10 Best Golf Ball Markers 2026 (With Personality)

For most golfers a proper weighted marker beats a scuffed 5p coin. The Callaway poker-chip markersCallaway poker-chip markers£9.95Buy on Amazon are the best all-rounder: heavy enough to sit flat, easy to spot, and cheap. If you always lose them, a magnetic hat-clip setmagnetic hat-clip set£5.79Buy on Amazon keeps one on your cap all round. Want your kit sorted in one buy? The Callaway on-course kitCallaway on-course kit£11.93Buy on Amazon pairs a marker with a divot tool.

A ball marker is the cheapest bit of kit that makes you look like you know what you are doing on the green, and the right one saves you fumbling for loose change. Below are the best markers you can buy on Amazon right now, grouped by what they do best, plus the rules you actually need to know and where the fancy milled markers do and do not earn their money.

At a glance: the best golf ball markers for 2026

Prices are pulled live from Amazon and update through the day.

What makes a good ball marker?

Weight and visibility, mostly. A marker that is too light skitters when you drop it or gets knocked by your foot, and a dull, small one is easy to leave behind on the green. A good marker sits flat, is heavy enough to stay put, and stands out against the grass. Beyond that it comes down to how you carry it: loose in a pocket, clipped to your cap, or built into a divot tool so you only carry one thing.

Are golf ball markers legal, and how do you use one?

Yes, and the rules are simple. Under the Rules of Golf you may mark your ball on the green with any small artificial object placed right behind it, then lift and clean the ball and replace it on the same spot. A purpose-made marker, a tee or a coin are all fine. A line drawn on your ball or a marker with an alignment line is also legal to help you line up, you just have to replace the ball in its original position. Mark before you lift, and lift only on the green or when the Rules otherwise allow it.

Hat-clip, poker chip or coin: which should you carry?

All three are legal, so it is about convenience:

• Poker chip: the classic. Weighty, easy to spot, and it sits dead flat. The best all-round choice for most golfers.
• Magnetic hat-clip: a clip on your cap peak holds a magnetic marker, so you always have one to hand and never dig through your pockets. Best if you are forever losing markers.
• Coin: free and always legal, but light, easy to knock, and it does not exactly say you take your golf seriously.

What about premium and custom markers?

There is a whole world of milled-metal, enamel and leather markers from the likes of Scotty Cameron, Sunfish and Seamus, plus custom-engraved and club-crest markers you will find in pro shops. They are lovely, they make great gifts, and collectors love them, but they cost many times more than the markers here and do exactly the same job on the green. If you want a keepsake or a personalised gift, buy one of those from a specialist. If you want a marker that works and does not hurt to lose, the Amazon picks below are all you need. You can also see the markers our pros stock in the Fayrway ball markers range.

Our top picks in detail

Callaway Poker Chip Markers: best overall

Verdict: the marker we would hand most golfers. A recognisable brand, the right weight, and cheap enough to keep spares.

Callaway's interchangeable poker-chip markers are heavy enough to sit flat and stay put, big enough to spot from across the green, and come as a pair so you always have a backup. The interchangeable centres let you swap the design. For the money, nothing here does the core job better.

• Pros: proper weight, easy to spot, trusted brand, comes as a pair.
• Cons: loose in the pocket rather than clipped to hand.

Callaway On-Course Accessory Kit: best all-in-one

Verdict: the tidy option if you want your marker, divot tool and clip sorted in a single buy, and a solid small gift.

This Callaway kit bundles the bits you actually use on the green into one package, so you are not buying a marker here and a divot tool there. It is well made, gift-ready, and saves you assembling your own kit piece by piece.

• Pros: marker, divot tool and clip together, trusted brand, gift-ready.
• Cons: slightly more than a single marker, more than a minimalist needs.

Magnetic Hat-Clip Set: best for not losing it

Verdict: for the golfer who is forever patting their pockets on the green looking for a marker.

A clip fixes to your cap peak and a magnetic marker snaps onto it, so you always have one within reach and never lose it in the bottom of a pocket. This set comes with several markers, so there are spares for the bag and the car too.

• Pros: always to hand, several markers included, very cheap.
• Cons: lighter than a poker chip, clip lives on the cap you actually wear.

BettGolf Divot Tool with Marker: best value combo

Verdict: two jobs, one pocket. Repairs your pitch mark and marks your ball for the price of a coffee.

A pop-up divot repair tool with a magnetic ball marker built into the top means you carry one thing and always do the decent thing by fixing your pitch marks. Simple, cheap and genuinely useful every round.

• Pros: repairs pitch marks and marks your ball, magnetic hold, very cheap.
• Cons: the marker is smaller than a dedicated poker chip.

Guinness Ball Markers: best gift

Verdict: a proper conversation piece and an easy present for the golfer who has everything.

Officially branded Guinness markers are a bit of fun on the green and make a cheap, cheerful gift that always lands. Not the most serious pick, but a guaranteed smile in a Christmas stocking or a golf-day goody bag.

• Pros: officially branded, great small gift, stands out.
• Cons: novelty first, function second.

Line Drawing Alignment Kit: best for lining up putts

Verdict: for golfers who want to line up putts and tee shots with a drawn line on the ball.

This kit lets you draw a straight, consistent line on your ball so you can aim it at the hole when you replace it on the green, or line it up on the tee. Plenty of tour players use a line, and it is entirely legal. The kit includes the stencil and pens to keep the line fresh.

• Pros: helps you aim, legal, multi-pack with pens, very cheap.
• Cons: a line helps aim, not the stroke itself, some golfers find it fussy.

What we would skip

A few things to watch:

• Ultra-light novelty markers you will actually use. Buy the joke marker for the laugh, but carry a weighted one for real rounds so it does not get knocked out of place.
• Fake-RRP multipacks. A bag of 50 markers listed at "was £29.99, now £6.99" is a £6.99 bag of markers. Judge on the real price and the reviews.
• Premium milled markers bought as everyday markers. They are gorgeous and make great gifts, but you will wince every time you leave a £30 marker on the 7th green. Keep those for the collection.

Frequently asked questions

Are golf ball markers legal?

Yes. The Rules of Golf let you mark your ball on the green with any small artificial object, or even a coin, placed directly behind the ball. You then lift, clean if you like, and replace the ball on the same spot. Purpose-made markers are simply easier to see and handle.

Which side of the ball do you mark?

Place the marker directly behind the ball, between the ball and the hole is fine, and lift the ball straight up. When you replace it, set it back on the exact spot in front of the marker, then lift the marker before you putt.

Do alignment ball markers actually help?

They can. A line on the ball or an alignment marker gives you a reference to aim at the hole when you replace the ball, which helps some golfers start putts on line. It aids your aim, not your stroke, and it is completely legal under the Rules.

Magnetic hat-clip or poker chip: which is better?

A poker chip is heavier, sits flatter and is easier to spot, so it is the better marker on the green. A magnetic hat-clip is better for never losing one, since it lives on your cap. Many golfers carry both: a chip to mark with, a hat-clip as backup.

Can you use a coin as a ball marker?

Yes, a coin is perfectly legal. It is just lighter and easier to knock than a purpose-made marker, and it does not hold an alignment line. A weighted marker is more practical, but a coin will never get you a penalty.

How big can a golf ball marker be?

The Rules do not set a strict size, but a marker should be small and used only to mark the spot, not to help your stroke. Standard poker-chip and coin-sized markers are well within what is expected. Oversized "markers" meant as putting aids are not appropriate to leave down while others play.

Ready to choose?

For most golfers the Callaway poker-chip markers are the safe, does-everything pick. Grab a magnetic hat-clip set if you are always losing them, the BettGolf combo if you want a divot tool too, and the Guinness markers as a gift. You can also browse the ball markers range at Fayrway to see what our pros are stocking.