Vice Golf Balls Review
There is a bevy of golf balls brands vying for the market today. Deciding between an authentically good golf ball and one that is all marketing hype can be tricky.
Then there’s a sort of outlier in this marketing equation – Vice. If you’re used to some of the more commonplace golf equipment supplier – think Titleist, Nike, Callaway etc… – you may not have heard of Vice.
Vice offers premium quality golf balls at much lower prices than the big brands. They even claim that Vice golf balls meet or exceed the quality of some of the biggest names in golf. The savings are made possible through a direct-to-consumer business model that skips over the middlemen typically associated with other equipment suppliers.
Vice golf balls can only be purchased online, but with a $6.95-flat nationwide shipping rate, it may be worth it. That is what this guide is for. We will examine the origins of Vice golf balls, see what makes them unique, and help you determine whether or not they could meet your expectations.
Vice golf balls
Can only be purchased online
$
6.95
nationwide shipping rate
Who is Vice?
First of all, let’s take a look behind the golf ball.
Vice was founded in 2012 in Germany by Ingo Düllmann and Rainer Stöckl. The company didn’t reach the U.S. market until 2015. The original intention of the company was to be able to provide affordable, quality golf balls without retailer markups – point A to point B.
That model is still in effect for the company today.
Currently, the company offers six tiers of golf balls. They also sell other golf equipment such as test, apparel, towels and more but, golf balls remain their primary focus.
“Golf balls are Vice Golf’s main business, and we are very serious about them. So much so that Vice Golf is the official ball of the German Golf Association (DGL) and has begun growing a player portfolio that includes up-and-coming pros as well as top European amateurs,” they say in their brand statement.
As was previously mentioned, these golf balls are produced by Vice and shipped directly to the consumer. The balls are manufactured in a Taiwanese plant that has been producing performance golf balls since the 90’s. The balls are manufactured in a ten-step process that ends with a quality control step to ensure each ball, “is [a] consistent size and weight and shows a perfectly centered core.”
Düllmann and Stöckl, the co-founders and current CEOs of Vice, Stöckl shared in an interview for the five year anniversary of the company that they regularly visit the production site to ensure the quality.
“We’re regularly on site of course; usually 3-4 times a year – we make sure that everything is running smoothly at the factory to produce the quality we’re looking for, but we also meet with other business partners who manufacture other Vice accessories for us.”
Vice makes big promises, but let’s take a look at whether or not they live up to them.
What Makes Vice Golf Balls Unique?
Vice golf balls are manufactured in a very similar way to all other major golf balls on the market today. The uniqueness comes from the brand in that they provide the balls at a low cost by shipping directly to the consumer and skipping over the middleman.
With that in mind, there are a few features of Vice golf balls that make them unique from other golf balls.
Vice offers personalization options for their balls at very reasonable costs. You can print graphics, images, or company logos on the balls. The starting cost for a dozen balls including printing costs is $13.90.
Dozen Balls |
Price |
|---|---|
 |
$ 13.90. |
Vice offers printing in 3 different methods with varying results in terms of durability and color security. They are even capable of perfectly color secure logos for corporate customers.
Customization is available on all of six types of Vice golf balls.
Those six options are: Pro Soft, Pro, Pro Plus, Wild Winds, Tour, and Drive. All have varying price ranges and features, but there is undoubtedly one that will meet your needs.
Vice Golf Pro
QUALITY |
PIECE |
PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| 12 pieces | $34.95 |
Vice’s Pro golf balls are one of the most widely reviewed of Vice’s balls. They are priced at $34.95 for one dozen. They are covered in a 3-piece cast urethane cover, have a design of 318 large dimples for stability in flight, and a specially designed core for increased speed.
Vice’s Pro Plus golf balls is nearly identical to the standard Pro. It is priced on the same pricing scale. The most prominent difference between the two is the dual casing on the Pro Plus which keeps it lower and allows it to go an extended distance. The dual casing makes the shell of this ball a four-layer casing.
Vice Golf Pro Plus
QUALITY |
PIECE |
PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| 12 pieces | $34.95 |
All of the previously mentioned balls are laser-measured and precisely marked with a putting line. Vice calls this their KIL, or keep-in-line, putt line. All balls by Vice have this marking, but the Pro and Pro Plus models integrate “a vision technology to locate within the dimple pattern the correct position for the Vice Logo, the players number as well as the putting line.”
Vice Golf Pro Soft
QUALITY |
PIECE |
PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| 12 pieces | $34.99 |
Then there is the Pro Soft. The Pro Soft is the standard Pro model by Vice but with a less-compressed core. Softer balls tend to go farther from the tee, spin less, and feel more responsive to the player.
Vice Golf Tour
QUALITY |
PIECE |
PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| 12 pieces | $ 34.95 |
One step down in the pricing tier, Vice offers their Tour model. For one dozen, Tour balls can be bought at $21.95. For five dozen, the price per dozen is reduced to $15.95 per dozen. The Tour ball is a 3-piece ball that has 392 strategically placed dimples.
The Tour balls have an extremely thin core, allowing for more of the energy source for a golf ball – the core. Vice has equipped their Tour line with a size-optimized Energy Speed Core, or ESC, that delivers more speed and less spin for more distance.
Vice Golf Drive
QUALITY |
PIECE |
PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| 12 pieces | $14.95 |
The most cost-effective ball offered by Vice is their Drive line. Drive balls by Vice are offered at $14.95 per dozen if you buy one dozen but cost as little as $10.95 when purchased in quantities of five dozen or more. The two-piece design is not as accurate and responsive as the more expensive balls, but still offers a good amount of distance and a longer roll.
All Vice golf balls we have mentioned thus far are available in classic white, neon lime, and neon red.
Additionally, Vice currently offers a line of golf balls outside of their standard lines.
Vice Golf Drive
QUALITY |
PIECE |
PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| 12 pieces | $ 39.95 |
Vice’s Wild Winds collection is a limited edition, specially designed golf ball by Vice. The line is limited to 500 dozen. The specifications of the ball seem very much like the Pro Plus, though this has not been stated by Vice. The price for one dozen balls from the Wild Winds collection is $39.95.
All orders are shipped for $6.95, regardless of your location and quantity ordered.
If you want to sample many of the offerings by Vice but don’t want to buy several dozen balls, you could purchase the Selected Pack from Vice. The pack comes with two balls each from several models: Vice Golf Pro Plus, Vice Golf Pro, Vice Golf Pro Soft, Vice Golf Tour, Vice Golf Drive. This offer reportedly saves consumers 24 percent than if the balls were purchased outright, though Vice does not sell a smaller pack than a single dozen with the exception of the Selected Pack. The Selected Pack was named on Golf Digest’s Hot List for Best New Golf Balls of 2018.
Pricing of Vice Golf Balls
MyGolfSpy, an online source for independent testing of golf equipment, revealed that their official tests showed only negligible differences between the Vice Pro Plus ball and the Titleist Pro V1x golf ball. But what about the pricing? Vice Pro Plus balls are sold at the price of 34.95 for a dozen, plus a flat fee of $6.95 for shipping. The Titleist Pro V1x is sold at the price of $47.99 for a dozen, plus a varying shipping rate depending on your location within the U.S.
That’s a reasonable enough price as a standalone deal, however, the real savings found in Vice golf balls comes in buying them in bulk. After two dozen, the price per dozen begins to decrease as the purchase quantity increases. For example, if you buy three dozen the price decreases to $29.95 per dozen. If you buy over four dozen balls at one time, the price reduces to $24.95 per dozen – all the while the shipping rate remains at a flat $6.95.
$24.95 is nearly half of the price of the Titleist balls at nearly $50 per dozen.
The Drive line by Vice is offered very affordable. For one dozen Drive balls by Vice, you will only pay $14.95. A comparable ball would be the Titleist DT TruSoft ball which is priced at $21.99 a dozen.
What Are Other Saying About Vice Golf Balls
The “secret” of Vice golf balls has only recently gotten out, but their affordability has allowed for many people to chime in one of their experiences with the balls. Once such golfer is Brad Gibala.
Gibala, a part-time blogger and part-time marketer wrote an extensive review of his experience with Vice golf balls.
First time I pulled one out of the box it instantly reminded me of a Titelist Pro V1. Something about the cover and it had an almost grabby/sticky feel to it. What I liked most about the Vice Pro was it surprised me more than the Vice Drive and Vice Tours I recently played with. Over 18 holes I noticed it travel a little farther, would draw off the tee, and check up on approach shots. None of those happened with the Drive and Tour.
Brad Gibala
Part-time blogger/marketer
Gibala was even more impressed with the Pro Plus balls saying, “What I liked most about the Vice Pro Plus is it took the best parts of the Vice Pro, Vice Tour, and Vice Drive and wrapped them into it.”
David Gerzstein, a professional golfer, has been quoted praising Vice golf balls.
“The feeling with the Vice Pro balls during approach shots and putts as well as control in the long game is fantastic. It’s just a great product.”
What We Think About Vice Golf Balls
It’s hard to understand why this brand is not more widely recognized. They are producing premium quality golf balls that meet or exceed expectations but offering them at a heavily-reduced cost.
It’s no secret that when we purchase something at a brick-and-mortar retailer, it has often gone through a supplier, several shipping companies, multiple distribution centers, and potentially much more. Vice’s direct to consumer model makes a lot of sense and appears to be a win-win situation for both Vice and their customers.
As of now, Vice is the only golf ball company that is modeled in this way. However, some large athletic companies are taking notice of the effectiveness of this business tactic in today’s market – such as Under Armour.
It won’t be long until other competitors attempt to take a shot at this model, but for now you should check out Vice’s offerings. The prices really are quite reasonable, even for personalized products.
In our opinion, Vice golf balls are a great alternative for the skilled golfer who doesn’t want to shell out superfluous amounts of money for golf balls that they could get at a much cheaper price. The range of offerings by Vice has something for every level of golfer.
Should you have trouble identifying which line of Vice golf balls is right for you, you’re in luck. Vice has a quiz to help you find “your vice.” This quiz asks questions regarding gender, typical golf score, typical brand of golf ball used, average driving speed and more. It then automatically identifies your ideal ball choice.
We think you should give Vice golf balls a try in some capacity. Starting with their sample pack or a dozen of their lower-tier balls will only set you back about $25 at the most. What’s the hesitation?
Keywords: vice golf balls
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