Wound Ball

Wound balls have a core (liquid or solid) that has been wound around with a rubber thread. The winding is usually coated with a Surlyn or another cover but seldom Balata these days. The characteristics of these balls is influenced by the combination of the core and cover material. Generally these balls are excellent when it comes to spin effect but do not perform well when it comes to covering distances. Also, due to the soft cover materials used to increase the effect of the winding around the core, the balls lack durability. Wound balls are very sensitive to temperature and their distance and overall performance will be drastically less with ambient temperatures below 20 °C.

2-Piece Ball

The core is usually made of a resin material and cover is an extremely durable Surlyn coating. Enormous amounts of money are spent by manufacturers to develop new materials that could be used for core and cover such as titanium for example. A harder ball will not be compressed as much when hit by the clubface which is usually the case with a 2-piece ball  and slides further up the club face resulting in a higher takeoff angle. Therefore the ball will not be deformed as much and less energy is produced when the ball reshapes which leads to a lower rotation rate. As a result, the trajectory will be lower with less carry and more roll.
 

3-Piece Ball 

3 piece balls are usually made of a large synthetic core and a thin mantle plus the cover. For optimised weight balance, some manufacturers use Tungsten in the centre of the synthetic core. A ball which is compressed more on the clubface like most wound balls will not slide up the face as much. Because of the ball's greater deformation the reshaping process is more dynamic and the ball has a flatter take-off angle, a higher rotation rate, more lift and therefore a higher trajectory. A 3-piece ball is more inclined to spin sideways than a 2-piece ball.
 

4-Piece Ball 

4 piece balls have a small inner core surrounded by the actual core which like the 3 piece balls. This inner core is surrounded by a thin inner mantle which transmits the relevant distance characteristics from the coat to the core and is responsible for that special Balata type feel.
 

During the winter months hold your golf ball in your hand or put it in your pocket for 10 minutes before tee off and between holes to keep it warm, you will notice the difference as the compression of the ball will change if it is too cold.

To keep a similar feel to your summer game around the greens during the winter months, consider using a softer (lower compression) ball to what you normally use. Some suggestions would be a Titleist So/Lo, Nike Super Soft, Precept Laddie etc.

If there is a frost on the ground, a 2 piece ball may have a higher initial velocity than a 3 piece ball.

Avoid "Balata" balls if you are a beginner or high handicap player. They are a soft cover and not very durable when hitting trees etc.

If you are hitting the ball higher (more loft) than you want to and you are using a 3 piece or spin ball, try using a 2 piece or distance ball. 

The number of dimples does not make a huge difference to the flight of a ball if it is between 350 and 450, but the depth of the dimple does affect the flight as it breaks more air around the ball during flight.

Cold air is more dense and the ball flight distance is reduced as it cuts through the heavier air. So in winter you get less distance in the air.

Surlyn is the most widely used ball cover material on the market and is considered the best for durability, cut resistance, distance and price.