How to pick a golf ball when you're not a golfer?

How To Pick A Golf Ball When You're Not A Golfer:

We recognize that you’re a professional at marketing promotional products. However, we also recognize that you might have some clients who are really big into golf and you might be left clueless about selling them golf balls. Or maybe you have some clients that want to try golf, but they don't know which golf ball to begin with. Well, today is your day to learn! At Gold Bond we take pride in helping our distributors learn more about different industries to sell to and that includes golf! Let us help break down one of the most mentally challenging sports in the world and how to get off on the right foot with the right golf ball.

One of the first things a golfer needs to learn is how to make solid contact with the ball itself. Yes of course it all depends on your swing fundamentals, the type of golf course you play, the weather, and maybe how much caffeine you’ve consumed. However, what you're hitting matters. If you play TopGolf for fun, you might enjoy the motion of hitting a golf ball. The golf balls used at TopGolf are not the same golf balls used at a driving range or a real golf course. This entertainment facility actually uses limited flight golf balls with chips in them (for scoring). So, when you hit a limited flight golf ball versus a real golf ball, you will feel and notice a difference.

If you fall into the category in kicking tires at golf, you're not the only one and neither are your beginner golf clients! Companies like TopGolf have actually helped promote the sport of golf. Many people that have experienced a fun round of Top Golf are actually transitioning to the driving range at a golf course or taking up the sport as a whole. In 2022, the National Golf Foundation estimated off-course popularity had grown 40% over the past five years! That's a lot of new beginners taking an interest in golf and this is why we highly suggest heading over to a driving range to tone in some new skills and learn more about your needs.

Before we start talking about golf balls, let's explain a few common terms when talking about beginner to advanced golfers. These terms may be confusing if you don't play traditional courses often.

In this post we talk about beginner golfers, but in the golfing world they would be called high-handicappers. This comes from the term "handicap" which is the number that represents the golfer's ability based on their previous round's score," according to The Golf Club of The Everglades. This is a way to compare your performance. You want the lowest score which depends on the course's par (number of strokes it takes to hit the golf ball into the hole). For example, a course may have 9 holes, but each hole has its own par rating. So if each hole has a par rating of 3 on a 9 hole course, this course will have a total par rating of 27 (3 x 9 = 27). Therefore, your goal is to only strike the ball 27 times during that entire round, which would give you a handicap score of 0. In short, your handicap number is the amount of strokes you make over the course's par rating. Realistically, that's not common and may take 47 strokes. If that's the case, you would have taken 20 strokes over par to complete the round. That would make your handicap score of 20. Most beginners are deemed to be considered high-handicap golfers if their handicap score is 20 or more.

Beginners/Novice-are high-handicap golfers with a handicap average of 20 or more, usually shooting in the high 90's or more on an 18 hole golf course with a 72 par rating. These are new golfers that have just started their golfing journey and/or only play 1 to 5 times a year.

Intermediate-are typically high to mid-range handicap golfers with a handicap average of 10 to 20 , that's shooting an 85 to mid 90s on an 18 hole golf course with a 72 par rating. These players normally play between 5 and 15 times a year and may be your typical charity golf outing participant.

Advanced-are low handicap golfers who generally have a handicap average of 9 or below. They shoot in the 70s or low 80s on an 18 hole golf course with a 72 par rating. They play 1 to 3 times a week and may play some tournaments.

Tour Level-are touring professional, collegiate, or low handicap amateurs. They play multiple times a week and in many tournaments throughout the year.

Now that we got the math equations out of the way, let's take a deeper look at golf balls and help you understand the overall construction and how to help your client choose which one to pick based on what kind of handicap player they are.

#1 The Anatomy of a Golf Ball

There are three main components that make up a golf ball: the core, the dimples, and the cover.

The core is the inner part of a golf ball. When hitting a golf ball, energy is created, causing the ball to briefly transform shape at impact. The core is designed to support the energy that's being transferred to the ball. For beginners and high-handicap golfers, you will want a ball that has a two-piece construction. This design is made with a larger core that maximizes distance while minimizing movement and spin. This is a great option for those who only play a couple rounds of golf a year and may have a very slow swing speed. The reason it's called a two piece construction, is one due to the core, but two because the cover is much thicker to allow extra protection.

If you are selling to golfers with mid-to-low handicaps with faster swing speeds, a multi-layer construction will be ideal for them. This is where the core has multiple layers to elevate control and feel. These will have a thinner cover to enhance spin control and provide smoother hitting.
Even if you are not a golfer, we're sure you have noticed their tiny dimples. So why do golf balls have them? Well, dimples actually help the golf ball fly! They vary in shape, sizes, and patterns all of which affect distance, stability, and spin rate. This is due to the thin layer of air that clings to the surface that then travels back to increase lift and decrease aerodynamic drag. Who knew there was also so much science behind golf?

We talked a little about covers when discussing cores, but let's learn a quick history lesson on them too. When someone mentions the word "cover" when discussing golf balls they are talking about the outer shell of the ball. There are two main golf ball covers: Urethane and Surlyn. Urethane covers are typically found on high-end balls and are preferred by more skilled players (low handicappers) so we are going to focus more on Surlyn. Surlyn is an ionomer resin that was introduced by DuPont in the mid-1960. Ever since then Surlyn has been a popular choice for golf ball covers and are the most durable while offering lower spin off on tees. This is why they are great for mid to high handicap players.

#2 Looking For The Right Fit

There's a right fit for every golfer based on their skill level and sometimes not. According to our Golf Director & PGA Golf Professional, Robb Medonis, players might want "more distance off the tee or more spin around the greens; or maybe it’s a golfer that wants to hit the ball the tour players play or maybe it’s someone that just doesn’t care as long as it is round." But Is there a difference between a cheap golf ball and an expensive golf ball? The cheap golf balls have fewer materials and are designed to offer a single benefit to a golfer (i.e. distance, high ball flight, low spin). An expensive golf ball is typically made of more layers, which can offer multiple levels of performance and functionality for a player. Based on one of our marketing surveys, we know 43% of you are looking for Good, Better, and Best options. However, when it comes to golf balls the terms “good, better, best,” don’t necessarily mean value. It refers to pricing and material components of the golf ball and in many cases will be based on skill level.

Here are some examples based on skill level:

Good (Novice/Beginner) - This type of golf ball is ideal for that beginning golfer or that casual once-in-a-while golfer who needs a durable, low cost ball that they don’t mind losing. Great golf balls for budget conscious event planners and typically have a 2-piece construction. Two piece constructions are durable and promote distance due to lower compression (Wilson Ultra, Bridgestone Treo , Callaway Warbird)

Better (Intermediate) - The best overall value - these balls are designed for the frequent golfer who averages between 85-105 for 18 holes. They are reasonably priced with solid performance characteristics (good distance and feel around the greens). This option is suitable for event planners who want to make a positive impression on their participants without breaking the budget. They are typically made with two to three piece construction and have a softer feel that is easier to compress (Callaway Supersoft, TaylorMade Distance+, & Bridgestone E6)

Best (Advanced & Tour Level) - These golf balls are designed for the low handicap player who shoots in the low 80s and 70s. These are often recommended for touring professionals who demand high performance. Players with faster swing speeds and wanting lots of action around the greens will be able to compress these golf balls for maximum distance and spin. Event planners with larger budgets who want to make a strong impression with brand recognition on their participants may choose to go with these premium golf balls too. Advanced options like Callaway Chromesoft, Titleist Tour Soft are made with multi-layers for distance and feel. Tour-level golf balls will have multi-layers designed for specific performance (Bridgestone Tour BX & BXS, Titleist Pro V1 & V1X)

#3 The Overall Look

When shopping for golf balls, golfers may not solely base their decisions on skill level, but also how the overall look will be. This is where things get fun for you as a distributor!

Price- This is your most influential attribute for golfers with average ability when purchasing golf balls. They are looking for a recognizable brand name but don’t want to pay premium prices. Beginners will follow what’s recommended. Advanced players want to play what the touring pros play.

Brand Recognition- The second most influential attribute in purchasing golf balls is brand recognition. Golfers like playing what the pros play or at least a sports brand they know. Your Top 5 PGA Tour brands are: Titleist, Callaway, Bridgestone, Srixon and TaylorMade. Other brands golfers recognize are Wilson, Maxfli, Mizuno, & Volvik with newcomers like Vice and ZeroFriction.

Design- Golf balls now come in various designs. Some look like miniature soccer balls. Some have directional markings to help the golfer align their ball when putting. These balls perform just as well as all-white balls. One great examples would be CALLAWAY TRUVIS.

Color- For the visual golfer, there are all kinds of colorful golf balls. They range from bright solid colors to matte finishes and even two-tones. Against lush green grass, colored golf balls are easy to find! The performance of these balls are no different than solid white golf balls. Examples of colorful golf balls would be Wilson DuoSoft or Volvik Vivid.

Imprinting- At Gold Bond, we have more than one decoration option for imprinting golf balls. 5 Spot colors and full color process. However, when selecting a colored golf ball such as Matte Pink Callaway Supersoft, then your imprinting will be black only. We do this in order to provide the best overall look for your clients. We use digital printing as our main printing method for golf balls.

We hope this blog post was able to educate you more and give you more confidence when approaching the golf industry. This includes event planners, or even executives that play a few rounds a month. Please don’t freak out, because we know it can be a lot, but we don't want you to miss out on many successful opportunities. In fact, there are nearly 14,000 Golf Facilities in the United States and 16,000 Golf Courses. That means there are more golf courses than there are Starbucks across the nation! Imagine all the branding opportunities!

Our Sales Team has been trained by our very own PGA Golf Professional, Robb Medonis and will be able to answer any questions. In fact, they will even be able to recommend alternative options if a specific golf ball is currently out of stock. We offer a broad range of brands and types to fill that void! BOOK A CALL today with your Sales Rep if you are interested in learning more.