Greetings from 35,931 feet and on a flight path far north of the original intended path from NYC to home, Salt Lake City, UT. Seriously choppy ride due to a big storm area we passed over and/or through. I’d hoped to get writing my final Golf Ball Week 2011 post an hour ago but it was so bumpy the passengers weren’t allowed out of their seats. Now that we’ve passed the chop, I’m ready to chop into my final, delayed Golf Ball Week post. I’m sure many HOG readers have been losing sleep for the four days since I interrupted this series to take part in a long weekend in the Big Apple with friends and family, but it is time to return to the regularly scheduled Golf Blogram.
Best “Tour” Golf Ball of 2011
I’ve played every great ball imaginable this past season and it was hard to pick the winner between the two finalists for best tour golf ball, the TaylorMade Penta and the Srixon Z-Star. It was a dead heat for me on performance and distance and I had to go to a “sudden victory” playoff (thanks to Dana White and the UFC for that one) to break the tie.
Srixon Z-Star Golf Ball - click for more
Based on the fact that I found the Z-Star to be considerably more durable than the Penta, the Z-Star was my pick for #1 Tour level ball this year. I have a Z-Star yellow floating around my bag that I played somewhere around 10 rounds with, and counting. Despite all that play with square grooved wedges and a couple of cart paths, the ball is still totally playable and shows very little wear.
I’ve reviewed both color options of this golf ball. You can click the hyperlinks for my Srixon Z-Star white review and my Srixon Z-Star yellow review.
Golf Ball Week 2011 Concludes
It has been a fun week or so covering EIGHT different golf balls, including some which employ crazy technologies like hollow metal cores and radar tracking systems. Sure there are many, many other great golf balls out there which I didn’t cover. If you feel the need, comment in your favorite golf ball below and let me and the HOG readers know why.
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
Tony, what balls do you use for recreational play and tournament play?
Hey JoshE. Depends on the conditions and the course. If I feel like I need spin to hold greens, I go Z-Star or Penta. If it is cold, or I’m feeling like I can’t compress the ball as easily I use the B-330RX or RXS.
If I’m playing my home course on windy days, which is the toughest, most lateral and water hazard ridden swamp of a course on the planet and eats balls like mad, I use any cheap ball I found in the bushes.
It’s hot and easier to compress the ball in Florida, so I go with the Srixon Z-Star XV during the summer. It has a slightly lower ball flight and goes a few more yards off the tee than the Z-Star, while spinning almost as much. The trade off is a firmer feel around the greens…
I think the Z-Star is the best ball on the market for good players. Plus, I know a touring pro who’s on staff with Taylor Made who would rather play the Z-Star. That’s endorsement enough for me!
Hmm John. If the Z-Star is the best ball on the market for good players, I wonder if it is a good choice for me… 🙂
For many years, Titleist did not pay players to use their golf balls and they were still the number one ball on all the tours. Today, all the companies pay endorsement fees, but I do not suspect Titleist pays out as much or any more than other ball makers and they are still number one in players and wins on all the tours by a wide margin. The top of the line balls of the other companies are excellent balls, and I play many different balls, but Titleist remains number one for a reason.