Sugar Golf Balls - 2023 Forum Review

[GolfSpy_APH]

Testers Announced! Sugar Golf Balls

A premium 3-piece urethane golf ball. Manufactured at the same factories as the big brands you already know… sold to you at the lowest price on the market.

Designed to compete directly with Titleist ProV1 and other major 3-piece urethane tour balls. 

Manufactured to maximize your control and feel, all without sacrificing distance.

27 balls for the lowest all-in price-per-ball in its product category

Please welcome and congratulate our 5 (all new) testers!

@PhilM75072

@DRLEONARD58

@skraeling

@BallsLeon

@tbarnes80

[PhilM75072]

Sugar Pure Golf Ball
Official MGS Forum Review
by Phil Michel July 3 - July XX, 2023

Introduction

Hello! My name is Phil, and I live in McKinney, TX, 32 miles North of downtown Dallas, moving here in 1991.  First, thanks to MyGolfSpy and Sugar for being chosen to review these golf balls! I am a first time reviewer, and I’m probably going to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest reviewer, one having the slowest swing speed of any of the testers as I will be 76 shortly. I apologize in advance for being long-winded. I probably should have been a lawyer. 

I was born in Baltimore and through high school and into college, I was studying to be a Catholic Priest. I left the Seminary when I discovered that the word was “celibate” and not “celebrate”. This was in the mid-1960s, at the height of the Vietnam War, so after leaving the Seminary I enlisted in the Army to “beat the draft”. I was trained in electronics before getting my commission in Military Intelligence. I spent a total of 5 years in the Army, leaving the service after a tour of duty in Vietnam. I eventually put my electronics background to use, going to work in sales for a couple of electrical relay manufacturers, a manufacturer's rep firm, and eventually in sales management for a major Japanese semiconductor company, from which I was laid off and forced into retirement after 20 years of service in 2009.

As far as golf, my father got me started at a very young age, and I immediately fell in love with and got addicted to the sport. Taking up the game in the 1950s, emphasis was on contact and accuracy due to persimmon woods with their small heads and tiny plastic inserts and the irons back then were all blades. Since retiring in 2009, golf has become my “job”. With an understanding wife, I now play 5 days per week, weather permitting. Other than club events and occasional charitable events, my golf has always been purely recreational, though I do take the game seriously every time I step on the course. I currently have a GHIN Index of 4.8.

The only time I’ve ever played a ProV1, to which Sugar and just about every other premium ball is compared to, was when I may have found one on the course. Since I don’t use the ProV1, what will be more important for me is how it compares to those balls I do use! If it proves as long or longer than the balls I typically use, based on price, I can see myself making this my ball of choice going forward.

I don’t have access to a launch monitor, and my home course is going through a renovation project, so testing facilities are limited. My testing and review will be based almost exclusively on on-course performance. Fortunately, I do use a shot tracker, Shot Scope, so I will have some actual data I can use for comparison purposes such as club distances and possibly some data in other areas of the game. I am anxious to put these balls in play and give them a good test to see if they can help offset the continuing loss of distance I experience as I get older! My signature shows the clubs I will be using during this test:

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (8 out of 10)

UNBOXING

Included in the shipment from Sugar were a tri-fold golf towel and a hat. Very much appreciated but totally unnecessary as just getting to receive and review the balls themselves is sufficient. But thank you, Sugar! The box containing the balls themselves is a perfect cube, befitting the Sugar brand. It is very sturdy, and, on one side, tells a story as to how and why Sugar Golf was created. The urethane cover and three-piece construction are mentioned as well as the fact that the balls are comprised of “enhancements that bring distance, control and feel to every golfer’s game”, without going into detail as to what those enhancements are. Upon opening the box, I was curious as to how the balls are numbered, Given the odd number of 27, I suspected, and it held, that the balls are numbered 1, 2, or 3 with 9 of each number. Each layer of balls was a different number with the top layer being all #1 balls, all the balls in the 2nd layer were #2, with #3 balls on the bottom. If someone wants to take a variety of numbered balls with them, maybe to distinguish a provisional ball or maybe because they are superstitious and only use a certain numbered ball at times, they have to pretty much dump all the balls out of the box. It might be preferable when packaged if each row of balls contained all three numbers instead of them being layered like they are.

CONTINUED....(July 13):

I played my third round with this Sugar Pure ball yesterday. As I become more familiar with how it launches/carries off the driver, and how it reacts on approach shots, my game and score are stable and predictable (see scorecard below). I pull the clubs I would expect to hit, and get the results that I expect time and time again. I have not found anything at this point that would eliminate it for consideration as my "go to", every day ball of choice. One of the things early on that has impressed me most is its durability. I have played all three rounds with the same ball, the ball on the left in the photos, every shot for 54 holes. Other than a scuff mark from an encounter with a cart path on the 16th hole of the first round, one would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between it and the one on the right that has never been hit. The ball I played may be a little duller, the Sharpie mark a little faded, but the stamping, "Sugar" and the number, look exactly the same. There is no "shredding" which often occurs from sand or wedge shots.

 

 

 

The close-up of the encounter with the cart path makes it look a lot worse than what it really is!

Update 7/18

Another round in on Monday with the same ball. After 72 holes, it looks exactly like it did after 36, but I think it is time to retire it. I think any ball that can last 72 holes and show little to no damage, other than from an encounter with a cart path, would have to be called "durable". It wasn't the best ball striking day for me. Fairways were soft from rain on Sunday and from watering earlier, so not much roll on tee shots. The ball continues to impress me off the irons. Off the irons it feels soft, not mushy, and launches high for me and settles nicely on the greens. (Feel is firmer off the driver, keeping in mind feel and sound can be very subjective.) I don't put a lot of spin on the ball with my irons, so the ball flight off the irons aids in keeping roll out on the greens to a more than acceptable amount, not quite drop and stop, but very close to it.

Update 7/20

I played another round yesterday. It was the "breeziest" round so far. I was really impressed how this ball performed in the wind, both off the driver and the irons. There was no "ballooning" and I did not seem to lose as much yardage as my playing partners hitting into the wind, as the distance between my ball and theirs seemed to increase! As a result, approaches were really easy to judge. For example, the "shot of the day" was 130 yards to the pin on a par 3, 8i to 4 feet. Several other approaches, both with full shots and partial wedges, were within 10 feet or so. Very pleased with this ball! If only I had putted better! 

 

Update 7/26
Another day on the course and the ball continues to impress me! One of the other testers mentioned the spin he is seeing in the short game. For me, it is the spin and performance off the irons. I even backed up, granted, not by much, but I did back up a few shorter irons shots today, something I am not accustomed to doing! I had several iron shots that were close and if I had putted better would have had more than the three birdies I recorded. Distance off the driver wasn't too shabby either. For those of you familiar with shot tracking devices like Arccos or Shot Scope, my P-AVG for the day with the driver was 237 yards under basically calm conditions. That is good for this 76 year old.

FINAL REVIEW

AESTHETICS (9 our of 10)
The balls are glossy, a pure white and have a somewhat “sticky” feel to them. All of those characteristics differ from the balls I normally play, the Snell MTB Black, the Callaway ERC Soft, and the Vice Pro Plus I have played in the past. None of those other balls feel or look like the Sugar ball. The Sugar brand on the ball is a rich, bold black and is written in script as opposed to block letters. I like that look. The numbering is very small so as to not take away from the brand itself. No issues with that. The dimple pattern is unlike any other ball I have played. The dimples are small and appear to be uniform. Sugar mentions nothing about the dimples on their website, not the number nor how or why the dimple pattern was chosen. I checked the USGA Conforming Ball List and the Sugar ball is listed as having 350 dimples. Not many balls have that number of dimples. In fact, for U.S. based companies, only the Oncor Elixr, Titleist Velocity and the ball from LA Golf have that same number of dimples. Of those, only the ball from LA Golf has a urethane cover and it is a 4-piece ball that sells per dozen for what the 27 Sugar balls sell for. I wonder if Sugar couldn’t talk to the benefits of their choice of dimples and how they affect performance. Is it only because that is the only dimple pattern offered by their manufacturer, or is there a specific reason for choosing 350 dimples?

I do like the alignment line being pointed at both ends instead of a “blunt” line, though it could be a little longer as I use the alignment line on the tee in addition to using it for putting. On the other hand, that smaller alignment line might be just what those who prefer to look down at an all white ball when putting prefer. Just visible within that alignment line is the model of the ball, “Pure”. Whether it is the Sugar Pure ball, or the Pure Sugar ball, either way, the overall appearance is “sweet”.

The ball accepts Sharpie marking without smearing, and that marking holds up well on the course. Other than a blemish from hitting a cart path, at the end of my first round one would be hard to discern that the ball had even been played for all 18 holes, other than a slight dimming of the Sharpie marking I applied. It still felt “sticky”, though not quite as much. Sound and feel are definitely subjective attributes. I have found the Sugar ball to be in the middle for both characteristics. It is not as firm nor “clicky” as “X” versions of balls like the Vice Pro Plus, nor is it as soft feeling as, say, the Callaway ERC Soft. It is somewhere between those two in both sound and feel. The ball seems to get "softer" going from driver to putter. It has a firmer “feel” off the driver, and feels “softer” to me off the irons. Although I prefer a softer feel off the driver, I have used firmer feeling balls in the past and it alone would not prevent me from making this my everyday gamer. In fact, I really like how the ball felt and came off the irons, more so than the driver.

I also think I might prefer a ball that spins a little more off the driver as, for me, this ball was a little lower launching than others I play. I an attributing that to “spin”, but I could be wrong. Spin off the irons was very acceptable, balls typically stopping within a stride of its ball mark no matter the iron used. The ball reacted well on short shots around the green with me almost chipping in a couple and generally leaving tap-ins or very make-able short putts. I am not a high spin player and found the ball extremely easy to control on those delicate shots with no real learning curve required. I use milled faced putters and found that I left more putts short than normal. As I became adjusted to this, my speed and distance control became better. I found no difference in cover hardness when I tried sticking a pin in it vs the Snell MTB Black.

Again, here is how a ball played 72 holes (on the left) looked compared to new, and how an encounter with a cart path affected the ball.

The Numbers (18 out of 20)

Comparing a similar number of rounds on the same courses, the "numbers" were very close. First, the Shot Scope club distance numbers from June using mostly the Snell MTB Black, followed by the numbers from July using the Sugar Pure ball:

In many cases, the numbers were practically identical and any variances were either due to a better or worse swing on a given day, or weather (breezier or not) or course conditions (fairways mowed/not mowed, watered/dry). 

On approaches, again, the numbers were very close, June first followed by July:

On The Course (18 out of 20)

Here, too, I rated the Sugar Pure 18 out of 20. Off the tee, compared to the month before with the Snell MTB Black, there was only a 3 yard difference in distance, the Sugar being the shorter of the two. That is not significant enough to make a real difference. On the other hand, the Sugar produced a higher percentage of fairways hit, 67% compared to 58% with the Snell.

On approaches, I was extremely pleased with performance as most irons shots, regardless of which club hit, stopped within a stride, and I even backed up, though slightly, a couple of full short iron shots, something I am not accustomed to do with other balls.

I found ball flight off the driver a little lower than other balls, but noticed no difference off the irons compared to the other balls I've used.

Around the green, the ball was easy to control though I do not use a lot of spin nor play those little "hop and stop" type shots. Run out from chips and "bump and runs" was consistent and predictable.

As I mentioned earlier, I found the ball a little softer coming off the putter, no "click" to it, even though I use milled putters, no inserts.

The Good, the bad, the In-between (18 out of 20)

Since I do not play the ProV1 ball, I cannot confirm or deny the claims that this ball compares favorably to the Titleist. What I can say is that is performs as good as, if not better, than the balls I am used to playing, mostly the Snell MTB Black, the Callaway ERC Soft and, occasionally, the Vice Pro Plus. I can also say that the Sugar ball is probably one of the most durable balls I have played as even the small scrape from a cart path encounter did not affect its play-ability. I do take issue with the layering of the numbers of the ball in the box, but that is one of the few things I can find any fault with. Lastly, the price is almost unbeatable, certainly compared to other DTC companies. You can come close to the price buying from others, but you have to spend at least twice the amount of money to get it, having to typically buy 5 dozen, compared to only having to buy one box of 27 from Sugar to get the same or better price.

Play it or Trade it (18 out of 20)

I'm stuck on 18 out of 20. I'm not 100% sure it will be my gamer, though I can find little fault with this ball, other than a slight preference for a softer feeling ball off the driver, but that is me. Those with higher swing speeds may not even notice the firmness. That is a personal preference and, assuming that results were comparable with a softer feel, I would give the ball a perfect 20 out of 20 based on cost and performance. 

Conclusion

If you want an extremely durable ball, at a price that is as good as or better than you can get from any other DTC company without breaking the bank and having to buy 5 dozen at a time, you cannot beat this ball! It may not outperform others, but it is every bit as good, with the exception of durability where it excels as it is probably the most durable urethane ball I've ever played! I found them to be, from one ball in play to the next, very consistent which attests to the quality control they mention on their website, where they also mention the core and cover though fail to discuss the dimple pattern and why a 350 dimple pattern is used since so few other balls use it.

If you are not happy with the current ball you are playing, or are looking for similar performance but at a great price, this ball is well worth trying! I think most will be pleased with its performance.

Final Score: 89 out of 100

I'll be happy to answer any questions.

Edited August 7, 2023 by PhilM75072

[DRLEONARD58]

Official MyGolfSpy Review of Sugar Golf Balls

Introduction:
Hello! My name is David Leonard and I am very excited to be a part of this test. When the test was announced, I spent a good amount of time on Sugar’s website and was impressed with what I saw — to the point that I almost placed an order, but decided to wait until the testers were announced, which worked out better than I could have imagined!

I have been playing golf since I received my first set of junior Wilson clubs in second grade and haven’t looked back since! Doing some quick math, that means I have been golfing for almost 30 years. I currently live in Fairfax, VA with my wife and two girls (7 and 4) which is roughly 15 miles outside of Washington D.C. I currently play in a weekly league at a Par 3 course which has really highlighted the weaknesses in my game (approach and short game). My oldest is currently taking lessons and I look forward to weekends where my girls and I can go golfing!

In my long golf career I have played almost every brand and model of golf ball imaginable. I currently am playing the Vice Pro Drip golf ball and have nothing but good things to say. My plan for testing the Sugar balls revolves around playing my regular league rounds as well as the practice time in the short game area and on the putting green where I will put Sugar head-to-head with Vice. I also have a number of random golf balls in my home office where I take time in conference calls to get some putting practice in -- win-win! I do not have access to launch monitors or other technology to support this review, so it will largely be subjective but where possible I will be playing the two balls back-to-back on the same shots to get instant feedback and comparisons.

Unboxing: (10 out of 10) 

Unfortunately, I was traveling when the shipments from Sugar arrived, so I am a little behind in my impressions and my review but with multiple rounds and testing opportunities planned in the near future! I was not expecting to receive anything more than a cube of golf balls after being selected as a tester. I was pleasantly surprised to see shipping emails for not only golf balls but also a Sugar branded hat and towel. For these to stay in my bag, the performance simply needs to be as good or better than my current gamer ball. 

The hat is what I would call a shallow structured hat with a velcro adjustable strap and curved brim. It is made out of a performance like material and is very light. The towel is a tri-fold waffle towel with a carabiner to attach to a bag. I prefer a carabiner attachment for ease of on/off the bag throughout the round. While not the subject of this test, they were nice surprises.

On to the golf balls.. I try to do my part to reduce my carbon footprint -- I walk the majority of my rounds, I look for opportunities to reduce single-serve packaging, etc. So, the packaging of the Sugar golf balls was, in my opinion, very thoughtful. Unlike other brands where you would have a box that contained 4 sleeves of 3 golf balls, we received one cube of balls stacked neatly 3 wide, 3 across and 3 deep for a total of 27 golf balls.

The cover on the Sugar golf balls feels a little "tacky" which is inline with my new Vice golf balls that I purchased earlier this year. They have a premium look and feel with no noticeable blemishes on any of the balls with the lettering/markings/numbering. I am looking forward get these out on the course and practice areas!

First Impressions: (9 out of 10) 

I haven't had an opportunity to play a round yet -- round scheduled for Friday July 14! But I do work from home a number of days a week, so on long conference calls when I do not have to be presenting or sitting on camera in front of my computer, I practice my putting. Which serves a double purpose this week to get acclimated to my new L.A.B. Golf MEZZ.1 MAX!

 

In my office I have a mixed bag of golf balls for practice -- Titleist AVX, Volvik VIVID, Callaway Superhot, Vice Pro and now Sugar Pure. In this very limited practice environment the two things that jump out to me are the sound and feel of each golf ball. The Sugar ball is a more muted or softer sound while maintaining good roll and feel. The Volvik balls are much more "clicky/clacky" and roll is much more dependent on good contact (even with the LAB putter). I would put the Sugar ball on par with the Vice and Titleist balls while ahead of Callaway and far ahead of Volvik.

 

Aesthetics (10 out of 10) 

I have to say, I am a huge fan of the aesthetics of these golf balls. The white cover is bright, the lettering is sharp and the numbering is in a unique location that I really enjoy. These balls get "bonus points" for the cursive writing (very reminiscent of Titleist) and the alignment mark on the reverse side. I am a huge fan of a white golf ball (I prefer to think this makes me a traditionalist) and these have that classic look when standing over preparing to make a swing.

After playing a number of rounds with these golf balls, the cover has held up remarkably well! Only slight scuffing when hitting trees or cart paths which is to be expected for any golf ball. Most of the time, I just have to wipe off grass stains, dirt marks and mud from the golf balls and they look brand new.

The Numbers (18 out of 20) 

I don't have access to Arccos/Shotschope or launch monitor data, so here is where I will talk through my practice routine.

I was able to get out to the course a couple of hours before my weekly league round to hit the putting green and chipping area where I was able to put Sugar and Vice head to head in more "real world" scenarios. This was my first time to the course with my LAB MEZZ.1 MAX so I was very curious to get the putting green and practice. My local course has a fairly large putting green with 8-10 holes. I typically do a sort of zig-zag practice focusing on puts greater than 15 feet (I can practice less than 10 feet at home on my "office putting green" aka carpet) since my approach shots tend to leave much to be desired.

Feedback and feel were even better on the course than they were at home! I loved the way the ball felt coming off the putter face and the roll was so pure. Distance control was also better than I had hoped and anything over 15 feet was an easy two-putt.

Moving over to the chipping area, I was once again impressed with the feel and feedback of the Sugar golf balls. I do not have a great short game but it is something that I have been working on lately and the Sugar balls did not disappoint. I noticed that they seemed to "release" a little less than my Vice Pro balls when playing more of a "pitch" or "bump and run" type shot around the green. My only takeaway here was that the balls were actually generating more backspin than the Vice Pro balls.

Here you can see the dispersion of my last group of chipping, the closest ball to the pin is a Sugar but so is the farthest away. Also by far my best grouping of the practice round!

I did take a couple of points away owing to the fact that, on average, my performance was just a little better with the Vice balls. Was it just comfort with the Vice balls and a learning curve with Sugar? Or was it actual performance differences? Time will tell when I get on the course!

On The Course (19 out of 20) 

After the warmup it was time for my round! This was the first round that I had been able to play in just about 4 weeks due to vacations, travel and scheduling conflicts. So, I was a little rusty and hit the range for a quick warm-up bucket after putting and chipping practice. My league plays weekly on a Par3 course and I try to get rounds in on "full length" courses whenever possible.

My experience thus far with Sugar golf balls has been overwhelmingly positive and I was really looking forward to getting out on the course! As you can see in the clouds/background of my picture below mother nature had other plans and put our round on hold after the first hole. After a 45 minute rain delay, we were ready to get back out there. I did not shoot my best of the season, but I am chalking it up to my not playing in a month as opposed to the change in golf ball. For this round, I played both the Sugar and the Vice Pro from most locations (thank you to my group members for indulging me) to get head-to-head comparisons.

In terms of overall on-course performance, there were definitely differences between Sugar and Vice. My trajectory tends to be higher with a softer landings and that was still true for both, but I found the landings softer with Sugar. I did not have the best round and only hit one green-in-regulation. There are 3 holes on the front 9 that are in the 120 and under yardage from the white tees, so I typically hit one of my wedges into these greens -- one of these was my GIR and the other 2 actually landed on the green and spun off the front. I have never  produced that amount of backspin before especially from the tee. This reinforces what I saw on the chipping green, that I am producing noticeably more backspin with Sugar than not only my current gamer but also any golf ball that I have used before.

Since my last update I have played multiple more rounds with the Sugar balls being my primary golf ball of choice. With shooting my lowest league round ever -- I shot a One Over (+1) round of 28 (my league plays a par 3 course) owing in large part to the confidence inspiring green-holding power of the Sugar golf balls. I did follow-up the 28 with a less than stellar 34 on the back nine, but I am blaming it on the heat index of 115.

The only point I took away from the on course performance of these golf balls is due to the slight learning curve of adapting your game to account for the extra backspin. Before Sugar, I would play for a good amount of roll-out into greens no matter which club I hit. Now, I am adjusting for significantly less roll-out and often expecting the ball to back-up or stop at point of impact.

As you can see in the above photo, the ball stopped right next to the point of impact on the green which in this case, left me with a 50 foot put for birdie.

The Good, the Bad, the Inbetween (19 out of 20) 

Given the performance that I have been experiencing in the last couple of weeks, it is very easy for me to give these Sugar golf balls a high score in this miscellaneous category. The only point I took away was due to lack of name recognition. When talking to other golfers on league night I would talk to them about the Sugar balls that I was testing and they were all interested in hearing my experience, but almost all of them made a comment to the effect of "Sugar? Never heard of them. I play XYZ." This is usually my cue to elaborate on the benefits (cost, eco-conscious packaging, backspin, etc.) and some are interested, but it's hard to most folks to understand that $70 for 27 golf balls (~$2.60 per ball) is actually significantly cheaper than $55 for 12 Titleist Pro V1 (~$4,58 per ball).

I have talked previously about the looks and aesthetics of the golf ball but it bears bringing it up again -- these are very attractive golf balls. I really like the modern update to the number placement. 

Play it or Trade It? (20 out of 20) 

After playing some of the best golf of my life while testing these golf balls, I think it is clear that these balls are here to stay in my bag. The more I play with these golf balls, the more confident I get and by extension the more fun I have while playing -- which is an often overlooked part of this sport/hobby! 

I would recommend Sugar golf balls to every type of golfer, but the high-handicap golfer might not get as much out of these golf balls as the scratch to mid-handicap golfer. The extra backspin that I, and other, reviewers have experienced might be frustrating for golfers who struggle to hit greens and then have to watch as the ball spins off the front of the green (been there, done that as part of my learning curve).

I will definitely be placing an order for another cube of Sugar Pure golf balls when I either lose enough of these or give enough away to others to try (easy to do when selected for this test!). 

Conclusion

Sugar Golf makes a premium golf ball at a very budget friendly price with eco-friendly packaging and classic looks.

The sound, feel and performance rival any golf ball that I have ever played and Sugar are the first golf balls that made me adjust my own game based on the performance of the golf ball.

Final Score (95 out of 100)

Edited August 6, 2023 by DRLEONARD58

[skraeling]

Sugar Golf Balls
Official MGS Forum Member Review
by skraeling (July - XXX, 2023)

Introduction:  aka the diary of a bogey golfer (on a good day)

Well now.  Imagine my surprise to see myself selected.  My brain almost had not processed that fact thanks to having just gotten back from a scramble in something like a 114* heat index.  Once the fog cleared I knew I had some work ahead of me.  Hello all, the name is Ryan and I have lived in the greater Saint Louis Missouri area for most of my life at this point.  I have worked in a lab since graduating college with my B.S. in Microbiology.  Single guy and just in love with this absolutely mental sport. 

Im not this tired looking usually.  Darn holiday weekends.

Much more refreshed while on vacation though.

How I play:  

Umm... it depends on the day?  

Ive played since I was roughly a preteen and then maybe once or twice a year for the past 20+ years.  I got conned, well maybe not conned... into joining a golf league and thats really when I became obsessed.  Getting fitted for irons, buying other new equipment... becoming a regular in the CHA thread.... 

The golf league really did speed up my development (and obsession with the sport).  I'm pretty routinely in the 90's and usually around low to mid 40's during league of which we only do 9 holes.

For the longest time my biggest Achilles was the driver.  It can still get wonky at times, but even given my modest ~17hcp I can average somewhere around 245 off the tee.  It usually seems to be a rotating of issues for what will plague me that day... 3 putts? Teebox penalties? Fatting irons? Blading chips?  My swing speed is somewhat modest though I have not measured it lately.  Id say in the 90s for the driver and 80s for the irons?  Either way im just a typical average amateur. Sometimes I do things really well and usually have one blow up hole (or round... more on that later) that really nukes a decent score. 

Testing and Goals:

My current gamer ball flips between the Bridgestone Tour B RXS and RX.  The RXS of the two feeling slightly softer as its intended to spin more.  Given my modest swing speeds I need short game and iron spin.  Also I just kind of prefer how a softer balls feels even if data suggests that a higher compression ball would honestly be fine.  Frankly I havnt seen that bear out from the data Ive gathered (also while on vacation). 

Well Ryan... how are you actually gathering data?

I use arccos and while its not perfect it does seem to work quite well for tracking and stats.  This being a ball test I can utilize my current clubs and get a true apples to apples comparison.  I intend to play rounds outside of my golf league (YAY MORE GOLF!) while I determine how this ball plays.  My game being what it is, the ball sometimes doesnt matter if I'm not striking whatever round object well.  I wont be using any launch monitor data as renting while not expensive... isnt really cheap here.  Also I want some real world feels and conditions.

This ball is trying to compete with balls exactly like mine so I expect performance on par (badum - tish) with my Bridgestones.  If they come close for the price point that Sugar are targeting.. then thats a win.  Just wish they had funky colors.  I prefer playing yellow balls.  No idea why.  I had never heard of this company, but I can respect what they are trying to do.

 

UNBORXING:

Hey now that the forum is working again for me I think its time to start adding to this... and oh boy do I have stuff to add.

All the things arrived in good shape.

 

 

 

Well... other than the box I guess.  It had an issue right after I opened it.

This is fine... I can fix it.

TAADAAA.   Ok yeah totally not needed but who cares.

 

The towel is standard waffle pattern towel... though I'm not sure Ill be replacing my current one till its totally worn out.  Sorry Sugar you kind of lost this round to no fault of your own.  My cat however.... loves the towel.

Lets just accept its hers now and no one gets hurt.

 

New hotness vs old and busted?

 

Ill post more later woo!

 

Some play testing updates!!!

 

So when these showed up I of course was not on the course.  So I checked them against my Tour B RXS balls just a basic weight check right?  Every ball I measured was a spot on 1.6oz.

I did not perform any concentricity testing but didnt notice anything out of bounds to the naked eye anyway.

So of course I did the next best thing by just putting a few indoors just to get a feel.

Pretty consistent even for me.  The putting feel on these is quite good actually.  Never had much in the way of distance control problems with them.  A VERY solid 8/10 for me.

 

FIRST PLAY TEST!

Well....unfortunately my game decided it need to s*** the bed at the worst possible time.

Now... I was somewhat hungover the morning my stupid ass decided to try and play with these... in roughly 100* heat.  

 

So.... yeah... this is how it started.

 

It.... never really got much better from there.  So I kind of had to scrub this playtest as really... none of the data felt valid.  I was just playing too poorly.  Could NOT get out of my own way.

Sigh.

This was the best drive of the day I had.... not great.  I average roughly 230/245 off the tee on a competent hit from myself.

 

Fine... ON TO THE NEXT play through.

Remember that mojo regainer round I tried?  Yeah... it was also a bit of a redemption for the balls.  This was nothing to do with how they played and 100% just me being your utterly average golfer who had a bad day.

It doesnt matter what magic bullshit marketing a ball promises.  If you dont STRIKE THE BALL well... none of the marketing wank matters or the cost for that matter.

So I was finally getting my tempo back (also minus a hangover which helped.

Some capture highlights from the round.  I absolutely domed this ball off my driver crown and top of the face.  This is pretty promising for honestly about as bad a mishit as you can get and still gain distance.  Low spin perhaps?  It went straight so thats all I care about.

Not shabby for almost entirely missing the face and the first and ONLY time I got to hit driver on this course.  So a sample size of 1... please stand up.  You are not the real slim shady.  Need to get a few more good strikes to get a good litmus on it still.

 

Ok how about a farther par 3 hole?  

 

Ok.... 

Now it only says 204 but where it hit (the green) and rolled probably 15feet up the hill behind which was QUITE steep.  So honestly... it was impressive even by my modest standards.

 

So this being a par 3/4 course mostly par 3... you get to hit a lot of shorter shots.  Spin on these?  Fantastic.  I also EXPECT that from a urethane cover ball as well.  Quite like the short wedge spin these can give.  Now this is just watching when the ball hits the green and not quantified by any actual number.  It reacts similarly to my bridgestones when i strike them well.

 

All for now.. I got another round coming up sunday (a full 18) so I should get some GREAT data then. 
 

PLAYTEST UPDATE:

Ok sugar… we need to talk.

what the actual fork did you put in these.  Short game spin is just…. Absurd.  I’ve not had balls check up like this ever.

sugar?  Sorry more like cocaine.

not only did I have a good round today.  I also broke 90 (@GolfSpy_BNG thanks for the badge btw) for the first time ever using these.  Happy coincidence?  Possibly.  Did they hurt my odds?  Nope.

 

Got spin? Pitch mark off an iron not wedge shot.  Stopping power eh?

 

even with longer irons green holding is quite good.  We had VERY fast greens today.  Given being 5”+ under for rain this year…. 
 

no issues here gents and ladies 

 

now on 17 things got… complicated.

had to bail back to the club house.  Made it just in time.

 

well… the greens were now water logged to hell.  Still managed to finish.  Woo.

 

UPDATED 8/4/23

Not much to update, its been quite rainy and or 100* so have not gotten out except for once.  Similar story to when I first tried these out, game s*** the bed so I stopped using them and just went to beater balls to hang on to the ones I have left (16 I think).  I think final reviews for these come out this weekend so look forward to that. 

But really Sugar.... can we get a yellow ball or something lime green like Vice does?  So much easier to track in the air with contrast.

 

ITS THE FINAL COUNTDO....REVIEW I MEAN.

8/6/23

11 Balls were harmed in the making of this review.

Aesthetics (8 out of 10) 

The ball is well constructed and feels nice in the hands.  Sound off the face is pretty standard and feel is on the firm side.  The balls are VERY durable.  I never use the alignment aid though it is present for those that use it.  Overall a competent looking ball.  Putting Feel is overall excellent if not one of the best Ive tried out of my many gamers.
 

The Numbers (18 out of 20)

The sugar ball compares very favorably to my current gamer ball the Tour B RXS.  I noticed it keeping pace with the Bridgestone on both distance and spin rates (visually indicated not launch monitor data).

Driving data

 

This was the ball I just happened to be playing the first time I broke 90 during this test.

Played several different balls ever couple of holes.  First three holes TP5X, next 4 Sugar, last 3 Bridgestone.

 

On The Course (20 out of 20)

Off the tee the ball is more than up to the task of providing ample distance.  It compared favorably and sometimes better than others I tried both the tp5x, Tour B RXS and RX.  No complaints here.  Spin around the green is…. Exceptional.  This ball will drop like a dime onto any green you can hit.  So if you spin the ball too much?  This may not be the ball for you as I have no trouble getting it to hop n stop even on partial feel wedge shots.

I don’t have the skill level required to “work” a ball (yet).  So that aspect I cannot speak to.  Flight is high, but that’s more so a product of just my swing and club model choice.

This may be one of the more accurate putting balls I have played.  Control with it seemed effortless.

The Good, the bad, the inbetween (16 out of 20)

The good?  Price. For this model 69.99 for 27 is pretty dang good.  My RXS cost me $4.16 a ball, oof.  For the performance these give? $2.59 a ball is a damn steal.  Overall performance.  GOOD!  Zero complaints.

The bad?  Only white available.  I only play funky colors… yellow, or the best ball color ever when I did play them.  Vice’s lime green.  I get offering more colors would probably break the current cost / ball model they have though.

The Inbetween:  Overall just kind of another white ball.  With a name as unique as Sugar I’d have figured something to visually distinguish it.  Im really being nitpicky here as there isn’t much meh about this ball at all.

 

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

I would honestly play these.  In fact, I might put them into play for a league round this Tuesday.  The price to performance is there in spades.  Its why Vice lost me when they started raising prices.  They lost what made them worth it.  I will probably not however be playing them all that often.  I just love yellow golf balls. 

Conclusion

An exceptional standout in the DTC ball market.  The price to performance of a urethane ball like this is astounding.  I have almost zero complaints with how this ball plays.  If you need a competitive urethane ball that will while feeling a little firmer behave to perfection from tee to green?  Give these a look.

I have a VERY modest swing speed usually only topping out at best low 90s on driver.  Irons are in the 70mph to 80’s Id suspect.  I had zero issue getting these to spin around the green or with longer iron shots.

If an alternative color were available I would game these over my bridgestones. 

 

Final Score (79 out of 100)

 

TLDR:

An affordable urethane ball with competitive performance from tee to green.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2023 by skraeling

[BallsLeon]

Sugar Pure Golf Ball
Introduction - 7/5/23
First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to MyGolfSpy for providing me with the opportunity to test and review the Sugar Pure golf balls. I can't think of any other community that is giving out product for their community to test, it's pretty amazing! As a first-time tester, I'm excited to contribute to the MyGolfSpy community and share my impressions with the Sugar Pure golf balls.

Let me begin by introducing myself. My name is TJ, I am a 32 year old IT professional from Overland Park, Kansas and I am returning to golf after a roughly 20 year hiatus. As far as my game is concerned, I am a casual/high-handicap golfer that plays at primarily municipal courses. That being said, that last few months have been a lot of fun and I am motivated to always keep improving my game. Outside of golf, I like to mountain/gravel bike, play ice hockey, and cook/grill.

When it comes to golf balls I typically play value/budget offerings like: Srixon Soft Feel, MaxFli StraightFli, Callaway Super Soft, and etc. The Sugar Pure golf balls caught my attention because they market themselves as a higher quality option, but without breaking the bank. While they are slightly more expensive than my usual balls, I am interested to see if the performance and feel they offer could be worth the upgrade.

Since I do not have a launch monitor/club tracking, my review will primarily rely on subjective opinions and anecdotal experiences regarding the balls' performance, feel, and durability as I play and practice. I plan to put the Sugar Pure balls head to head with my typical budget balls to see how they stack up. Additionally, I aim to enhance the review by renting time in a simulator or launch bay to provide some real numbers on performance.

Based on what I already know, Sugar Pure golf balls are positioned as a direct competitor to the ProV1 but at a more economical price point. So, if that is true does a premium ball suit my game? As someone who struggles off the tee, will I find these balls more or less forgiving than my typical budget ball? Will I have an easier time holding greens from my approach shots? Will I notice a difference in feel?  Am I seeing increased distance in my shots? Do I see an improvement in my game, and should I keep these in my bag? How many of these balls are going to find themselves in the golf ball stock exchange (woods)?

Once again, I would like to express my appreciation to MyGolfSpy for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to sharing my findings and insights with the community!


 

First Impressions (9 out of 10) - 7/12/23
So, it's been about a week since I received a case of the Sugar Pure golf balls, and in that time I've had the chance to play a couple rounds, do some short-game/putting practice, and even get in front of a Trackman for a little bit. Plenty more to be done before the final review, but wanted to share my initial thoughts and impressions!

Shipping was very fast, Sugar has partnered with Amazon Logistics for their shipping so delivery times are comparable to Amazon prime. The case arrived with some bonus swag, a dri-fit style hat and microfiber bag towel, nice! Thank you Sugar! The packaging of the balls themselves is very simple and minimalist, but this is by design. Sugar calls the minimalist packaging out as one of their cost-saving techniques, works for me.

Now that I have the balls in hand, I have to say the design is very pleasing. Other testers have mentioned this as well, but the balls feel "tacky", not a bad thing just an interesting sensation I've not felt with other brands. Perhaps there is something unique about their "Fusion Cover". As far as hitting the ball, the feel is a noticeable step up from my budget brand balls, very soft feel. My usual MaxFli StraightFlis now feel like rocks in comparison. Additionally, through the last 27 holes my putting performance has noticeably improved, are the Pure balls already enhancing my game  (or am I just practicing lol). Performance seems promising, but I really need to more testing before I can say more about that. 

Some thoughts to consider as I continue my testing: Am I getting more distance? Am I getting more spin? Is my slice off the teebox being exaggerated? Will all the balls I've lost find new loving owners? Stay tuned...





Weekly Update - 7/21/23
I've been having a ton of success with Sugar Pure in my short game, both chipping and putting. So this week I wanted to try to put that to the test. For comparison, I am using two of the budget brands I have traditionally been using (Maxfli Straightfli and Srixon Soft Feel), Sugar Pure, and what I would assume is Sugar's direct competitor, Maxfli Tour.
What I came up with was this:

• putting on PuttOut matt, with PuttOut trainer
• 6 balls from each brand/make
• two distances: 3ft and 6ft
• 3 rounds per distance, putting 6 of one type of ball in a row
• made putt counts as a return or perfect putt on PuttOut
• measure return distance on made putts (roughly measured in 1/4ft increments)
• perfect putts count as zero distance

The results ended up as follows (full data below):

• 3 Foot Putt
  • Srixon Soft Feel
    • 100% made
    • 0.89ft avg. return distance
  • MaxFli Tour
    • 100% made
    • 1ft avg. return distance
  • MaxFli Straightfli
    • 94.44% made
    • 0.82ft avg. return distance
    • 1 perfect putt
    • 1 missed putt, left
  • Sugar Pure
    • 100% made
    • 0.81ft avg. return distance
    • 1 perfect putt
• 6 Foot Putt
  • Srixon Soft Feel
    • 66.67% made
    • 0.88ft avg. return distance
    • 1 perfect putt
    • 6 missed putts, right
  • Maxfli Tour
    • 77.78% made
    • 0.86ft avg. return distance
    • 1 perfect putt
    • 4 missed putts, 3 right/1 short
  • Maxfli Straightfli
    • 66.67% made
    • 0.83ft avg. return speed
    • 1 prefect putt
    • 6 missed putts, 3 right/1 left/1 short/1 long
  • Sugar Pure
    • 88.89% made
    • 1ft avg. return distance
    • 2 missed putts, 1 right/1 long
• Total
  • Srixon Soft Feel
    • 83.33% made
    • 0.88ft avg. return distance
    • 1 perfect putt
    • 6 missed putts, right
  • Maxfli Tour
    • 88.89% made
    • 0.94ft avg. return distance
    • 1 perfect putt
    • 4 missed putts, 3 right/1 short
  • Maxfli Straightfli
    • 80.56% made
    • 0.83ft avg. return distance
    • 2 perfect putts
    • 7 missed putts, 3 right/2 left/1 short/1 long
  • Sugar Pure
    • 94.44% made
    • 0.90ft avg. return distance
    • 1 perfect putt
    • 2 missed putts, 1 right/1 long

Final Review - 8/9/23
I've been playing with the Sugar Pure golf balls for about a month now, and it's time for me to collect my thoughts, and render my verdict. I've put the Sugar Pure through 6 rounds of golf, 4 different courses, two states, numerous practice sessions, one putting "competition", and dozens of lost balls.

Aesthetics (10 out of 10):

In my opinion, this is a category Sugar excels. I have really grown to love the simple Sugar script, not only on the balls but the hat and towel as well. I can appreciate the minimalist packaging and reducing the superfluous waste you find with most ball manufacturers. The balls require no marking as well, as they already have an alignment aide, and until Sugar becomes a household name no stranger will inadvertently pickup/play your ball.
As far as feel. I've described this some, but there is an almost tacky layer on the surface of the ball that feels noticeably different than other urethane balls I've tried. The balls are noticeably soft, but firmer than something like SuperSoft or Soft Feel. They produce a somewhat muted sound in my experience, but it is still pleasing to the ear. Durability wise I never held onto a ball as long as @PhilM75072, but the below ball lasted 7 holes and additional chipping practice, still looks good!

The Numbers (7 out of 20):

Over the course of the past month, I primarily collected data through playing rounds (logging scores/stats to GHIN and additional notes). I played 11 9-hole rounds, three rounds exclusively with Sugar and eight rounds where I played 9 holes with Sugar vs 9 holes with Maxfli Tour.

Breaking down my scores, I found the following averages per 9 holes for Sugar Pure and Maxfli Tour:



Sugar squeaks out the win in Putting which lines up with my putting "competition" I posted earlier on 7/21. However, it loses out on the other 4 categories.

On The Course (13 out of 20):

Expanding on the results above, I found that Sugar Pure balls didn't compliment all aspects of my game. While my game is far from perfect, I believe I played enough holes to get a decent average of my experience. The biggest issue was from the tee, I was pretty much incapable of keeping one of these balls in play if I teed off with any wood. Balls would travel about 150yds and then just take a hard turn right deep into the woods. I ultimately gave up on using my woods with these balls, and just used irons which faired slightly better but still not confidence inspiring.

Approach shots within 120yds were genuinely fantastic, and I think that's where these balls shine. I always felt confident with a wedge in hand. However, longer approach shots often had the same issues that I experienced from the tee. I feel like these balls really do get up in the air, but that wasn't always a good thing. Higher shots would tend to fall off my target line, and this might be due to Kansas wind.

Around the green, and putting was definitely where I felt these balls excelled. They have a great feel for chipping, and have a knack for holding the green... but for me the trouble was getting to the green in the first place. Additionally, my putting was noticeably better for most scores and a commanding performance in the putting "competition". Getting close to the green was a sigh of relief, and the only place I felt confident playing these balls. As you can see above, these balls did not improve my scoring.

The Good, The Bad, The In-between (13 out of 20):

The Good, the ball really does feel fantastic especially in juxtaposition to a cheaper/harder surlyn ball it's convinced me to play urethane balls. I found that playing a urethane ball added some distance to my stock yardages. Additionally, I found chipping and putting with these balls to be confidence inspiring. And finally, I love the look and not having to worry about someone playing my ball by accident.

The Bad, I struggle driving this ball with any sort of accuracy. I've lost a depressing number of these balls, and had to order more balls mid-review so I didn't run out. Other than one outing, I scored higher than my GHIN average. And finally, while the balls are cheaper than ProV1, they aren't the price leader in the budget-urethane ball market.

The In-between, when ordering from Sugar a free dri-fit hat will be included with your order. This is pretty cool, but if you're a repeat customer I don't think you're going to want multiples of this hat. While you can apply this "discount" to other merchandise in their store (I applied it to a polo), I think a repeat customer might appreciated a discount on just the balls themself. That being said, the hat, towel, and polo are all really great, way better quality than I would've thought (but that's not important to this review).

Play It or Trade it? (13 out of 20):

Trade it. Well, to be more precise, burn through the existing balls that I have and try a different ball (probably Maxfli Tour). While these balls introduced me to the improved feel and distance of urethane balls, they didn't translate to improved performance in my game. Without reviewing my scores in detail, and comparing this ball to a competitor I could see myself sticking with these balls. I had just assumed my swing was awful, and I was slicing everything but I've been able to keep the Maxfli Tour in play. However, I think someone with better ball-striking than me would really enjoy these balls.

Conclusion:

I really wanted the Sugar Pure balls to work for me. When I first got them I was really excited by the feel and loved the design, and through the first few rounds thought I might even make these balls my gamer. However, the honeymoon started to wear off after a few rounds of barely hitting a fairway. What really made this clear for me was playing them in comparison to the Maxfli Tour, and not scoring better in any of those rounds. Ultimately, the ball does not fit my game very well.

That being said, I really enjoyed the experience and opportunity! I know my review may be light on hard data, but I hope another high-handicapper with a wicked slice and slow swing speed finds my review helpful!

Final Score (65 out of 100)

[Madden B]

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!

Edited August 7, 2023 by tbarnes80
Final Thoughts and Conclusion

[Ignacio]

Congratulations to all those selected for this test. Am very interested in your results. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

22 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Testers Announced! Sugar Golf Balls

A premium 3-piece urethane golf ball. Manufactured at the same factories as the big brands you already know… sold to you at the lowest price on the market.

Designed to compete directly with Titleist ProV1 and other major 3-piece urethane tour balls. 

Manufactured to maximize your control and feel, all without sacrificing distance.

27 balls for the lowest all-in price-per-ball in its product category

Please welcome and congratulate our 5 (all new) testers!

@PhilM75072

@DRLEONARD58

@skraeling

@BallsLeon

@tbarnes80

 

***Sugar Golf is offering a special discount code for all those in the US who registered for this Member Test by offering 15% off a one time purchase using code: MGS2023

This code is good now through July 15th, 2023***

Check out the bottom of the above quoted text for an exclusive Sugar Golf offer to MGS Forum Members!

[skraeling]

looking forward to providing sarcastic if hopefully useful actual info

[Josh Ross]

Congrats testers! Hope they perform well for you!

[Daniel Carrier]

Congratulations to all! want to read more about these.

[Tx-Ping]

Congratulations to those selected. Looking forward to reading about these. 

Hit them long and straight 

[ScramblinMan]

Congratulations to all testers. Looking forward to your reviews. Hope your tests are conducted in different weather conditions to get an accurate assessment of the characteristics of this ball…

[Willie T]

Congrats to those chosen - should be interesting to hear if the balls are really as good as advertised or if this is a “sugar”-coated marketing campaign…

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Congrats testers!

[rkj427]

Congrats. to this group of testers.

Looking forward to the comments, thoughts, and reviews.

[BallsLeon]

Thank you all! Really excited for the opportunity! Will be posting up my intro soon.

[Derek Lusk]

Congratulations Testers!!!

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Congrats Testers! I will be following this one keenly, as a value alternative to a ProV1 is always worth considering. Now the fun begins!

[tdroma98]

Congratulations testers!! Looking forward to your results!

[Dweed]

Congrats Testers. Have fun and enjoy.

 

[Nihonsei]

Sweet for the testers!

Happy 4th all, no dry proteins, mind the fire!

[RjGolf4Life]

Congratulations to the ALL NEW 5 testers! Curious to see what the feedback will be for these Sugar balls. 

[jbern]

Congratulations testers! I love the script on these balls. Hopefully they perform for you!

[FmrCaddie13]

Really excited for this one! Congrats to all the testers. Interested to see how each conducts side-by-sides with their current gamers.

[Madden B]

My introduction is up, it is a pleasure to get to meet everyone here and share a bit about me. I spent about 4 hours yesterday testing the Sugar Golf Ball and then played a round of golf with 2 balls, 1 Sugar and 1 ProV1. I shot a 34 with one of the balls and a 35 with the other... can't wait to tell you all about my first impressions and day 1 of my testing! 

Edited July 4, 2023 by tbarnes80
Weird duplicate content

[BallsLeon]

Introduction posted up! Had a delay on shipping, but looks like they'll arrive this afternoon.

[Woody83]

Congratulations to the testers.  Curious to see how these balls preform.

[BallsLeon]

Balls and swag have arrived! Will update my post with first impressions over the weekend. 

[skraeling]

Now that the forum is once again showing up for me... updated with my unboxing.  With bonus cat pics... no seriously its totally relevant.