Independent upstart golf ball company Piper Golf has released four products in their first foray into a deep market: the Green, Blue, Black and Gold options. Each is competitively priced for a ball in their category, making Piper Golf an interesting choice for the budget-conscious golfer.

Piper Golf Balls Tech and Design

In my conversations with Piper Golf, it was made clear to me that they aren’t trying to be the best ball in golf, but are quite comfortable being “the second best golf ball you can buy.”

While that might seem like an interesting tagline to hear from a brand, it’s also honest. These golf balls are undoubtedly made overseas from factories that have produced other similar independent brands in recent years. This is not a critique, of course, since the indie golf ball movement is alive and well, benefiting golfers off all skill levels without breaking the bank.

What’s most impressive — and appreciated — about Piper Golf is how easy it is to choose which golf ball is right for your game. Their website lists plenty of information on “golfer type” to help you decide, or you can order a sampler pack of all four options for under $30.

Ranging from the Piper Green ($19.99/dz) to the Piper Gold ($34.99/dz), each golf ball option is tailored for a specific category of golfer.

• Piper Green is best used by higher handicaps (15+), is a two-piece construction and offers long distance and low spin.

• Piper Blue ($24.99/dz) is best used by mid-to-high handicaps and features a tour-caliber 3-piece construction while maintaining long distances and lower spin.

• Piper Black ($29.99/dz) is billed as their “signature ball”, features a 3-piece construction, and is geared toward players with high swing speeds (100+ mph with a driver)

• Piper Gold is the brand’s top-tier golf ball, featuring a 4-piece construction, extreme distance and higher spin rates for added control on approaches and around the green.

it’s safe to say that Piper Golf has most golfer types covered with their menu of products.

Performance and Feel

I recently had the opportunity to test out each of Piper Golf’s offerings during a round with my buddy Kris McEwen, a co-founder of Second City Golf. We faced shots of all types during our round, which was a mild, breezy day in September.

Overall, the Piper Gold golf ball performed the best of the bunch, as you would expect. They felt very similar to other 4-piece golf balls on the market, however I found their distance off the tee to be slightly less than my gamers. I attribute this to higher spin rates offered by the Piper Gold, especially since my shots were higher than normal with this golf ball.

The Piper Black and Piper Blue seemed very similar to each other in terms of performance. While their price difference is only $5 per dozen, I genuinely could not tell a noticeable difference between either product during my round. Club distances were similar, as well as feel around the greens. Durability seemed to be a bit of an issue with these two golf balls in particular as their covers started to wear and scuff after only a few holes.

Finally, the Piper Green is definitely a budget-friendly golf ball meant for higher handicaps or beginners. These felt hard off the clubface, and distance wasn’t a quality that stood out. Spin was also very low as I had trouble holding greens with approach shots in comparison to other options in the Piper Golf stable.

Overall Impression

Piper Golf balls live up to the expectations the brand sets for themselves when they are comfortable being the “second-best golf ball.” This is a refreshing admission from a new brand who sets realistic expectations for the customer… and themselves.

Of the options I tested, I preferred the Piper Gold as they were the closest to what I usually play and performed adequately well in breezy conditions.

Visit the Piper Golf website to learn more. Get 15% OFF your first order with promo code FRIENDSANDFAM.