Anyone that has played a considerable amount of golf since 1971 will be acquainted with the Top Flite brand, whether it be golf balls, clubs, or other accessories.
Looking at the history of the brand and its decline, the question arises whether they still make golf balls and who makes Top Flite golf balls.
Delving into the history of Top Flite reveals that the company started in 1971 when operating under the Spalding banner the company introduced the first Top Flite branded golf ball. Top Flite introduced the first 2-piece and multi-layered golf balls in the history of golf.
After a myriad of changes in ownership which includes a leveraged buyout by a private investment firm, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 1996 Top Flite entered rocky waters before Callaway came to its rescue in 2003 when the company had to file for Chapter 11 protection.
Purchasing Top Flite provided Callaway access to intellectual property and golf ball manufacturing facilities as well as other brands which included Strata, and Ben Hogan brands.
Eventually, Callaway parted ways with the Top Flite brand in 2012 when it sold Top Flite to Dick’s Sporting Goods after nearly a decade. Under the purchase agreement, Callaway retained the Strata brand and the golf ball manufacturing facility in Chicopee, Mass.
Under the guidance of Dick’s Sporting Goods, Top Flite is trying to revive the brand by introducing new golf clubs and golf balls regularly.
Some of the More Popular Top Flite Golf Balls Available are:
Top-Flite XL Distance Yellow Golf Ball is a 2-piece construction designed to get the most distance on every shot including off the tee. This is enhanced through the use of its Distance Dimple Technology that enables fast ball speed off the clubface and high launch angle.
Built around the High Resiliency Core with a cut-proof Ionomer cover this ball is aimed at optimizing compression for longer shots.
Its yellow cover makes his one of the easiest balls to track in flight.
Top-Flite XL 7000 Super Straight golf balls provide a similar distance to the XL Distance with a straighter ball flight as a result of the distance dimple aerodynamics and Slickote coating that decreases the spin rate.
Top-Flite XL 7000 Super Soft golf balls are similar to the XL in distance off the tee with a fiery core that assists golfers to hit it long and straight. The low compression of the XL 700 range produces a softer feel for more control on and around the green.
Top-Flite XL 7000 Super Long golf balls with an ionomer cover produce less spin than the Super Soft thus offering more distance off the tee.
Top-Flite The Gamer V2 golf balls come with the 3-piece performance of the original Gamer but offer even more distance without sacrificing feel around the green. Durability is not affected by the softer feel.
Top flite has undergone a major transformation from the innovative company that introduced the first 2-piece and multi-layered golf balls to the golfing world. Financial trouble besotted the company in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s whereafter Callaway used it to gain a stronghold in the golf ball market before passing it on to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
I am sure I speak on behalf of many enthusiasts when saying that I hope the stability and large client base it found in Dick’s Sporting Goods will enable the brand to survive and revive to its former glory.
Your experience with the Top Flite branded golf balls will be appreciated in the comments section below.
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Nick is the founder of GolfSpan and an avid golfer. He's not quite a pro but has over 15 years of experience playing and coaching golfers worldwide. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience when it comes to choosing the right golf gear and finding the right setup for your game.
