Check out Golfweek’s list of the best golf balls available to purchase in 2024.
A decade ago, the sight of a non-white golf ball would raise a few eyebrows, but those days are long gone. TaylorMade, one of the largest golf ball makers in the world, predicts its non-white ball sales in 2024 – comprised of balls with stripes, special markings or customized logos – will eclipse traditional white ball sales for the first time.
Golf balls with corporate logos have been popular for decades, but tour pros like Rickie Fowler and Tommy Fleetwood compete in PGA Tour events, major championships and Ryder Cups using TaylorMade’s TP5 and TP5x Pix balls that have markings designed to aid in alignment and to reveal how purely you’ve hit your putt. Callaway’s Truvis balls, which are covered in pentagons, have been popular for several years and Srixon’s Divide balls are eye-catching in every weather condition and also help golfers perform better on the greens.
At the same time, manufacturers like Titleist, maker of the Pro V1, and Callaway, maker of the new Chrome Tour, have never made balls to a higher precisely, which means that from ball to ball, consistency is better than ever before.
With such a wide variety of balls on the market, ranging in price from about $22 to around $55 per dozen, finding a ball that matches your game and your budget can be tricky, but Golfweek’s 2024 Golf Ball Guide is here to help. Prioritize what you want from your golf ball (distance, short game spin, soft feel), and then think about a price range you are willing to pay. Keep in mind that if you go down in price, you will likely have to compromise something because the materials that make premium balls perform so well don’t come cheap.
Buy a three-ball sleeve of several different balls, go to the course and see how they perform on chip shots, pitch shots and short approach shots first, then see how they work for you with long irons and woods. The unique way you swing will make each ball play differently, but testing balls on the course will always be the best way to find your perfect golf ball.
Note: Golf balls are often released on two-year product cycles, which means updates are released every two years. For that reason, you will see several 2023 offerings alongside new 2024 putters.
The Skinny: The Pix golf balls perform identically to TaylorMade’s 2024 TP5 and TP5x balls, but updated designs added to the cover help golfers clearly see how the ball is rolling on the greens.
The Deep Dive: For decades, non-white golf balls were few and far between, with a handful of players opting to use high-visibility yellow or orange balls while playing partners snickered behind their backs. Tradition ruled, and golf doesn’t break from tradition easily.
Times have changed, and attitudes toward non-white golf balls have shifted dramatically. In 2024, TaylorMade anticipates selling more non-white golf balls than traditional all-white golf balls for the first time. While the MySymbol program allows for freedom of expression and personalization, the Pix balls are going to account for a significant percentage of TaylorMade’s non-white-ball increase.
The original TP5 and TP5x Pix balls were initially designed with the help of researchers at the University of Indiana in 2019. It was revealed at that time that we see a two-colored pattern more effectively and track it more easily than with a single color, so the X-shaped Pix markings were red and yellow. The Pix markings were updated in 2021 with the help of Rickie Fowler, who likes to draw a line on his golf ball. The new design allowed for that and created a clear path of white that made it easy to see if the roll a player created with his putting stroke was ideal.
The TaylorMade TP5x Pix and TP5 Pix for 2024. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
For 2024, the TP5 Pix and TP5x Pix remain identical to their all-white (or all-yellow) counterparts, with each ball having a soft core that is encased in three mantle layers and a cast urethane cover for extra greenside spin. However, the triangular black and orange design has been replaced with a diamond shape that has the orange areas on the inside area and the black pieces on the outside. Now, when you make a high-quality putting stroke, a white path is created in the center, and black stripes are formed on the outside as the ball rolls. If you swing across the ball as you putt or make a non-solid strike, the orange and black diamonds will blur and immediately provide you with visual feedback.
TaylorMade also made the side stamp and the lines that extend off it longer, so if players want to use it as an alignment aid instead of drawing a line on the ball, it will be easier to use.
The TP5x Pix has orange numbers, while the TP5 Pix has black numbers. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
“Tommy Fleetwood is playing a Pix ball, not just because he likes the performance of the ball,” said Mike Fox, TaylorMade’s senior category director for golf balls. “He’s using it because it makes him a better putter.”
According to TaylorMade, this core additive has never been used in golf balls.
Gear: TaylorMade TP5, TP5x balls (2024) Price: $54.99 per dozen Specs: Five-piece, urethane-covered golf balls available in white, yellow and Pix patterns. Available: February 15
Who It’s For: Golfers who want an elite combination of distance off the tee and with long irons, plus greenside spin and a softer feel.
The Skinny: Adding a new material to the core of the 2024 TP5 and TP5x balls allowed TaylorMade to decouple the relationship between speed and feel, so its most-premium balls could each be made faster but feel softer.
The Deep Dive: Historically, the two things that golfers want the most from a golf ball — more speed and better feel — have worked against each other. Manufacturers have worked with different materials and different manufacturing techniques to create better golf balls, but to get more speed, they have traditionally increased compression and produced firmer-feeling balls. Softer, better-feeling balls with lower compressions were more satisfying to hit, but that softer feel typically came at the expense of speed.
After taking three years instead of the typical two years to release an update to the 2021 TP5 and TP5x balls, TaylorMade feels that it has decoupled the old relationship between speed and feel and developed a way to give players more of both.
Working with Dow Chemical, TaylorMade has added a material it calls Speed Wrap to the rubber in the core of the TP5 and TP5x. According to TaylorMade, this core additive has never been used in golf balls before but changes the way the ball sounds when you hit it, producing a softer, deeper sound.
Golfweek had a chance to tour TaylorMade’s golf ball factory in Liberty, South Carolina, in late 2023, where TP5 and TP5x cores are turned into balls. When a TaylorMade representative dropped an old core and a new core on the ground and bounced them, the difference in sound was immediately apparent. The 2021 core produced a higher-pitched, clicking sound, while the 2024 core with the Speed Wrap additive sounded quieter and almost muffled.
The five-layer TaylorMade TP5 for 2024. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The Speed Wrap additive makes the balls sound and feel softer, but it does not make the new TP5 and TP5x balls faster. However, TaylorMade golf ball designers were able to make the cores in the 2024 TP5 and TP5x balls firmer, which gives them more speed, while the Speed Wrap softens the sound and feel produced at impact. The result, for most golfers, is a faster ball that also feels and sounds better.
Beyond changing the composition of the core in the TP5 and TP5x balls, TaylorMade has also updated the three mantle layers that encase the core. Each of the mantles has a different level of firmness, with the firmness increasing as one layer is added over another. The change in the level of compression, referred to as the delta, in the TP5 is about 53. The compression delta of the TP5x is 71.
On full-swing shots like drivers and 3-woods off the tee, the blunt strike from the club sends energy into the ball, through the mantle layers and into the core, activating it to generate speed and reduce spin. Full-swing shots hit with your short irons and wedges, which have more loft, make the balls behave differently. In those cases, the soft urethane cover can easily be grabbed by the grooves. Along with the added loft, it helps to create more spin for added control. On delicate chips and pitch shots, the core may not be activated at all, but the softness of the urethane cover layer again helps players generate more spin and control.
While both the 2024 TP5 and TP5x have a softer feel than their predecessors, the TP5 should still feel softer than the TP5x because it has a lower overall compression. The TP5x should provide players with more speed with wood and long irons because it is firmer, and it will generate a higher launch angle, too. The TP5, however, is designed to create slightly more spin than the TP5x with wedges.
The five-layer TaylorMade TP5x golf ball. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
TaylorMade’s tour staff has added the new balls to their bag quickly, with Rory McIlroy experimenting with the TP5 early in 2024 before opting to play the standard TP5x and winning his fourth Dubai Desert Classic on January 21. LPGA Tour star Brooke Henderson also added the 2024 TP5x to her bag earlier this season.
You don’t need to wait for Amazon Prime Day to take advantage of massive golf savings!
Amazon Prime Day begins Tuesday, July 11th, but why wait until then to score awesome deals? Prime Day is basically Christmas in July. Get all of your favorite new toys while it’s still golf season so you don’t have to survive the long wait until spring to hit the course!
With apparel, equipment, tech and even training aids finding a spot on our early deals list, we’ve done all of the heavy lifting for you so you can sit back, relax and shop until you drop.
We’ll have more lists coming Tuesday and Wednesday to help you prepare and capitalize on some of the best golf deals this side of Black Friday.
Check out these 13 Father’s Day golf gifts from PGA TOUR Superstore
Father’s Day will be here before you know it so take the time to pick out a perfect gift for dad.
Whether your dad is a scratch golfer, a true beginner or somewhere in between, PGA TOUR Superstore has exactly what you need to make this Father’s Day one to remember.
Get dad something he’ll be excited to use! With thousands of pieces of golf equipment, apparel, accessories and more at PGA TOUR Superstore, you’re sure to find a gift dad will love.
Nobody is quite like dad, so get him something personal…that he will actually use on the golf course.
Father’s Day is right around the corner which means it’s time to get your orders in if you want to gift dad a custom gift.
Believe it or not, the world of customizable golf gifts is much larger than just golf balls. We’ve found golf bags, accessories, apparel and more to help you knock your gift(s) out of the park this year.
Before every round of golf, pros on the PGA Tour show the other golfers with whom they are playing what ball they are using and the identifying marks drawn on it. The marks can be anything, but most golfers use initials, dots, lines or a lucky pattern. Some players take things a step further, opting to only play a certain number on the ball. For instance, Rory McIlroy plays the TaylorMade TP5 ball, but instead of a 1, 2, 3 or 4, his are 22s.
TaylorMade has offered non-white and patterned balls for several seasons, including the TP5 and TP5x Pix balls and the Tour Response Stripe ball, but with the MySymbol program, the Carlsbad, California-based equipment maker is aiming to take personalization to another level.
Personalized golf balls have been around for years, with TaylorMade offering 00 to 99 balls starting in 2011 and corporate-logoed balls being available well before that. But starting today, golfers can order customized TP5 and TP5x balls by choosing from more than 100 symbols that can replace the number on a ball. (There is no rule stating your golf ball must have a number on it.)
The symbols include animals, food, states, flags, holidays and sports. Golfers can also pick the color of the TaylorMade logo (navy, green, red, orange or pink) and opt to add up to four alphanumeric characters instead of the logo or eight characters on three eligible lines of text on the side of the ball. The symbols and text are added under the clear-coat finish, making them just as durable as any other part of the ball.
Collin Morikawa’s MySymbol ball has his dog, Koa, on it instead of a number. (TaylorMade)
So if you want a red TaylorMade logo with a taco under it … done. A navy blue TaylorMade logo with a largemouth bass under it, easy. A green TaylorMade logo with a cactus, no problem.
TaylorMade said Collin Morikawa plans to start using a ball with a dog that looks just like his goldendoodle, Koa. Charley Hull, another TaylorMade staff player, is expected to begin playing a MySymbol ball marked with an illustration of herself, complete with a pink visor, sunglasses and a ponytail.
The company aims to have all its staff players, PGA of America professionals and partners using a MySymbol ball within two years.
Over the years, TaylorMade manufactured and stored special-number balls. When supplies of 23s, 55s and 99s ran low, production of its standard-number balls was stopped briefly to make more of a special number ball. MySymbol balls won’t be manufactured that way, because TaylorMade does not want golfers to view the MySymbol balls as a novelty. These balls are meant to be used, so the company has seven new machines dedicated to creating MySymbol balls to order.
Caution: double black diamond golf gifts – experts only.
We all know at least one serious golfer. If you can’t think of anyone, chances are that you’re the serious golfer in your weekend foursome.
We also know that serious golfers can be hard to shop for. That’s why we’ve taken the time to curate a list of gifts that would satisfy any serious golfer, even if they already have one of these items.
If you’re wrapping up your holiday shopping or are someone who waits until the last minute, Golfweek has you covered. We have lists for every type of golfer. From men’s apparel to new gadgets and women’s apparel to personalized items, we’ve curated some of the best golf gifts to give this holiday season.
Find the best customizable golf gifts this holiday season.
What do you get the person who seemingly has everything? Add a personal touch that makes the gift just for them!
Personalizing a gift is easy when it comes to golf equipment and accessories. From shoes to glassware to golf balls and even golf tees, you can get your favorite golfer something they’re sure to love.
Here at Golfweek, we’re helping you gear up for the holiday season by giving you some of our favorite products that every golfer deserves. Check back later this month for golf gadgets, golf shoes, men’s apparel, women’s apparel, and more.
Popular streetwear brand Kith has partnered with TaylorMade Golf to introduce a limited edition 92-piece collection. This collection features apparel, accessories, and custom golf equipment.
TaylorMade Golf and Kith have designed a limited edition Stealth Plus Carbonwood driver, P·790 irons, MG3 wedge, Spider GT and TP Soto putters. All of the limited edition clubs feature gold accents.
On the apparel front, Kith has brought their hype-design streetwear for both on and off course styles. They have taken their modern designs and added a contemporary golf twist. J.R. Smith, former professional basketball player and current collegiate golfer, is the face of the collection.
Kith x TaylorMade limited edition clubs. (TaylorMade)
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