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You’d think that all of the hazards and elements working against you at a golf course should be enough to elevate the challenge. But there are certain factors that we tend to overlook despite their strong influence on the golf experience.
Case in point - eye sight and visual perception.
Let’s face it, we don’t all have perfect 20-20 vision. And golf gear manufacturers know that.
White golf balls are all well and good, but there’s no denying that those little things can be hard to see and find. So it begs the question - are yellow golf balls easier to see? Or any colored balls, for that matter? Here’s everything worth knowing.
Don’t think that those other guys on the course are just being fancy with their bright colored golf balls. The best high visibility golf balls are designed to bring you a bounty of benefits during play. In fact, you’d be surprised just how a bright, neon ball might save your game and your golf gear expenses.
Over 300 million golf balls are lost every year in the United States alone. Unless you want to join that pollution party, it would be wise to invest in some golf balls that you can be sure to find.
A bright ball is harder to lose, and with that kind of logic, you can expect that you might not have to buy brand new balls too often and too soon.
Ever played a course under overcast skies? Lighting and shadows can severely impact your perception of a white ball, making it harder to figure out where it’s going and how elements like wind are changing its course.
Players with eyesight problems like colorblindness and blurred vision can benefit significantly from balls that use bright, high-contrast paint, leveling the playing field for players all around.
There’s a fraction of golfers who buy new balls when they look too worn out, despite still being good enough to play. If you don’t like hitting the course with a set of sorry looking golf balls, then colored balls should help you minimize the cosmetic damage for a better look and feel longer down the line.
There’s really no restriction on who can use a high visibility golf ball. But then again, not everyone needs them per se. If you’ve been playing for years with plain white colored balls without much trouble, then it might not even be necessary for you to go out in search of a high visibility bundle.
On the other hand, there are some people who might be far better off using a brightly colored golf ball in game.
Whether it’s blurred vision or colorblindness, a high visibility ball is designed for greater contrast with all of the natural colors that occur on a golf course, helping you perform like a pro despite the visual handicap.
With age comes poorer vision, but that doesn’t mean you should give up the club. A large chunk of the demand for high visibility golf balls today comes from senior players who want to see better on the course.
We all know that one person who just keeps having to buy new golf balls. With a high visibility ball, it becomes harder to lose them and thus easier to keep them all in check. Not only is that good for your wallet, but it’s good for the environment too.
Still just starting to understand the ropes of the game? A visually stimulating golf ball can make it easier to perceive things like wind direction and ball trajectory, helping you fully grasp the way that the elements can affect your game. Some balls even come with guidelines to help you understand the dynamics of spin, and the reactions of your ball to certain types of strokes and strikes.
There’s just something about a golf course in the fall that makes the entire experience even more alluring. The same goes for winter courses that can make you feel like you’re playing in a fantasy land. Needless to say, playing a white ball in certain seasons can make it even more challenging to spot. A colored ball can help you adapt to your environment for easier visibility whatever the weather.
Who’s to say you can’t use a high visibility golf ball simply because you want to? With loads of colors, patterns, and prints available, the colored golf ball market has expanded to include players who want to buy in just because they look neat.
FACT: not all colored balls work the same way. If you’re on the hunt for a high visibility golf ball because you really need one, then it helps to understand what each unique color brings to the course.
COLOR | PROS | CONS |
|---|---|---|
Yellow | The easiest color to track, allowing up to 3 times better visibility than all other colors; may be prone to some glare under exceedingly bright conditions | Might not be as visible against gray overcast skies |
Red | Improved visibility during the day; limited glare under high brightness | Poor nighttime visibility; poor visibility against artificial lights at night courses |
Blue | Good contrast against dry, sandy terrain | Poor visibility under water, against the sky and at night |
Orange | Similar visibility to yellow balls, high contrast against green and brown terrain | Poor contrast during autumn months |
Neon | Exceptional visibility against all sorts of terrain and skies | More expensive than other sorts of colored balls |
Patterned | Expressive colors and prints can add a personalized touch for your own satisfaction | Poor visibility against discolored, patterned, rough terrain |
It’s worth mentioning that colors aren’t the only thing that sets high visibility balls apart. The different finishes that these golf balls come with can also change their performance on the course. For one thing, matte-finish balls are far less prone to glare. That means they won’t reflect sunlight too severely, making it easier for you to see their color against the various types of terrain you’re playing against.
Then there are golf balls that are treated for UV protection. Certainly, that won’t really impact your play. But hey, who wouldn’t love a ball that’s far less prone to heat damage and stains? These golf balls are designed so that they become far more resistant to all sorts of damage and cosmetic issues that typical untreated balls usually succumb to.
You already knew that high visibility balls and white balls are different in that they come in distinct colors. According to some experts, a yellow golf ball can provide better visual perception than plain white balls. Some players can see a yellow golf ball up to 250 yards further than a plain white ball.
Another thing worth mentioning is that if you scan the market for recycled golf balls, you’ll find that the selection for colored balls is pretty slim. Whether that’s because fewer people use colored balls, there aren’t any numbers to verify. However, we can also surmise that it’s because colored balls are naturally harder to lose sight of, and thus players are able to collect their balls much easier.
And of course, there’s the issue of scuffing and staining. While it doesn’t really hurt performance, many golfers enjoy looking at a set of fresh, stain-free golf balls. And with colored balls, it becomes far easier to maintain that brand new look and feel, especially with balls that are treated with UV protection.
Finally, it’s important to note that colored balls are specifically designed for all sorts of weather and course conditions. Sure, you might be wondering are red golf balls easy to see in sunny conditions? Maybe not on a summertime course, but for snowy winter environments, red and orange make good choices. For autumn courses, yellow. For nighttime golfing, neons. It’s safe to say that white golf balls aren’t the only real choice, especially if you’re considering the course around you.
Painted in vivid neon colors, the TaylorMade Noodle Neon Matte Color Golf Balls were designed to give you excellent visibility on any terrain easily making them the best color golf ball for visually impaired players. With bright neon shades, these balls provide supreme contrast against a variety of backdrops, helping you keep your eye on the prize no matter what the weather might bring. Touting a patented dimple design for straighter, spin-free flight, these balls also use special UV protection to keep away sun stains and discoloration.
Available in two bright non-white colors, the Nitro Maximum Distance Golf Balls aren’t only eye-popping - they’re also exceedingly cheap. These affordable golf balls brandish a premium paint job, showcasing a bright neon pink and yellow color option that lets you track your target with unrivaled ease. It’s also worth noting that the coating itself is designed for scuff and cut proof performance, keeping your ball damage free for longer.
As one of the most prominent names in the high visibility golf ball market, the Volvik brand brings their Vivid golf ball sets that are available in a range of high contrast colors. These balls are finished with a premium matte feel, reducing glare to help keep your golf ball easier to see under high heat conditions. And as you might expect, these Volvik Vivid golf balls also come with a reinforced coating to help make the balls impervious to damage and stains. Treated with premium colored paint and coatings, these balls can look clean, pristine, and brand new even after months of heavy abuse.
Built for feel, the Wilson Staff DUO Optix Golf Balls promise excellent feedback with their intuitive construction. Painted in beautifully bold colors, these golf balls are available in six different hues, letting you choose the perfect shade for your purpose and preference. And if that hasn’t won you over yet, it’s worth mentioning that these golf balls have been rated to have the lowest driver spin rate across all competitive 2-piece balls on the market. That means longer distances and straighter paths, perfect for getting your ball on the green in as few an amount of shots as possible.
These Callaway high visibility golf balls tout a rich color coating available in 5 non-white shades. The bright colored balls feature dimple patters that work to reduce drag, allowing greater distances with each hit. Inside, state-of-the-art engineering maximizes the momentum of your strike, conserving energy upon impact to launch your ball further than ever before. The coating itself is treated to guarantee excellent feel during ball address on the green, letting you experience the full wonders of feedback through its intuitive textured exterior.
There’s no reason to beat around the bush - a colored ball can help save your game and keep you in control across all the different elements and environments you’ll encounter on the course. So before you go ahead and spend another couple bucks on that plain white pack - think again. The best high visibility golf balls might just help save you from a slump and keep the course a little greener to boot.
