The Callaway Chrome Soft has been an interesting ball for me. I had played the major brands in college, but never really thought about trying a Callaway ball. I tried as soon as it came out. At first, it was a dream; durable, long, soft, control around the greens, great trajectory on approach shots. But as I kept using it, the distance control with wedges got a bit difficult. I kept hitting it way longer than I meant to. I thought for the longest time I was just getting flyers and my wedge needed to be changed. I've since adjusted to the increased distance by dialing it down a bit on full wedge shots. The wedge distance could be just me -- I have played with numerous people that have not seen that issue and love “the ball that changed the ball.”

Durability:  Many are comparing it -- feel wise -- to the old Tour Balata of the 90’s, but the Chrome Soft doesn’t need to be changed out every four holes like the Balata. The Chromesoft is extremely durable. I could use the same ball for 3-4 rounds without any problem.

Decision Time: When you are deciding whether or not to play the Chrome Soft, try what I like to call the "wedge test.” If you can, juggle the ball you play versus the Chrome Soft. I guarantee any Tour ball sounds like a marble compared to the Chrome Soft. If you can’t juggle, learn how! I’m just kidding; you can get the same effect if you just tap the ball to the face of a wedge and listen for the difference.

Price: The cost of a dozen Chrome Soft balls is more competitive than other Tour balls - about 37 dollars compared to $40 to $50 a dozen, which will leave a few bucks in your pocket. I'm not sure why it costs less, but the story is that the Tour success contained more than a bit of luck for Callaway. They were attempting to create a good amateur ball, but it was also received extremely well by Callaway Tour players; most notably Phil Mickelson who put the ball in the bag after a week.

Options: The Chrome Soft also comes in two different colors; white and yellow. They perform the same, but the yellow version is a little bit easier to see.