The Amazon Basics Golf Ball: Worth The Hype? Real Reviews Before Our Robot Test

Almost 500 reviews on the new Amazon golf ball.

As the foremost authority on golf balls, it’s our duty to let you know if the recently released (and subsequently sold-out) Amazon Basics Core Soft Golf Ball is worth your hard-earned cash.

We’ve already run a dozen through our Ball Lab to confirm that the quality is up to snuff. All that’s left is to get them on a robot against the best balls in the industry and see how they stack up.

The only problem? That takes a lot of time. Don’t worry. We started the process last week and will have real robot test data on the Amazon golf ball for you as soon as we can.

In the meantime, we didn’t want to keep you waiting. So we asked golfers who’ve already taken the new Amazon balls for a spin to share their real thoughts and ratings. Think of it like an Amazon review of the Amazon golf ball.

Naturally, we used a star rating, because that’s what’s familiar. We asked golfers to rate the Amazon golf ball on five basic criteria: Distance, Feel, Greenside Spin, Durability and Value.

We also asked golfers if the Amazon ball was better than their current ball AND if they were likely to buy it again.

Just under 500 golfers just like you who have played with the new ball and shared their honest feedback.

Distance

As far as distance goes, the Amazon ball received a 3.5-star rating. As one would expect, distance was above average according to golfers who have tried the ball but not quite on par with the more premium options.

“The Amazon balls are definitely consistent but shorter than a tour-level ball, which is to be expected. I hit a couple Callaway Supersofts and Maxfli Tour X to compare. The Maxfli flew the furthest, the Callaway basically landed next to one of the Core Soft balls,” one tester remarked.

Feel

Feel is definitely subjective but most golfers agreed that the feel was slightly above average.

“They’re definitely soft off the putter,” one golfer said.

“The 2-layer design gives you the super soft feel you’d expect from a ball of this type,” another mentioned.

“I like the feel of the ball off the driver, irons and putter. It’s soft (ish) but not like a Wilson DuoSoft marshmallow,” another golfer said.

Greenside spin

The lowest rating the Amazon golf ball received was in the greenside spin category (2.8 stars). Most who played with it noted that it was noticeably less spinny, which is not unexpected given its construction.

“Very low spin since the cover is soft and the core of the ball is even softer,” said one tester.

“From 150 in, this ball doesn’t spin!” another mentioned.

“They definitely lack spin on 40yd shots and in,” griped another tester.

Durability

Just how durable is a $1 golf ball? Testers gave the Amazon golf ball a rating of 3.5 stars in the durability category.

“Ball landed in sand three times during the game. At the end of the game, the ball looked no worse for wear. No scuffs. Durable cover,” said one golfer who played the ball.

Value

Value is, of course, where the Amazon golf ball really shines. With a rating of 4.5 stars, it’s easy to see that this is the criterion that golfers most enjoyed about their time with the Amazon golf ball.

One tester put it like this: “I’d recommend the Amazon balls for a mid-high hcp golfer who can’t yet maximize the tech in tour-level offerings and tends to lose several balls per round. They’re cost-effective enough that if you lose a sleeve or more, it won’t break the bank, or the heart, like losing a $4.50 ball does.”

“For the beginner or even 18 handicap and up, I would recommend this ball quite heavily for its value and overall performance, providing height, distance, and tons of bang for the buck. A strong start for the brand!” another said.

Two final questions

Most golfers agreed that the Amazon golf ball would not or could not beat out their current gamer. It goes without saying that this was not unexpected, considering the data on what our readers tend to play.

But when it comes to the likelihood that they would play it again, the script is flipped. Nearly half of all the golfers who played the Amazon golf ball said they would buy it again.