The best-performing golf ball from tee to green

If you’re looking to add distance of the tee and spin from the fairway the Srixon Z-Star Diamond 2025 golf balls should be a perfect model for you, but how does that transpire on the golf course?

For millions of golfers, the best golf balls are low-spinning off the tee and high-spinning when playing into greens. The Srixon Z-Star Diamond golf ball certainly ticks those boxes. This golf ball delivers the most optimal performance out of the three golf balls in the 2025 Z-Star range, but does that make it the best option of the three for every golfer?

For my game, the answer is yes. However, not every golfer plays the same as me (of that you’ll be glad)! The Z-Star Diamond is brilliant if, like me, you’re looking for one of the best high-spin golf balls because it’s very easy to generate spin with this model. That being said, it’s definitely lower-spinning than the previous generation off the tee. Still, I can’t see it competing with the best low-spin golf balls anytime soon.

One thing I can say for certain is, this golf ball will challenge the best premium golf balls once again. Not only because of its Tour approval but also because of how solid the performance is from tee to green. I’ve tested a heap of outstanding Tour-level golf balls over the past couple of years, but I don’t think any have impressed me as much as the Z-Star Diamond on approach shots.

I’ve found it very difficult to criticize the Z-Star Diamond because of how much I enjoyed playing with it. Factoring in that it’s the ball of choice for five-time Major Champion, Brooks Koepka, Major Champion and Ryder Cup Captain, Keegan Bradley, and Major Champion and six-time LPGA Tour winner, Hannah Green – to name a few golfers – it’s clear to see this is a strong golf ball that’s hard to find a negative with.

That being said, it didn’t score a perfect 5 out of 5, and I do have my reasons. Let’s dive into my thought process now…

Versatility

I’m going to start by discussing the Z-Star Diamond’s versatility because it scored lowest in this category. I think it’s difficult to award this golf ball anything higher than 4 out of 5 for versatility because I believe it will suit around 80% of golfers, but the other 20% wouldn’t get on with it at all. For instance, someone I play golf regularly with has no issue generating spin on approach shots, so for them, the Z-Star Diamond would be too high-spinning in their wedge and iron game to the degree where it would hinder their game rather than help.

However, I can always benefit from a golf ball that spins easily in those areas. So, for me, the Z-Star Diamond is a fantastic golf ball. I imagine there are more golfers out there wanting a high-spinning golf ball that’s easy to control from 150 yards out and closer than there are golfers who want to reduce spin.

Just because the Z-Star Diamond is a Tour-level golf ball, doesn’t mean you need to be a Tour player to game it – I’m definitely not! I think this golf ball is much more versatile than a lot of golfers perceive it to be. If you think a golf ball that travels far and spins high sounds right for your game then you have to try the Z-Star Diamond, regardless of your ability.

Durability

Before turning my attention to the two categories where the Z-Star Diamond received a perfect grade, I’m going to quickly talk about how durable this golf ball is. I think durability is a strong trait of Srixon golf balls in general. The 2025 Srixon Z-Star Diamond has a brand-new urethane cover made completely from Biopolyol extracted from corn – as do the other two golf balls in the Z-Star family. I wasn’t sure how well this cover would hold up, but I’m happy to report that it is as durable as I expected.

I never expect urethane golf balls to be extremely durable because the cover material is much more susceptible to scuff and wear away than an ionomer or surlyn cover. After taking the Z-Star Diamond to the short game area at Cleveland Golf Club, a couple of the golf balls showed signs of wear, but I always find a wedge cuts a ball up more than any other club in your bag. On the course, I easily managed an entire round with one golf ball, but I wouldn’t stretch to use it again. For a premium urethane golf ball, the Z-Star Diamond is highly durable, but certainly not the most durable golf ball on the market, hence why it scored 4.5 and not full marks.

Feel and Response

Moving on to the first of the categories where the Z-Star Diamond has been awarded a perfect score – feel and response. I absolutely loved how this golf ball felt off every club face in my bag. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s particularly firmer than the Z-Star or Z-Star XV but I think the feedback is much stronger. Thanks to the solid feedback, the response is very satisfying on well-struck shots, but not so much when the contact isn’t as good. However, I think that’s what makes a good golf ball.

I was in two minds as to whether the Z-Star Diamond deserved full marks for its feel and response, but because I couldn’t find any negatives, 5 out of 5 seemed logical.

Tee to Green Performance

I’ve let you wait long enough for my views on the Z-Star Diamond’s tee to green performance. So here goes… This golf ball is absolutely perfect from tee to green. For my game, there’s nothing I would change, spin is optimal in every area, as is distance and control. I couldn’t award this golf ball anything less than 5 out of 5 in this category.

I’ll start on the green and work my way back to the tee box. The Z-Star Diamond rolls very well on the green, it feels great, and sounds very nice coming off the putter face. Around the greens, the level of spin is absolutely ridiculous. This ball is sure easy to control, you can throw it right next to the pin and it’ll come to a very quick stop. This is the case up to as far out as a shot with your 9-iron or even 8-iron. Depending on your ability, you might even find the same success with an iron as short as your 7-iron or 6-iron.

On the course, I had full confidence that I could play a shot to the number and trust it would travel that distance. Because I typically play with high-spinning golf balls, I didn’t need to make too much of an adjustment but iron and wedge spin with the Z-Star Diamond but it’s definitely higher than any other golf ball I’ve played with recently.

Moving into the long game, the spin is notably lower than it was with the previous generation, which in turn, creates longer distance. I really like how the Z-Star Diamond flies off the driver face, and that transfers into fairway woods too.

Final Verdict

Of all the golf balls I’ve played with over the past couple of seasons, this is without a doubt the best-performing golf ball from tee to green. The Z-Star Diamond performs optimally in every area, which makes it extremely difficult to criticize. It feels great, feedback is amazing, and performance is extraordinary. I don’t know what more a golf ball can offer!

Alternative options

Srixon Z-Star Diamond 2025 Golf Balls

RRP: $49.99 / £48.99

Colors: White; Yellow

Construction: 3-Piece

Cover: Urethane

Dimples: 338