Cheap golf balls often feel like a gamble, but the 202 even Amazon Basics Core Soft is a bad bet. At $17.59 a dozen, the price looks great for anyone trying to save money on the course. However, you can’t ignore the massive swings in how these balls actually play. It is hard to trust a ball that changes its personality halfway through the box.
The data from a recent Ball Lab test shows a major problem with how these balls compress. According to MyGolfSpy, the compression consistency earned a D with a 10.7 point delta across the sample. That is a huge gap. You might hit one ball and get the softness you expect, then hit the next and find something completely different. That kind of randomness is exactly what a golfer needs to avoid.
Unreliable factory production
The manufacturing process is likely why these numbers look so messy. According to MyGolfSpy, Box 1 originated at an SM Global plant in Vietnam and measured roughly five compression points lower than the China-sourced boxes. This split in production is a disaster for anyone who wants a predictable game. When the factory changes locations, the performance changes too.
The diameter of the balls is also all over the place. The testing showed a C+ grade for diameter consistency. In particular, Box 3 averaged smaller dimensions compared to the remaining two boxes within the sample. It is hard to focus on your swing when you are wondering if the ball in your hand is even the right size.
A high rate of good balls
There is one bright spot in this budget package. The 2025 Amazon Basics Core Soft achieved a 97.2% good ball rate. This means there was only one bad ball out of 36 tested. The construction is a simple two-piece ionomer design, which is the same basic setup used by most recreational and distance balls.
The factory behind this ball, SM Global, also produces the Kirkland Signature and the PXG Xtreme series. While the good ball rate is an A, the overall grade for the Amazon Basics Core Soft is a B- and is Not Recommended.
