Golf is a game of inches, especially when it comes to putting. That’s why utilizing a golf ball marker will not only help you denote where your ball is on the green without fear of getting hit by another ball but also set you up for success as you stare down that birdie putt.
Long gone are the days of using a quarter or whatever loose change is jingling around in your pocket or leftover in your bag. Today, the best golf ball markers can be as unique or as simple as a golfer wants, whether it’s something flashy to showcase your personality and fandom or a tried-and-true basic.
Top 10 golf ball markers
Best overall: OnPoint 3 Rail + Coin
Best budget: Veasaers Golf Ball Markers Bulk
Best multifunctionality: Birdicorn Golf 6-in-1 Divot Tool
Best high-end: True Aim Marker
Best for snapback wearers: Birdie Juice Snaps
Best for sports fans: Team Effort Hat Clip
Best pre-alignment tool: Callaway Triple Track Ball Markers 2-Pack
Best bet (get it?): Poker Chip Universe Poker Chip Ball Marker
Best for LOLing: Balanced Co. Funny Golf Hat Clip
Best bling: Giggle Golf Bling Golf Ball Marker
How we chose the best golf ball markers
Like everything in golf, one size doesn’t fit all. We did our best to research manufacturer specifications, including price, material, functionality, and size, to create a shortlist of the top golf ball markers. From there, we combed through production descriptions, ratings, and reviews to find the best golf ball markers for each category.
Best overall: OnPoint 3 Rail + Coin
All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team.
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Benefits
— Improves setup, alignment, and distance control
— Approved by the USGA and R&A
— Only patented 3D dome and coin marker
Drawbacks
— Can be clunky in your pocket for some
— May be too expensive for some
What golfer isn’t looking for an advantage on the golf course, especially when it comes to putting? As the only patented 3D dome and coin marker, the OnPoint Golf Ball Marker allows players to visualize the lines of a putt without having a ball on the green.
Approved by the USGA and R&A — and backed by 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year Jim Furyk — the OnPoint says its three-rail alignment technology has been proven to increase putting performance by 12%. Don’t worry about being in someone else’s line because you can swap the 3D dome marker for the flat coin, which is magnetically attached to the base.
Material: Zinc
Best budget: Veasaers Golf Ball Markers Bulk
Benefits
— Inexpensive
— Plenty of backups
— Great for sharing
Drawbacks
— Random array of color per package
— More easily breakable than metal markers
Not that anyone needs 50 to 150 golf ball markers, but buying in bulk can certainly be advantageous, especially at the right price. Who doesn’t love a good Costco trip, right?
The Veasaers Golf Ball Markers in bulk come with plenty of backups to share with friends and family or utilize the extras for putting drills. With no frills or flair, these neon transparent markers certainly stand out on the green so you can easily find your mark.
Material: Plastic
Benefits
— 6-in-1 functions
— Simple design
— Available in 10 colors
Drawbacks
— May have issues with the magnet
— Forks can be too short for some
Like a Swiss Army Knife, the Birdicorn Golf 6-in-1 Divot Tool offers golfers multifunctionality all within one product. Not only does it fix divots, but magnets keep the included golf ball marker secure.
This lightweight, versatile tool also has a bottle opener, a U-shape design to keep grips dry, a stencil to help draw a line on your ball, and a putting practice/alignment aid. Available in 10 colors, this 6-in-1 divot tool has everything you need on the golf course — except lower scores.
Material: Aluminum
Best high-end: True Aim Marker
Benefits
— Easy-to-read lines help determine break
— Created by PGA Tour caddie Tim Tucker
Drawbacks
— Expensive
— More of a putting aid than an actual ball marker
Reading a green can be tough. The True Aim Marker wants to help. Hardly a traditional ball marker to denote where your ball is for an upcoming putt, this product serves as more of a putting aid to assist with reading breaks.
Place the True Aim Marker behind your ball to determine which way the putt breaks before adjusting your line accordingly to sink that putt, hopefully. Created by Tim Tucker, who caddied for Bryson DeChambeau and Adam Svensson, this new ball marker is one of the most expensive on the market.
Material: Stainless steel
Best for snapback wearers: Birdie Juice Snaps
Benefits
— Reduces the number of things in your pockets
— Slips over the strap of your snapback
Drawbacks
— Snapback hats only
We’ve all been there before: digging in your pockets and at the bottom of your bag in search of an elusive ball marker. Defeated and frustrated, you then ask a friend if they have one you can borrow for the round. P.S., don’t forget to give it back!
Rather than always wondering where your ball marker is, reach to the back of your hat and pull the marker off your snapback like a magician surprising a child with a quarter behind their ear. Birdie Juice Snaps, a hat accessory from GOLF.com SubPar podcast hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz, slips over the strap on your snapback. Easy as that!
Material: Not listed
Best for sports fans: Team Effort Hat Clip
Benefits
— Many NCAA and pro teams available
— Hat clip with 2 ball markers
Drawbacks
— Some issues with magnet strength
— Might not have your favorite team
If you’re looking to showcase your sports fandom even while on the golf course, the Team Effort Hat Clip and two ball markers are the perfect way to complement your college mascot driver head cover and school-branded golf towel.
Offering collegiate and professional teams ranging from the University of Michigan to the New York Giants — and even Disney and Marvel franchises like Star Wars and Deadpool — these ball markers are a hit with sports fans.
Material: Iron
Benefits
— Easy-to-read lines help determine break
— Can be paired with Triple Track balls and putter
— Cheaper than True Aim Marker
Drawbacks
— More of a putting aid than a ball marker
Featuring the same Triple Track technology from their golf balls and putters, the Callaway Triple Track Ball Marker has — you guessed it — three easy-to-read lines to help line up the perfect putt. Similarly to the True Aim Marker, use this product to set up your putt, depending on the break.
If that’s not enough, Callaway also sells the Triple Track Hat Clip, so you don’t have to worry about keeping this in your pocket or losing it in the bottom of your golf bag. You can even opt for the Triple Track Divot Tool for a more multifunctional product.
Material: Metal
Best bet (get it?): Poker Chip Universe Poker Chip Ball Marker
What golf ball marker list wouldn’t be complete without poker chip golf ball markers? You knew it was only a matter of time.
Logo Golf Chips created poker chip golf ball markers in 2006, and a new trend was born. Having made custom poker chip ball markers for more than 4,000 courses worldwide, you can bet that you’ll find these ball markers as souvenirs in pro shops or as giveaways for feats like a hole-in-one.
Material: Clay composite
Best for LOLing: Balanced Co. Funny Golf Hat Clip
Benefits
— Celebrate golf’s best comedies
— Good for a laugh (or at least a movie quote)
— Can be paired with similarly quirky socks, towel and head covers
Drawbacks
— May find issues with the magnetic clip
Golf should be fun. If it isn’t, and you and whoever you’re playing with need a laugh, a Balanced Co. Funny Golf Hat Clip can provide that — and that’s why we’ve coined this as the Best for Laughing Out Loud (LOLing).
Featuring iconic characters, sayings, and scenes from arguably the two biggest and best golf comedies of all-time — “Caddyshack,” “Happy Gilmore,” and “The Office” — these ball markers and hat clips can lighten the mood before you just tap it in. Remember, it’s all in the hips.
Material: Enamel colors and zinc alloy with nickel plating
Best bling: Giggle Golf Bling Golf Ball Marker
Benefits
— Fun images and sayings
— Can be turned into a necklace
— Plenty of bling
Drawbacks
— Designs might not appeal to everyone
Marketed as golf ball markers for women, Giggle Golf offers an array of fun images and sayings surrounded by plenty of bling to ensure you stand out on the golf course.
From ladybugs to frogs and martini glasses, these ball markers can be purchased as a standalone or with magnetic hat clips. They can also be turned into necklaces. Founded by two lifelong female athletes, Giggle Golf also has a section called “Fore the Fellas,” featuring plastic ball markers and divot tools marketed to men.
Material: Metal
Making your mark
Everyone has their own style and preference, so picking the right golf ball marker should reflect who you are. Some golfers don’t care what coin-sized object they use to denote their upcoming putt, while others prefer to use a product that stands out from the crowd.
How to pick the right golf ball marker for you
All golfers utilize a ball marker, but picking out the right one depends on several factors, including your taste and personality, product price, weight, and durability.
Taste
No, we aren’t talking about what the metal or plastic product actually tastes like, but your personal taste and preference based on your style and personality. Are you using a ball marker you bought that one time you attended The Masters — humble brag much? Is your ball marker shaped like Homer Simpson because you’re a big cartoon comedy guy? Ball markers are a great way to showcase your personality on a course. Just make sure you have the putting prowess to back it up.
Price
Golf isn’t a cheap sport to play. After you’ve spent hundreds (or even thousands) on clubs, a bag, balls, shoes, apparel, and other equipment, spending a pretty penny on an object similar to said coin might not be a priority. Whether you prefer cheaper plastic ball markers or have the money and desire to spend more on a higher-end metal ball marker and putting aid, the choice is yours.
Weight
What do you keep in your pockets when you play golf? Some people have balls, tees, a divot tool, a scorecard, a pencil, a phone, and keys, while others prefer to be more lightweight and free-flowing. While golf ball markers won’t weigh you down by any means, any extra ounces can throw you off your game, so the weight of the marker is another factor to consider before purchasing.
Durability
Metal markers, like those made of steel, aluminum, or zinc, are more durable than plastic golf ball markers. Maybe you don’t mind going through 50 plastic ball markers over an extended period of time, or you’d prefer relying on one studier metal marker. It’s like figuring out if you’d rather use plastic or wooden golf tees.
FAQ
What’s the point of a golf ball marker?
A golf ball marker does exactly what its name implies: It marks a golf ball. Golf ball markers are utilized on the greens when you need an object to denote where your ball is prior to putting it. They mainly come in handy if your ball falls on the line of someone else’s putt, and obviously, because you don’t want them hitting your ball, you swap it out for a flat ball marker that’s a win-win for everyone.
What do golf pros use as ball markers?
Like us, regular golfers, professional golfers use whatever ball marker they personally prefer. Some just use a coin, while others favor something from the above list. Remember when Will Zalatoris’ chip shot rolled onto Matt Fitzpatrick’s poker chip ball marker in 2022? Phil Mickelson, for example, uses a silver dollar that belonged to his grandfather, Al Santos, who was one of Pebble Beach’s original caddies when it opened in 1919.
What ball marker does Tiger Woods use?
Similarly to Mickelson, Tiger Woods uses a coin to honor his family. Woods marks his ball with a 1932 quarter to commemorate the year his father, Earl Woods, was born. “He taught me how to putt,” Woods said of his father, who passed away in 2006. “So my dad is always there with me when I play.”
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