A recent study has shed light on the potential benefits of using orange golf balls over white golf balls. The study, funded by golf ball maker Seed Golf, found that orange golf balls improve the scores of golfers of all abilities compared to traditional white golf balls.
The white paper, titled “Comparative Analysis of Orange and White Golf Balls: A Three-Year Study,” published on April 1, was undertaken by researchers at the South East Technological University in Ireland. The research team was led by Dr Dean Callaghan. The study focused on Seed’s use of Adularescence Fluorescence (AF) cover formulation in its orange golf balls.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 10,000 rounds of golf, encompassing both real-world shots and indoor simulations, from a sample of 711 golfers ranging from handicaps of +1 to 36. Shot data were recorded using the Foresight CG3 launch monitor to evaluate the performance of orange and white golf balls. The results revealed an average distance increase of 0.8 yards on full shots with orange golf balls compared to their white counterparts. Furthermore, players with handicaps of 15 or higher demonstrated a 2.1-yard increase in distance when using orange balls. The study attributes the performance disparity to “the unique Adularescence Fluorescence (AF) cover formulation employed by Seed Golf, which utilizes orange pigments to enhance the ball’s ability to absorb and retain solar energy.” This thermal effect contributes to an overall distance gain of 2 to 5 yards on average full shots, according to the study.
