has been designed for faster speed on full swing shots and to help deliver maximum distance. Everything is about getting that golf ball going as far as it can.
I got a little bit more with a 7-iron. I usually tote a consistent carry distance of about 137 and so to get an extra five yards and a ball speed passing 100mph was a decent fillip. Those distances were very consistent too, with fewer than four yards from front to back in the data.
So what can we conclude about the Titleist Velocity? I’ve always found it to be a durable golf ball, which is important if you’ve got a propensity to not quite find the middle of the club face and you’re one of those players who prides themselves on making a ball last as long as possible.
Pros:
- A five yard distance boost with a 7-iron is a very decent return.
- More responsive around the green than you might expect.
- Good price point for budget conscious players.
Cons:
- Harder feel won’t suit all.
- I’d hoped for a little more distance with driver in hand.
RRP: £28 per dozen
Colours: White, Orange, Green
More information: Titleist website
Wilson Triad Golf Ball
Wilson Triad golf balls “will fly longer and straighter, hold greens better, and roll truer”. Can they also cure disease? It’s about the only thing that’s not being promised.
I’ve orbited the sun a few times now, and I’ve got a healthy scepticism when companies make big claims. But Wilson are nailing their colours pretty firmly to the mast here. They’re basically making guarantees.
When the Triad was first unveiled at the start of 2022, it had a very specific golfer in mind. Me. That’s right, if you were looking to break 80, this was the ball for you. And if you could get your swing speed into the mid 90s (yes, I can), even better.
You can see why. It really is great to hit. It feels like it absolutely crunches off the face with a driver, and the sound is incredibly satisfying. At the performance centre at Woodhall Spa, I just want to keep teeing up one after the other.
In fact, I was really pleased with the way the Wilson Triad appeared to hold in the air a little longer for me and the whooshing sound when club made contact with ball. I do like to get a satisfying noise when a shot is hit well. It was a joy to hit this ball with an iron.
I like the bold Wilson logo on the front and while I’d prefer the Triad symbol to be a solid black line to help alignment even further, the arrows on either side do help you point the ball to your intended target line.
Trust in Triad, we’re told. I think I do, Wilson. I think I do.
Pros:
- Low spin with driver should help players looking for extra distance off the tee.
- Great feel with an iron and superb stopping distances increases confidence with approaches.
- Really soft with pitches and around the greens.
Cons:
- A very minor grumble, but alignment logo could be bolder.
- Read the full Wilson Triad Golf Ball Review
RRP: £39
More information: Wilson website
Ram Golf Tour Spin golf ball
Out of the box, these balls feel hard. The Tour Spin is a three-piece construction ball with a DuPont Surlyn cover, and in your hands, it doesn’t have the same familiar Urethane cover feel golfers that use ‘tour’ balls are used to.
I do really like the black putter alignment aid Ram Golf have printed on the ball. It has 392 dimples which Ram Golf reckon is the perfect number to create a stable high flight and will lead to straighter shots.
From the driver again, these numbers are brilliant! 164mph ball speed, 275-yard carry is great for me. I couldn’t comment on whether the dimple pattern actually gave me the long straight ball flight, but the shots I hit were great. You can’t feel the ball’s firmness with these longer clubs and full swings.
I would have preferred higher levels of spin personally for me to look at putting a ball in the bag, but this ball offers a lot to golfers for £13 a dozen. Yes, that’s right, £13 a dozen. There are no golf balls out there offering this kind of performance for that price.
If you are a golfer that like a firm feel around the green, doesn’t often need to play a spinning shot with a wedge into the green, and is looking for a stable trajectory with the longer clubs at a low price, do not look any further than the Ram Tour Spin golf ball.
Pros:
- Great ball speed
- Will spin enough into greens for most golfers
- Durable
Cons:
- Very firm feel around the greens
- Read the full Ram Golf Tour Spin Golf Ball Review
RRP: £39.99 for 36 balls
Callaway Supersoft golf ball
Super long, super straight, super soft. Just super in fact. That’s quite the set of claims for a golf ball that retails at under £30 a dozen but the Callaway Supersoft golf ball has enjoyed enduring popularity and the equipment giant say they’ve advanced the cover, core, and construction technologies, while also promising improved performance from tee to green.
A HyperElastic SoftFast Core is said to be optimised for faster speed and a softer feel around the green and the Hybrid Cover should also “create more wedge control while still maintaining distance, very soft feel, and durability”.
It’s in chipping and putting around the greens where I got the most out of this ball, though, and it was really very impressive. I loved the feel on contact when coming out of a bunker and, unusually for me, I actually managed to get some action on this golf ball on landing.
It’s easily the softest ball I’ve struck on the putting surface this year and it had a very pleasing sound as the putter made contact. I thought I’d have to hit it a bit harder to get it to the hole but the Callaway Supersoft had a really nice consistent roll and didn’t appear to hurt me too much on mis-hits. There was also good distance control with long putting.
When you badge all of that performance up with a price tag under £30, you really are getting an awful lot for your cash. Maybe I’ll just have to rein in the big stick!
Pros:
- Exceptional value at the price.
- Long distance with an iron in hand.
- Great sound and feel around the greens.
Cons:
- Higher swing speed players may find it difficult to control with a driver.
- RELATED: Read our full Callaway Supersoft Golf Ball Review
RRP: £29
Colours: White, Yellow, Pink, Red, Orange, Green
More information: Callaway website
Titleist Tour Speed golf ball
The Titleist Tour Speed golf ball is great for players who are chasing more distance off the tee whilst not losing the feel and keeping some control. This is the ball you play when you are just not quite ready yet to use a tour ball.
The Tour Speed has had a complete make over which features the new 346 Quadrilateral Dipyramid Dimple Design, new core, new casing and cover. I was excited to see how it compared to the Pro V1x ball that I really like.
The ball was reactive on chips and bunker shots, too, when struck well, which was a pleasant surprise as normally this is what you lose when moving away from the top-end ball. I also liked the alignment aid on the ball which helped me line my putts up better.
Moving onto the 7 irons, I was actually really pleased with the performance of the Titleist Tour Speed. The spin is nice and high where I am comfortable with it, and the carry distance of 182 yards is solid. The ball sounds and feels great from the 7 iron and one shot carried 191 yard which is bonkers.
This is an excellent ball and will suit a lot of players. Alongside the Titleist Velocity, Tour Soft and TruFeel, it’s a great ball offering an incredibly soft feel and distances that amateurs will love.
Pros:
- Extremely consistent
- Impressive distance from the tee
- Great ball flight with irons and driver
Cons:
- Didn’t generate enough spin on 50 yard wedge shot
- Read the full Titleist Tour Speed Golf Ball Review
RRP: £40 per dozen
Colours: White, Yellow
More information: Titleist website
Best Winter and Cold Weather Golf Balls 2024
Whether you’re after a brighter coloured ball for visability or simply a ball to give you a little extra distance in the colder months our guide to the best winter golf balls has a great choice.
Remember, different balls are designed for different players and conditions and so swapping out your premium ball for winter will likely be cost effective as well as score effective.
If you’ve not yet decided on what ball to game this season, check out our Best Golf Balls 2024 buying guide.
