Cold weather shouldn’t stop you from getting out there on the course. Some of the best golf you can play is in the winter when the courses aren’t crowded, and you can experiment more with some shots. It’s never a bad time to get better, and finding the right golf balls to help you through it is imperative. That’s why the best cold weather golf balls must be yours if you’re out there when the temperature is low.
For you to shoot low in those conditions, the best cold weather golf balls should be a part of your arsenal. In addition, you’ll want winter gloves, winter golf shoes, and golf beanies to attack the course. Now you just need to pick up a sleeve or two and get out there.
Here is a list of the best cold weather golf balls to play with to battle against tougher weather days. They’ll help you get that practice in when there aren’t many others out there.
Best Cold Weather Golf Balls: Our Top Picks
Best Winter Golf Balls: TaylorMade Tour Response
Best for Distance: Callaway SuperSoft
Best for Windy Days: Vice Pro Plus
Best for Wet Conditions: Bridgestone e12 Contact
Best Value: Wilson Tour Velocity
Best for Greenside Control: Titleist TruFeel
TaylorMade Tour Response Golf Ball (Best Winter Golf Balls)
The TaylorMade Tour Response is a mid-compression golf ball made with three pieces that help increase overall ball speed and keep spin in control, especially from the tee.
- Excellent value for seniors
- Impressive feel
- Good distance
- Easy to launch
- Nice greenside spin
- Help alignment with shots
- Too soft for some players
- Less spin than premium ballsMay feel too soft for some
We picked this ball as the best for slow swing speeds, and it is also our favorite to play with in the winter. This is a three-piece ball that allows for multiple swing styles to have success. That matters, especially in the colder weather when balls may not fly as far.
It features an ultra-low compression core and a crosslinking chemical reaction that creates an irreversible link to deliver better resistance. That’s because it handles the swing and increases the ball speed.
Even though it is a ball that can cut through tougher conditions, it’s still easier to control the spin compared to some other mid to low-compression balls. While it isn’t as elite at spinning as some premium balls, it does allow you to work well around the greens.
You won’t get gouged on price with these balls, and they have 322 dimples, allowing your backspin on the green to help your balls check. This also is a durable ball that can fight against the harsh conditions of the winter. It does a lot of things right to make it playable at all times of the year.
Callaway SuperSoft Golf Balls (Best for Distance)
The Callaway Supersoft is one of the lowest-compression golf balls in the game. A new PARALOID Impact Modifier in the cover, high launch, and low spin make it a tremendous addition for any slow-swing speed beginner.
- Easy to compress
- Excellent performance for slow swingers
- Great distance
- Helps with launch
- Good greenside spin
- Many color options
- Not optimal for fast swingers
Most amateur players with medium to slow swing speeds need the help they can get when it comes to distance. This has a new hybrid cover that helps boost distance, so you don’t have to be swinging incredibly hard to make it go far.
It’s actually engineered to help you hit straighter shots. The PARALOID Impact Modifier, made by DOW Chemical, is built into the cover. This lets fast ball speeds, high launch, and low spin improve your longer clubs.
The aerodynamics of the design help reduce drag, so even if it’s a bitterly cold and windy day, your ball will still travel. This also allows for greater greenside control, so your iron shots and wedges should check nicely. It’s called SuperSoft for a reason.
Another huge plus in the wintertime is that these balls come in red, yellow, orange, green, and pink, making them easier to see in darker conditions.
Vice Pro Plus Golf Balls (Best for a Windy Day)
- Built for distance
- Can control ball flight quite well
- Decent greenside spin
- Very affordable for a 4 piece ball
- Greenside backspin is not all that good
When you’re playing in windy conditions, you need to try and hit the ball on a lower trajectory. A higher trajectory can get the ball heading in different directions as it gets caught up in the air. Vice Pro Plus balls are made for a low flight trajectory, allowing you to hit it long and low.
Speaking of long, these are optimized for long distances, as they have four-piece construction. The energy transfer through the highly resilient core creates a transfer process that can cut through bad winds. It will actually help you straighten out the ball.
Your ball won’t hook or slice as much. But, thanks to the 336 dimple design, it is easier to control. Plus, it can easily grab a green, allowing you to check it on wedge shots.
Offered in lime, red, and white, you’ll be able to spot these balls no matter where you hit them. They are highly visible.
Bridgestone e12 Contact Golf Balls (Best for Wet Conditions)
Bridgestone e12 golf balls offer excellent distance at a reasonable price. They help players fight a hook or a slice, giving them a straighter ball flight.
- Exceptional value
- Good distance ball
- Can help stop a slice or hook
- Good feel
- Available in bright colors
- Greenside spin isn’t the best
Battling against wet weather is a pain for anyone. But it’s even worse when it’s cold and wet. The e12 Contact balls are made to give you better contact.
The Contact force dimple creates 38% more surface contact between itself and your club.
That makes for a more efficient energy transfer. It allows water to bounce off more rather than sit on the ball.
It features a softer core that gives you an enhanced feel on your ball. While you can’t control this as much as some other balls, it still does give you some control.
Around the green, you can enjoy some increased friction to produce more checking of your spin. On full shots, however, the aerodynamics of the design reduces hooks and slices. It has a sidespin-reducing mantle.
These are offered in white and four matte colors: green, red, and yellow.
Wilson Tour Velocity Golf Balls (Best Value)
Enjoy a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to this pack of balls. It delivers the distance most users want, and it’s durable to play with in colder months.
- Mid compression core that helps with short game
- Delivers maximum distance and roll
- Aerodynamic design boosts performance
- Good price
- Doesn’t deliver as much spin as a premium ball
While playing in the winter, some ground may be covered in frost or mud. It can be easier to lose balls in those types of conditions. These are balls that deliver plenty for their cost.
Each has a hard cover made from material that generates an optimal ball trajectory for maximum distance and roll. This provides distance for medium to slow swingers that need it.
The aerodynamic design of the dimple pattern helps cut through tougher winds, keeping your ball nearer to the fairway (or at least where you were aiming). You can get 15 balls in a pack for less than $2 a ball.
It features a mid-compression core that helps introduce some greenside control that most golfers can use. For the price, this is a longer golf ball that is durable and won’t get scuffed up.
Titleist TruFeel Golf Balls (Best for Greenside Control)
- Cheapest Titleist golf ball
- Excellent all-rounder
- Good ball speeds
- Nice distance off the tee
- Responds well around the greens
- Relatively soft feel
- Fast swingers can lose distance with the driver
This low-compression ball works great for cool mornings and cold days. The thin TruFlex cover allows you to easily control your ball around the green. It provides a lot of spin, helping you master your shots with your wedges.
It has been reformulated to provide an ultra-soft feel and a premium-quality build. The 376 tetrahedral dimple cover design helps your ball cut through brutal winds and roll more smoothly on the greens.
The larger and faster TruTouch core is low compression, making it a good ball for the winter. It can give you distance in the long game and control for the short game.
It is offered in white, yellow, and matte red, making it easier to see in the wintertime.
What to Consider When Buying Golf Balls for Cold Weather
If you’re an average golfer, you may not think the ball you use makes that big of a difference. But in cold weather, it can be the difference between spraying shots and keeping balls straighter. So here are some qualities to look for.
Compression
Low-compression balls are generally the best for beginners, seniors, and those with slower swing speeds. But in cold weather, the wind tends to be harsher. You want a softer ball that will keep a lower trajectory. That’s precisely what a low-compression ball does. There are fewer pieces in the construction of a low-compression ball, so it feels softer.
Harder balls and higher compression balls feel heavier in the winter, making them more challenging to hit cleaner. They also need more energy transferred to them to make them go farther. With a thinner ball and a softer cover, less energy has to be transferred to the core to make it go.
Dimple design
You want a ball with a dimple design that is more aerodynamic. It can help cut through the denser air and tougher winds, keeping your ball from getting caught up in swirling winds. The right dimple design can help your ball stay lower and straighter off the tee. It can also check more easily on the green, especially if it’s slick.
Color
A golf ball with brighter color options is a smart purchase for cold weather. The ground you’re playing on may be covered in mud or snow. A ball that sticks out will be easier to see.
FAQs
Cold weather makes a ball travel less distance. That’s because less energy and heat are transferred upon contact when the ball and club are colder. That means less heat reaches the core, and the ball won’t travel as far.
Cold weather also means that the air is denser rather than warmer. Since the air is denser, the ball has to battle more while it’s in the air. It causes the ball to deal with friction and drag, meaning it’s more likely to get knocked down easily and travel less.
Moisture can be built up on the ground more in cold weather, meaning your ball will have to deal with precipitation that may affect how well your club face contacts the cover.
You certainly can, especially if you want to keep your drives lower on a cold and windy day. Low-compression balls can go further in cold weather than high-pressure balls, particularly for people with slower swing speeds.
There are great balls that can balance their low compression with quality greenside control. Those kinds of balls may be better to play with in the winter.
Conclusion
Cold weather affects golf balls, and having the wrong one can make for a tougher day on the course. You want balls with a low to mid-compression core that can still get efficient energy transfer even when the temperatures drop.
A ball like the TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball can cut through denser air and also help you near the greens with solid control. Making sure your club makes the best contact in cold weather is vital to playing well. The design of the best cold weather golf balls is up to the challenge.
