Sugar Golf Balls - 2023 Forum Review

[skraeling]

Added my final review to the mix.

[Madden B]

On 7/3/2023 at 10:50 PM, tbarnes80 said:

August 7, The Final Update

The Good, the Bad, the In-between (17 out of 20)

Let me go through a few of the high and lowlights about the Sugar Ball.

The Good:

1. Spin around the green is awesome
2. Love the alignment aids on the ball
3. Durability is off the charts
4. Feel on the putting surface is fantastic
5. Pricing is really good for the value you get from this ball

The Bad:

1. Nothing really bad to say about these balls, they are really solid!

And the In-between:

1. Solid overall performance that comes close to a ProV1.
2. Not quite as much distance or control as the ProV1, but very close!
3. Has a coating feel on the cover that almost cheapens it? Makes it feel more like a Callaway Supersoft ball, if you know what that feels like.

Play it or Trade it? (17 out of 20)

So this is tough because I have really liked using these Sugar Pure Golf Balls, they are really a high quality ball that I think the vast majority of golfers would enjoy and get great performance from, especially on and around the greens. I did use them in a couple of tournaments and ended up playing pretty well with them. But maybe it is just what has been pounded into my head that the ProV1 is the best ball on the market that I still just feel a little more confident standing over one. The numbers bear out in the simulator and my scores on the course, so maybe there is something to it. But the differences are negligible and it is really a good ball.

I think that there is a lot of value in this ball though, especially at the price. And my dad is going to be using the rest of the box of balls because he has been playing with them a bit and really likes them. He is a mid-handicapper and hates losing ProV1s because of the cost, but he is shooting the same scores now as he did with the Titleist and can do so for half the price. He is good enough to feel the difference between a cheap ball and good one and agrees that this is a really solid ball. Performance for him has been on par with what he expects from a ProV1, and he prefers it around the green because they spin for him.

Conclusion and Final Score (89 out of 100)

If you are looking for a really solid ball that performs consistently off the tee, feels great on approach shots, and is really good on and around the greens, this may be the ball for you. Using the Sugar Pure Golf Ball has been a real good experience and I don’t think that you will go wrong using them, especially in the short game. And while for my game, I still think that I am will stick with the ProV1 because of the slightest advantages it offers, I do think that lots of golfers would enjoy using and get great results from this ball, especially in the mid-high handicap range. The value you get for the price is very high! And the durability might just be the best of any golf ball I have ever played. 

Please message me if you have any questions about the ball, I am happy to answer them for you.

And special thanks to Sugar Golf and MyGolfSpy for giving me an opportunity to review and post about my experiences. This has been really fun to document and gave me even more excuses to get out and play some golf! Thank you!

Final thoughts and score is now posted. Overall score of 89 out of 100 for me, I think that this is a great golf ball and is worth using for a lot of golfers! Thanks again for the opportunity to review, this has been a really fun experience for me. And I am happy to answer any questions about the Sugar Pure Golf Ball! Hope that everyone can get out and play soon, I am off to the course!

[PhilM75072]

My final review is now posted. I also rated this ball 89/100. I was really impressed with its durability and, given its price and the fact that you don't have to buy 5 dozen like from other DTC companies, I think it is well worth checking out.

[BallsLeon]

I posted my final review. In summation, I really wanted to like this ball, but it just never seemed to work out.

[skraeling]

I know the reviews have already been published a while ago, but Ill actually be hitting a legit sim on sunday to get some lab style numbers.  Not totally related to the Sugar balls themselves.  I just want to see wtf numbers my driver actually produces and put that ball up against my two gamers Bridgestone RX and RXS, and my new love (potentially) the Chromesoft X LS.  

Given my swing speed is in between mid and slow, kind of fills a gap I feel like that doesnt exist on the current ball table.

I can get total distances anywhere from 230-260. 

Well... thats not on the slow speed: 212 (low) - 224yd (high) depending on ball

Im not totally on the mid swing speed either with ball data from that saying: 256-274yd depending on ball.

Edited October 23, 2023 by skraeling

[climberboy2000]

On 7/3/2023 at 10:50 PM, Madden B said:

I’m Madden, 13 years old and have played since I was 7. I am about 5’5” right now and weigh about 115 lbs, but don’t let my size fool you or underestimate me! My dad is my swing coach/caddy/best golfing buddy and we have worked hard to get my swing right. He is also my editor and will help me write these reviews! He first found MyGolfSpy and got my account started, he thought I would enjoy the content and we both love and use the site. I am currently playing at a 0.8 Handicap and was as low as a +1 at the end of last summer playing the blue tees (high school tees), but winters in Utah can be long and hard so I am still working my way back to last summer’s form (this year was brutal but good because we needed the water). I will be a freshman in high school this fall and plan on being the #1 on varsity. I am obsessed with golf and spend every waking hour thinking about it, reading about it, studying it, talking about it, or playing it. I am at the course for 8-12 hours per day in the summer practicing and playing. And my dad hasn’t beat me since I was 12, which I love to hold over his head at all times!

Alright, after being selected to test the Sugar Golf Balls, I spent some time watching reviews on YouTube to get a sense for what people think. People seem to feel like it is a worthy competitor to the high end golf balls, so I can’t wait to test it. I usually play ProV1s, Chromesofts, TP5s, and will also throw in the Kirkland golf ball from time to time (my dad likes them because they are inexpensive!) I have hit almost every brand of golf ball but settled on these, so that is my benchmark. And my dad has high hopes that these are great to save some money! haha

Here are my plans for the testing:

• Simulator - I have a friend with a simulator so I will do some direct comparisons to see how it compares on the machine and get some baselines.
• Short Game -I will put it through lots of putting and chipping exercises, see how it performs around/on the green.
• Bunkers – Durability test.
• On Course - Lastly, I will play with it, a lot. I am at the course daily and will play several rounds to see how it performs, how it holds up, and how I score with it.

Here’s how the Sugar Golf Ball ends up being my tournament ball:

• Consistency
• Durability
• Distance
• Control around/on the Greens

These are the things I am looking for and care about the most, in no particular order. I hope you are okay with videos and pictures, I will provide lots!

And I received my shipment and am working through some first impressions and Day 1 at the course. I have lots of videos and photos that we are going to edit down, so please stay tuned for my thoughts. So far, I am very impressed! 

First Impressions (9 out of 10)

Okay, so let me walk through my first impressions and unboxing of the Sugar Golf Balls. Have to say thanks for the hat and the towel, they are really nice and I am already using both of them. Everything came very quickly, which is always appreciated. I was notified on Friday that I was selected to review the balls, given a shipping notification on Saturday, had balls in hand on Sunday. That type of speed is awesome so great job on shipping times, that speaks highly of the company and how much they care about getting the product to the customer as quickly as possible. So bonus points!

• Box of Balls – I am a big fan of this presentation of the cube box, it seems way more efficient than the standard box of a dozen balls, so great job there. I like the 3 rows of 9 balls, with the numbering system going 1,2 and 3. I don’t know if you can customize the numbers or if there is a way to change that, but I have a weird thing that I only like to play odd number balls so there is that.
• First Handling of Balls – Right off the bat, I like the feel of the ball in hand. They feel like there is almost like a little film on it, more like the feel of a Callaway Supersoft as opposed the feel of a Chromesoft or ProV1. I opened up new packs of Chromesoft X and ProV1s to hold them all and I pressed my nail into all of them to see how soft they all were. They each feel about the same, from a softness standpoint. And the reflective cover is the same as those other balls, so not too dull and not too shiny. Dimple pattern is a little different from those other balls, but seems really solid. Overall, I am impressed by the look and feel of the balls.
• Graphics and Alignment – I love the alignment on the Sugar, it is a nice, solid line that isn’t too thick (I think that the SuperSoft is too big for my eye, by way of comparison). It sets up really nice to me. And I actually really like the simple Sugar logo. It is a very clean ball and really looks good.

PUTTING TEST

No time to get to the course today, so I did a putting test at my house. I have a couple of different putting mats, that range from 6-15 feet. I put things underneath them to change the slope so they don’t just roll straight, so I tried lots of different putts and rolls. I also switched between several different balls to see how it felt.

RESULTS??? - I have to say I actually really, really like the feel of the ball off the putter face (Scotty Cameron Studio Select Fastback No. 1). It feels exactly like a ProV1, which is very exciting and impressive to me. The Chromesoft is a bit firmer when you putt it and comes off a little hotter so controlling the speed isn’t quite as easy. But after putting for around an hour, I would have no problem at all using the Sugar ball. It rolled straight and true, over and over. I hit my very first 12 putts with it from about 10 feet, and then just kept draining putts. After using it, I absolutely love the alignment line on this ball. For me, it is better than the ProV1 because it is a sold line and better than the SuperSoft. I think that it is on par with the TripleTrack when it comes to alignment, at least to my eye. But overall when it comes to putting, I think that the Sugar ball is awesome and a 10 out of 10, at least on my putting greens at home. I prefer it over the ChromeSoft, Kirkland, TP5, and SuperSoft balls, without question. And I feel like it performs and feels just like a ProV1, so Sugar has certainly hit that claim on the putting surface.

 

7/20 Update (Simulator and Durability Test)

Numbers in the Simulator (18 out of 20)

Okay, time to get into the numbers of this golf ball and how it performs for me. I spent some time in my friend’s simulator and hit 10 shots alternating with a Sugar and a ProV1 with a driver, 3 hybrid, 7 iron, and PW. Now his simulator is a SkyTrak and we didn’t know how to track alternating balls, so we recorded the information and my dad put it all into this spreadsheet to average things out. And I thought that we had done a bunch of pictures and recordings, but nothing saved, which is super frustrating. The only pic I had was my friend's dad before we got the session started, so say hello!

Okay, so if you look at it across the board, the 2 balls were very similar. According to the machine, I do get slightly better carry, speeds, and overall distance but it is pretty close and I think that you really don’t lose much if you are using a Sugar ball. And I like the way the ball feels, it is very similar to the ProV1.

The ball flight was pretty consistent on both balls and my accuracy and closeness to the target were very similar. My go to shot is a small draw and both balls moved about the same and spin rates were very close and consistent. I am really impressed that the Sugar could keep up, it passed the simulator test with flying colors.

Durability Test (10 out of 10)

Now, I did the Rick Shiels test and hit 10 balls out of a bunker vs a ProV1 and they were pretty equally scuffed up. I bladed the heck out of one swing in the bunker and it put a pretty good cut on the ball, so I guess the key is to keep the ball on the fairway and out of trouble and if you do, the Sugar ball is going to last a long time for you. And I did keep the sand on the wedge in between shots, to add some extra measure of scuff to the balls, so here is the video of it:

 

I don’t know what these balls are made of but they have been really, really good for me. I played with one ball for 3 rounds of golf and it has 2 little dings on it, that’s it. I think that I hit some branches on one shot and may have rolled through or barely hit a cart path, but this ball holds up better than any other ball I have played with. I normally would never play a ball for 2 full rounds of golf (sometimes not even 1 full round!), but I was just curious on how long this would last. I am very impressed!

Here are the only 2 marks on the ball after 3 rounds of golf:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Course (Update coming soon)

So I have had a few tournaments in the last couple of weeks and decided to play with the Sugar balls and have really enjoyed using them. My dad and I are working through the write up on them, but here is a putt that my dad recorded, he had this feeling that something good was about to happen!

 

And with that putt, I ended up moving up the leaderboard and finished in the top 4, not bad for never having played that course before! More updates soon, I really am enjoying this ball!

Alright, 7/27 update for the Spys!

On the Course (18 out of 20)

To test the performance on the course, I played two 18-hole rounds of golf and used 2 golf balls, one ProV1 and one Sugar Pure. I also had my dad playing with me doing the same thing so that we could get his thoughts and comparisons. I played at my home course, Glen Eagle (https://golfgleneagle.com/), from the Blue tees which run 6621 yards, 70.2/123 Slope and Rating. I play here 4-5 days a week and know every inch of this course, so I can usually score pretty well here. Let me get to the details:

Off the Tee –  As you can see, the Sugar Golf Ball performed pretty well off the tee. The distance was always pretty close to the ProV1 and I hit basically the same amount of fairways. I did have some holes where it went further, but overall it was just a couple yards shorter. I don’t think that any accuracy was lost at all with the Sugar ball and the difference in fairways could have just been 1 mediocre swing. Very happy with how the Sugar performs off the tee, nothing to be concerned with at all.

            Winner: ProV1

 

Approach –  I was hitting the ball really well in both rounds and hit a lot of greens in regulation. In fact, the Sugar Pure had 1 more GIR over the course of the 2 rounds. But when it came down to it, the ProV1 was consistently closer to the pin by a couple of feet. We walked off the distance on each hole and averaged them out for the Greens in Regulation only. The shot of the 2 rounds did belong to the Sugar Pure. On #7, a tough uphill Par 3 that was playing around 225 because it was into the wind, I hammered a 3 Hybrid and left it about a foot right of the hole for a nice tap in birdie, it was sweet!

            Winner: ProV1, Slight Edge

 

Ball Flight –  I usually prefer to play a slight draw with my ball flight but did have some shots that required moving the ball the other way. Not sure if it is just a comfort thing because I have played with the ProV1 longer, but I hit the ball consistently closer to the pin and had fewer mishits with it. Both balls are very workable and I don’t feel any hesitation trying to move either of them one way or the other.

            Winner: ProV1, Slight Edge

 

Around the Green –  I don’t know what the Sugar ball is coated with but it spins like crazy around the greens, which I love. I put the ball closer to the pin on average and did get up and down more often with it. I feel like I can take a more aggressive chip with the Sugar ball because I know it will check up quickly and stop. The 2-hop and stop is easier for me to hit with the Sugar than the ProV1, so it comfortably picks up the win here.

            Winner: Sugar Pure

 

Putting –  Had the same number of putts with both balls over the 2 rounds and love the way they both feel. If you blindfolded me, it would be hard for me to know which ball was which because they really do feel the same. They both roll beautifully and I didn’t really have any issues with speed control. I did have two 3-putts with the ProV1 vs. just 1 for the Sugar, so the edge goes ever so slightly to the Sugar Pure, but it was pretty much a statistical tie in every way on the green. And I really like the ball alignment tool on the Sugar, more so than the ProV1. It really suits my eye and makes lining up and hitting the right line easy to do. I guess that I did have slightly further distances with the Sugar, so maybe the means it wins by a little more margin, but either ball is great on the greens.

            Winner: Sugar Pure, Very Slight Edge

 

Scoring –  It is tough to complain about anything when you shoot 1 under of the course of 4 rounds. Seriously, I played great and was incredibly pleased with the way the rounds went. I have to give the slightest of edge to the ProV1 though, as it just came through and won by 3 total strokes. Now that could just be a ball out of bounds or a bad lie here or there, but I really feel comfortable with the Sugar Pure, it was nipping at the heels of the ProV1 both days!

            Winner: ProV1

Overall Thoughts from the Course -

            Hard to say much negative here, I was very pleased with everything the Sugar Ball did. Tee shots flew long and true, my draw was consistent and I did feel like I could work the ball the other way when needed. The Sugar holds greens well and it is awesome on pitch and chip shots, seriously spins like a Tasmanian devil. I LOVE the line on the ball for putting, it is the perfect size for my eye and liking. And while I didn’t beat the ProV1, I feel like it would be able to on any given round. I am totally comfortable playing it.

Thoughts from my Dad’s rounds –

            My dad ended up shooting in the low 80s with all of his rounds but did end up winning with his ChromeSoft balls by 8 total strokes. He is an 11.7 if you are looking for a comparison. He said that he wasn’t as good around the greens with the Sugar but did notice they spin a lot more, which he didn’t quite adjust for because he hasn’t used them and played with them like I have. But Tee-to-Green they were very similar for him, he said he likes the feel of the Sugar ball better with the putter, just felt softer and had a better sound. He said that if he practiced some chipping to get the speeds right, he would be fine using the Sugar ball and doesn’t see a ton of difference in how it performed. The only thing he didn’t love was he felt like there was a weird coating on the ball, which is maybe why they spin and stick so much? But he said that he could get used to the Sugar ball!

August 7, Final Update

The Good, the Bad, the In-between (17 out of 20)

Let me go through a few of the high and lowlights about the Sugar Ball.

The Good:

1. Spin around the green is awesome
2. Love the alignment aids on the ball
3. Durability is off the charts
4. Feel on the putting surface is fantastic
5. Pricing is really good for the value you get from this ball

The Bad:

1. Nothing really bad to say about these balls, they are really solid!

And the In-between:

1. Solid overall performance that comes close to a ProV1.
2. Not quite as much distance or control as the ProV1, but very close!
3. Has a coating feel on the cover that almost cheapens it? Makes it feel more like a Callaway Supersoft ball, if you know what that feels like.

Play it or Trade it? (17 out of 20)

So this is tough because I have really liked using these Sugar Pure Golf Balls, they are really a high quality ball that I think the vast majority of golfers would enjoy and get great performance from, especially on and around the greens. I did use them in a couple of tournaments and ended up playing pretty well with them. But maybe it is just what has been pounded into my head that the ProV1 is the best ball on the market that I still just feel a little more confident standing over one. The numbers bear out in the simulator and my scores on the course, so maybe there is something to it. But the differences are negligible and it is really a good ball.

I think that there is a lot of value in this ball though, especially at the price. And my dad is going to be using the rest of the box of balls because he has been playing with them a bit and really likes them. He is a mid-handicapper and hates losing ProV1s because of the cost, but he is shooting the same scores now as he did with the Titleist and can do so for half the price. He is good enough to feel the difference between a cheap ball and good one and agrees that this is a really solid ball. Performance for him has been on par with what he expects from a ProV1, and he prefers it around the green because they spin for him.

Conclusion and Final Score (89 out of 100)

If you are looking for a really solid ball that performs consistently off the tee, feels great on approach shots, and is really good on and around the greens, this may be the ball for you. Using the Sugar Pure Golf Ball has been a real good experience and I don’t think that you will go wrong using them, especially in the short game. And while for my game, I still think that I am will stick with the ProV1 because of the slightest advantages it offers, I do think that lots of golfers would enjoy using and get great results from this ball, especially in the mid-high handicap range. The value you get for the price is very high! And the durability might just be the best of any golf ball I have ever played. 

Please message me if you have any questions about the ball, I am happy to answer them for you.

And special thanks to Sugar Golf and MyGolfSpy for giving me an opportunity to review and post about my experiences. This has been really fun to document and gave me even more excuses to get out and play some golf! Thank you!

Great Review Madden!  I've been playing the Sugar Pure for about a year and love it.  I alternate with a ProV1x and like your review, feel that the Sugar performs better in some areas...and it's half the cost.  I played down at Glen Eagle just before Christmas and gave some Sugar balls to all my Dad's friends to try and they all had positive feedback.  Fun course...I need to get down there in the next week or two to try out the Callaway Tour on a course vs. SIM.  So pray for 50's and sunshine.

[Madden B]

3 minutes ago, climberboy2000 said:

Great Review Madden!  I've been playing the Sugar Pure for about a year and love it.  I alternate with a ProV1x and like your review, feel that the Sugar performs better in some areas...and it's half the cost.  I played down at Glen Eagle just before Christmas and gave some Sugar balls to all my Dad's friends to try and they all had positive feedback.  Fun course...I need to get down there in the next week or two to try out the Callaway Tour on a course vs. SIM.  So pray for 50's and sunshine.

Thanks, I did work hard on that review! I still have a few of the Sugars left and do think that they are nice balls. I would say that they have to be one of the best value balls that you can buy, they are really solid balls. And around the greens, you can spin them like crazy.

I am now testing the Chrome Tour and Tour X balls and really, really liking them. I played Glen Eagle yesterday after school and was 2 under through 6, but then it got too dark to continue playing. I hope that the weather starts to get nice again, I am tired of just hitting balls in my garage in the sim all the time and want to be outside! And I love Glen Eagle, I have pretty much lived on that course every day that the sun was shining since I was about 9. 

[climberboy2000]

1 hour ago, Madden B said:

Thanks, I did work hard on that review! I still have a few of the Sugars left and do think that they are nice balls. I would say that they have to be one of the best value balls that you can buy, they are really solid balls. And around the greens, you can spin them like crazy.

I am now testing the Chrome Tour and Tour X balls and really, really liking them. I played Glen Eagle yesterday after school and was 2 under through 6, but then it got too dark to continue playing. I hope that the weather starts to get nice again, I am tired of just hitting balls in my garage in the sim all the time and want to be outside! And I love Glen Eagle, I have pretty much lived on that course every day that the sun was shining since I was about 9. 

Since I'm testing the Tour balls as well we should hook up at Glen Eagle in the next couple weeks and test them together!  I've been watching the weather and Mon-Tue looks to be 50 degrees.  I'll have to look at my schedule.

[skraeling]

2 hours ago, Madden B said:

Thanks, I did work hard on that review! I still have a few of the Sugars left and do think that they are nice balls. I would say that they have to be one of the best value balls that you can buy, they are really solid balls. And around the greens, you can spin them like crazy.

I am now testing the Chrome Tour and Tour X balls and really, really liking them. I played Glen Eagle yesterday after school and was 2 under through 6, but then it got too dark to continue playing. I hope that the weather starts to get nice again, I am tired of just hitting balls in my garage in the sim all the time and want to be outside! And I love Glen Eagle, I have pretty much lived on that course every day that the sun was shining since I was about 9. 

 

4 minutes ago, climberboy2000 said:

Since I'm testing the Tour balls as well we should hook up at Glen Eagle in the next couple weeks and test them together!  I've been watching the weather and Mon-Tue looks to be 50 degrees.  I'll have to look at my schedule.

Lemme know if you want me to send a sleeve of them, I still have I think about a dozen left of the sugars.

I might need to give these another round of play too

Edited February 15 by skraeling

[climberboy2000]

10 minutes ago, skraeling said:

 

Lemme know if you want me to send a sleeve of them, I still have I think about a dozen left of the sugars.

I might need to give these another round of play too

Thanks for the offer, but I have 4 cases outside my office.  Since they perform just as well as a ProV1, I bought a bunch for a charity tournament I put on each summer.  When I heard about the golf ball plant blowing up in Taiwan that makes Sugar and many other brands, I stocked up in case balls got scarce this Spring.  I believe that one plant made 1/5 of the worlds golf balls and will take a year to rebuild.  Take your extra Sugars out and try them again...they performed well this past year for me.

[Madden B]

On 2/15/2024 at 11:29 AM, climberboy2000 said:

Since I'm testing the Tour balls as well we should hook up at Glen Eagle in the next couple weeks and test them together!  I've been watching the weather and Mon-Tue looks to be 50 degrees.  I'll have to look at my schedule.

Did you happen to play in a tournament today at Glen Eagle? I am working today and when I was cleaning up some golf carts I found the white box with a sleeve of Chrome Tours in the cart. And if that wasn't you, maybe another local person is testing the balls. But we should go and play sometime, my dad and I would love to head out and catch a round with a fellow Spy! 

[climberboy2000]

8 minutes ago, Madden B said:

Did you happen to play in a tournament today at Glen Eagle? I am working today and when I was cleaning up some golf carts I found the white box with a sleeve of Chrome Tours in the cart. And if that wasn't you, maybe another local person is testing the balls. But we should go and play sometime, my dad and I would love to head out and catch a round with a fellow Spy! 

Hey Madden,  I played at Davis Park yesterday with my Dad and brother.  Finally got to test out the Tour balls on grass.  Plan on writing up my review tonight.  Must be another local is testing balls.  We should definitely hook up at Glen Eagle.  That's where my Dad plays regularly so the 4 of us should hook up and play in the next week or two (we won't be playing up here for at least another 3-4 weeks).  My phone # is 435-760-5011.  Send me a text and I'll look at my schedule and see when I can get away.  I live in Logan so only an hour away.