Have you ever heard the cliche “cheaper isn’t always better”? It applies to all facets of life, even the game of golf. Saving a few bucks is nice, but not if it comes at the expense of your performance on the course.

Some golf balls perform so terribly that they should be avoided at all costs. Here are the 10 worst golf balls of all time. Steer clear of these if you want to shoot a decent score during your next round of golf!

The 10 Worst Golf Balls You Can Buy

1. Top Flite XL Distance

Top Flite makes some decent golf clubs but their golf ball manufacturing skills are highly questionable, to put it mildly. Top Flite uses the cheapest materials they can find to make an outer cover that gives off an annoying sound at impact. The price of the Top Flite XL Distance golf balls is super low but it’s simply because they are offering a low-quality ball.

Why You Should Avoid:

• Hard as a rock and has an awful sound
• Doesn’t roll very well at all on the greens
• Easily manipulated by even moderate winds
• Can’t generate any spin with wedges
• Doesn’t provide the extra distance that it claims

2. Callaway Warbird

Callaway is one of the most respected brands in the golf ball manufacturing industry but the Warbird was a giant swing and a miss. A lot of folks are drawn to the Warbird because of their low cost of only $1.33 each. However, these balls perform so terribly that it’s hard to believe that they were made by Callaway.

Why You Should Avoid:

• No softness whatsoever; some folks say hitting these golf balls caused their hands to vibrate
• Ball flight has no consistency
• Hard to control on short game shots like chips, pitches, and bunker shots
• Too much spin for most players
• Low level of durability

3. Vice Pro

Vice Golf is one of our favorite up-and-coming manufacturers in the industry, but their Pro line of premium golf balls just isn’t worth the money. The urethane cover gives this ball a decent feel when you make contact but we expect more from a three-piece ball that costs nearly three bucks apiece.

Why You Should Avoid:

• Spins too much on tee shots and leads to more hooks and slices
• Not much ball speed for a premium ball
• Ball flight is decent but not enough to be considered a high-launch ball that most golfers desire
• Not a great choice for beginners or even average golfers

4. Pinnacle Gold

Pinnacle has a few playable lines out there but their Gold model is one of the worst golf balls on the market. Your wallet may be able to afford Pinnacle Golds but your scorecard sure can’t. Think twice before buying this one.

Why You Should Avoid:

• Too hard, which makes it impossible to create any type of spin
• Ionomer covers usually hold up okay but these get scuffed and nicked rather easily on the course
• Annoyingly heavy sound off the tee
• Doesn’t perform well at all on chips and pitches
• Too high of compression rating for beginners, ladies, and seniors

5.Wilson Staff Duo

Wilson is one of our favorite companies in the golf manufacturing industry, but the Duo was a terrible invention. Though the Duo rolls pretty well on the green and the cost is somewhat low, it has a ton of flaws that simply cannot be ignored.

Why You Should Avoid:

• The low compression is nice but it’s way too low for even average golfers
• Too easily influenced by the wind
• The dimple design makes it nearly impossible to hit shaped shots like draws or cuts
• Doesn’t supply plenty of distance like other golf balls that Wilson makes
• Some reviewers have said that the Duo is 10-20 yards shorter than the TaylorMade TP5X

6. Precept Laddie Extreme

These are made by Bridgestone so it’s a little surprising that these are on our list. Nevertheless, we recommend avoiding these golf balls if at all possible. If you are dead set on buying Bridgestone, you are much better off with the e6 or e12 models.

Why You Should Avoid:

• Claims to have a dimple pattern that takes aerodynamics into play but the poor ball flight suggests otherwise
• Much less spin on wedge shots than all other golf balls that Bridgestone makes
• Travels about 20 yards shorter than the Titleist Pro V1 off the tee
• Too hard for golfers with a slower swing speed and allows too much side spin on each shot

7. Kirkland Signature Golf Balls

Kirkland golf balls were quite popular for a while because you could get a ton of them at Costco for a cheap price. While many folks assume that Costco makes the Kirkland brand, they are made by a company in China called Qingdao SM Parker. These golf balls perform okay on the course but the problem is that they don’t hold up well at all.

Why You Should Avoid:

• The outer cover gets cuts, nicks, and scuffs in it way too easily
• Doesn’t spin as much as a three-piece urethane ball should
• A lot of the Kirkland balls you see on the market have been recycled, which causes a huge decrease in distance and overall performance

8. Slazenger Raw Distance Golf Balls

We have to admit that the Slazenger Raw Distance ball does indeed carry pretty well. However, the titanium-enhanced cover gives off almost a gunshot sound at impact. Stay away from these bad boys, unless you’re just wanting to scare your buddies off the tee box.

Why You Should Avoid:

• Hard as a rock, which makes putting even more challenging
• Gives off a loud sound and even causes some vibration for some golfers
• Decent for distance but won’t perform well for chips and pitches

9. Nike Mojo Golf Balls

Sure, Nike makes some cool-looking golf gear and the Mojo name has a nice swagger to it. However, the overall quality of this golf ball leaves much to be desired. While we are big fans of Nike golf hats, we recommend staying away from the Mojo golf balls.

Why You Should Avoid:

• The hard feel makes most wedge shots difficult 
• A low spin ball that is okay for tee shots but awful for approach shots
• Hard to keep any type of accuracy with this ball

10. Strata Eagle Golf Balls

Strata is a popular brand for women golfers and they do offer a pretty good set of ladies’ golf clubs. However, proceed with caution when buying any type of Strata golf balls. While the high ball flight of these balls is impressive, the distance and feel are both below average.

Why You Should Avoid:

• Good launch but not much roll out
• Doesn’t roll very well on the greens
• Nowhere near as good as the Strata Boom
• Not soft enough for most golfers

Here’s a List of Better Golf Balls to Check Out

Now that you know which golf balls to avoid, you may be wondering which golf balls are worth buying. In the following articles, we discuss the ins and outs of some of the best golf balls in the industry. Feel free to check these out before making your next golf ball purchase.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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When comparing the best versus worst stand bag of 2022, we compared 43 products. 43?! Could 43 golf bags really be all that different?

You would be surprised.

The Vessel Player III DXR is the best overall stand bag in 2022. So which took the dubious title of the year’s worst? Read on!

Verdict

The Vessel Player III DXR is the best stand bag in 2022 with a rating of 93/100. This bag has all of the best pocket sizes and locations, it can work for walking or cart riding, has the best setup as far as dividers are concerned and even has a premium look and feel to complement all those features. The Vessel golf bags are more expensive than others on the market but, in this case, you certainly get what you pay for.

The worst stand bag in 2022 is the Jones Classic Stand Bag. At first glance, it’s obvious this bag does have the same detail or finish as the Vessel Player III DXR. When comparing the best versus worst stand bag, the only area in which the Jones Classic Stand Bag beat the Vessel was with the total weight. Every other aspect did not measure up, earning the Jones Classic a score of just 75/100.

How We Test

The best versus worst stand bag was part of our 2022 Best Stand Bag testing. This process took a total of 23 hours and all bags were tested by the same tester. A total of 43 were tested for things like weight, number of dividers, storage, pockets, colors and features. During the testing process, we took into account walkability as well as cart-riding features.

Performances

• The Vessel Player III DRX got a first-place finish for the dividers. This includes the number of and location of dividers as well as their usability. The Jones Classic came in 31st.
• At 6.6 pounds, one of the heaviest on the market, the Vessel DXR took 33rd place in the weight category. The Jones Classic came in at 5.3 pounds.
• Walkability with the Vessel DXR is third-best, despite the weight. The Jones Classic finished 35th, the lowest of all of its finishes.
• Features were another category where Vessel took the top honor. Its third-place finish compared to a 27th-place finish from Jones Classic. The bag with the best overall features was the PING Hoofer.
• The final scores were 93 for the Vessel DXR and 75 for the Jones Classic.

Behind the Scenes of Best Versus Worst Stand Bag

Testing golf stand bags head to head clearly reveal whether their features are truly better than the competition. In our testing, we determined the technology and performance of the Vessel Player III DXR can enhance your golfing experience. Here are more details on what the Vessel DXR and the Jones Classic claim to offer customers and what they bring to the course.

Vessel Player III DXR

• The top dividers and design easily earned the Vessel Player III DXR the top spot.
• The magnetic pockets, especially the one for a water bottle, help it stand out from a usability standpoint.
• Organizational features include an anti-microbial-lined valuables pocket, interior lock pocket, magnetic rangefinder pocket and pen slot.
• Materials include high-quality synthetic leather and plush mesh-lined dividers.
• The one downside to the Vessel Player III DXR is its relatively heavy 6.6-pound weight.

Jones Classic Stand Bag

• Jones Classic Stand Bag is supposed to look like a modern version of a traditional golf bag. From that perspective, Jones did a great job.
• The pocket design on the bag is symmetrical, creating a classic look but tthe overall storage is poor. Getting things out of the bag can be difficult.
• You can carry this bag on either shoulder, whichever is more comfortable. A backpack carry strap would have been an excellent addition. The good news is that the 5.3 -pound bag is not too heavy.
• The top dimensions of the bag are 8″ x 8″, considerably smaller than the Vessel and not as well designed. The three-way divider does not give much room for your clubs to be separate from each other.
• The key here is that if you care about the look of the bag and want something traditional and classic, the Jones is perfect. However, the functionality is lacking.

Bottom Line

In the end, the Vessel Player III DXR clearly shows its impressive features and functionality. You won’t have to work too hard to find a reason to like this golf bag. In fact, with its clean look, magnetic pockets and perfectly designed top, we had a hard time choosing our favorite feature. The only thing left to decide is which of the five colors you want.

*We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

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If you followed our 2022 Best Rangefinder test, it was likely no surprise that the Bushnell Pro XE took the top spot. It’s kind of what we expect from Bushnell these days. But how did it compare to the lowest-performing rangefinder in the test?

We will show you.

Verdict

The Bushnell Pro XE is the best rangefinder. Period. It earned a total overall score of 94.5/100, the top spot in accuracy and second place in speed and optics. It’s tournament legal, takes weather into account when it calculates slope and has a reading that you can trust.

The last-place finisher for golf rangefinders in 2022 was the Zoom Focus X with an overall score of 78.5/100. Its rating for things like features, accuracy and speed were some of the lowest across the entire test. Of course, there is a price difference between the Bushnell Pro XE and the Zoom Focus X that is worth mentioning. However, when it comes to functionality and a yardage you can trust, the extra money is often worth it.

How We Test

The best versus worst rangefinder test consisted of 24 products all tested by the same golfer. Keeping the same golfer in charge of all the testing allowed for an accurate comparison and the ability to do more head-to-head testing. A total of 24 hours were spent testing. Core testing factors included accuracy, speed, optics, display and features. Usability was also considered as well as the ability of the rangefinder to work in any conditions.

Performances

• The Bushnell Pro XE took top spot for accuracy. It is typically within half a yard of the pin even when there are trees or bushes behind the pin that could confuse other rangefinders. The Zoom Focus X took the 23rd spot for accuracy.
• When it comes to speed, most rangefinders are relatively quick. However, there was a considerable difference between the Pro XE and the Zoom Focus X when speed was tested, especially with the slope mode turned on. Zoom Focus X earned 23rd for speed.
• The optics brought another second-place finish for the Bushnell Pro XE and an 18th for the Zoom Focus X. This was one of the best stats for the Zoom Focus—maybe the name for the product is fitting!
• A sixth-place rating for display was the Bushnell Pro XE’s worst finish. Some other products have cleaner text or more customization. Display was the Zoom Focus’s best overall category, finishing in 16th place.
• The Bushnell Pro XE took third for features while the Zoom Focus finished 21st. It’s hard to even compare the Bushnell Pro XE against the Zoom Focus X considering the “slope with elements” technology found in the Pro XE.

Behind the Scenes of Best Versus Worst Rangefinder

Whether you think the Bushnell Pro XE or the Zoom Focus X could be a good fit for your game, it helps to know and understand some of these stats before you make your purchase. Here are the basics for what we determined were the best and worst rangefinders.

Bushnell Pro XE

• Perhaps the most impressive technology on the Bushnell Pro XE is the “slope with elements.”  The way this rangefinder can take in all factors that will impact your total yardage is incredibly impressive.
• Pinseeker with visual JOLT technology produces some of the most accurate readings.
• Slope can easily be turned on and off for tournament days and the 7X magnification makes it easy to see what you are faced with.
• The total range for the Bushnell Pro XE is 1,300 yards. This is a powerful piece of equipment.
• A strong magnetic cart mount technology is built in and it is strong. It will stay in place with no issues.
• The Bushnell Pro XE is one of the most expensive golf rangefinders but it has the technology to back up its price.

Zoom Focus X

• Zoom Focus X is an affordable rangefinder with slope. It allows golfers to turn the slope off when participating in a tournament.
• One of the features of the Zoom Focus X that received a high rating was the optics. This is due in part to the optical adjustment of up to +/- 5D. Those with poor eyesight or stability challenges will have no trouble with this unit.
• The micro USB charging allows for easy charging capability and a very long lasting unit.
• The real issues with the Zoom Focus X have to do with accuracy. It has a hard time picking up the target. When there is nothing surrounding the pin, expect a more accurate and quick yardage but that is not always the case.

Bottom Line

Rangefinders have quite a bit of internal technology as well as external features. Carefully considering the differences between units is highly recommended. The high ratings for Bushnell Pro XE came as no surprise but what took us aback was the very significant performance difference between it and the Zoom Focus X.

Take a look at the rest of our Best Rangefinders of 2022 test to see if there are other options that could work for your game.

*We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

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