Amazon's In The Golf Ball Business

Because my phone is listening to me at all times (am I paranoid?), these Amazon Basics Core Soft golf balls popped up in my feed.

I didn’t know Amazon was in the golf ball business.

Given the fact that these are $14.40 a dozen, and that they’re in Amazon’s Basics line of product, they are not going to be great golf balls. The Basics are just that: low priced, no more than adequate products that Amazon has determined they can sell at high volume with (probably) low margins.

I have mostly used Amazon Basics for spare cables for electronics: USB, HDMI, and the like. They also have a house brand line of “Essentials” clothing, which includes golf clothing. I got a golf shirt from there once to see how it was. It was fine.

Here’s what Amazon says about its golf balls:

OPTIMIZED PERFORMANCE: 12-pack of low compression golf balls delivers exceptional distance and straight flight path with soft feel on impact
ENHANCED CONTROL: Advanced core and cover technology provides improved short game control and putting accuracy
ALIGNMENT AID: Side stamp alignment feature helps line up putts with confidence for better accuracy on the green
HIGH VISIBILITY: Durable white cover offers protection and easy ball tracking during play
VERSATILE USE: Well-suited for all skill levels, from beginners to experienced players, providing consistent performance across all clubs; USGA conforming

A little internet research says that they’re two-piece, ionomer covered balls with 338 dimples. The Amazon Basics balls apparently are manufactured by SM Global, who also make Costco’s Kirkland and PXG’s balls. Both of those are fairly well regarded, so there is some hope for Amazon’sa being okay.

At $1.20 a ball, I have this notion that the Amazon Basics Core Soft Golf Ball just might be thing for fall golf, where the casualty rate for golf balls is quite high. I’ve always used a less expensive ball in the fall because of leaves on the fairways.

It turns out that Amazon has a bunch of other golf products in their Basics line. They’ve got an Orange Whip knockoff, swing path hitting mat, practice putting green, hitting net, and a hitting mat.

Given that golf clubs are relatively cheap to manufacture compared to their retail cost, I wonder if Amazon will go into the golf club business at some point. By all acounts, a driver costs a major manufacturer less than a $100, but retails for 5x that. I’ll bet there are even bigger margins on golf bags.

In any case, I’m going to order some of the Amazon balls and see how they fare.