by Jessica A. Tucker

Created on: May 23, 2009   Last Updated: December 21, 2009

A question that can plague every level of golfer has to be which golf ball is best to use. Temperatures, altitude, course layout, and individual player ability level are all conditions that play a part in this choice. The golf ball really should not matter though, any golfer or person who tries the game for the first time should be able to take any beat up old Balata out their bag and play it the same as it it were a nice, shiny new ball.

In regards to temperature, altitude and other environmental factors that can affect ones golf game, a softer ball such as an eighty compression ball is better in the colder temperatures and higher places. Once the heat of the summer is in full bloom though, a harder ninety compression ball would be easier and more satisfying to play for the average to intermediate golfer.

I have spent the majority of my golfing time in mountainous regions with higher altitudes and lighter air. Venturing to a coastal area for a weekend of golf, I quickly learned why my golf game had taken a wrong turn and it was primarily because I could not play the same golf balls I would at home and hit the distances I was used to. Dense air and sea-level conditions made it necessary for me to switch to a lower compression ball, to achieve the same playing abilities I had at home.

I also tend to consider the shape of the golf course itself before I decide which ball to play for the round. If the course is looking to be playing rough or there is a good chance I may be spending quite a bit of time IN the rough or out out-of-bounds, I will leave the shiny new eight dollar golf balls in the truck and play my busted up old ones for the day. Too many times have I donated a sleeve or two of my expensive favorites to a track I new would eat them.

In regards to individual skill level and physical ability, a person with a smaller frame and slower swing speed, should generally play a softer, lower compression golf ball. Once swing speed increases, a higher compression ball can be played. For those beginning in the game, a softer ball would also make the learning process somewhat less painful. Closer to green, a softer ball can also be found quite a bit more receptive and forgiving for those fancy chip shots and putting. All in all, ball choice should not matter, the game should not come from the equipment, but the player behind it.

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