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(UPDATED: Feburary, 2025.)
The golf ball is simultaneously the most pedestrian and the most personal genre of golf equipment.
At the most basic level, golf balls are everywhere: you can fish for them at the edge of the nearest pond or stream if you wish and never run out. But if you're an avid, discerning player, once you find a make and model golf ball that really works for you - that helps you squeeze a few more yards out of tee shots or that lands tenderly on greens after well-struck approaches - you probably have a hard time using any other type of ball.
That's how I've come to feel about the Titleist Pro V1x ever since I switched at the end of 2022. I had played the Pro V1 for years prior, but after Titleist sent me some of their 2023 models and I gave the Pro V1x a fair shot, something just clicked for me with that golf ball. It also taught me how to evaluate golf ball models against one another - a process I applied to my review of the brand-new 2025 edition of golf's most popular pellet.
More on Titleist's new Pro V1 and Pro V1x
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TaylorMade's updated TP5 and TP5x golf ball
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TaylorMade hadn't released a significant golf ball upgrade since 2021, but 2024 brought a refresh to their 5-layer tour models, used by Rory McIlroy and several other pros. "Speed Wrap" technology is the new characteristic of both models, with a lower-density core that helps lower spin at higher speeds, meaning optimized ball flight and distance off the tee. This line of golf balls also includes a Stripe option, with a 360-degree Clear Path Alignment that can help out significantly on the greens.
Callaway's revamped Chrome Tour golf balls (2024 update)
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For the last several years, Callaway's tour-line golf ball has carried the "Chrome Soft" name. In 2024, the golf giant rechristened it Chrome Tour. The urethane cover is still soft, but under the hood, Callaway improved the "Hyper Fast" core that drives both the softer, lower-spinning Chrome Tour and the slightly firmer, higher-spinning Chrome Tour X. Both models are also available with optional Triple Track and TruTrack alignment patterns.
Srixon's Q-Star Tour Divide ball (2024 update)
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GolfPass Managing Editor Jason Deegan has been a fan of Srixon's two-tone Q-Star Tour Divide golf balls since first trying them in 2021. In 2024, the company updated this reasonably-priced, three-piece urethane model, which is also available in traditional all-white or all-yellow in addition to the three Divide color combos.
New Wilson Staff Duo and Triad golf balls
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Even as its participation in golf has evolved, Wilson has been a top name in sporting goods overall for decades. It provides official balls for sports like football, basketball and tennis, so producing a golf ball fits, too. The latest approach from Wilson has resulted in two new models for 2025, including the Duo, which purports to be the world's softest golf ball with a 2-piece construction built for distance. The other, Triad, a 3-piece urethane ball, is geared towards golfers on a quest to break 80.
Bridgestone's Tour B golf ball line (2024 update)
Bridgestone continues to innovate around its golf balls, and it helps to have Tiger Woods in your corner. Part of the genius of the Tour B is its "REACTIV IQ" cover, which provides a gradually firmer feel on shots struck at progressively higher velocities. This year, they've paired that cover with a newly formulated mid-layer for greater tuning of feel and performance. Also new for 2024 is Mindset, an optional graphic available on Bridgestone's Tour B golf balls that helps golfers focus in on each shot, especially on the green. This feature was one of my favorite new items from the 2024 PGA Merchandise Show. $49.99.
PXG Xtreme Tour golf balls (2024 update)
After focusing on golf clubs for its first decade, PXG finally unveiled a golf ball in 2023 that received positive initial reviews before being refined into a two-product line in 2024. The PXG Xtreme Tour ball feels a little softer and spins a little less, while the Xtreme Tour X feels a little firmer and spins a little more, especially for higher swing speeds.
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Comments (2)
I hope the people buying these are not complaining about the high cost ( and ever increasing) of food
That is expensive