I love the feeling of opening a new box of golf balls, don’t you?
However, I don’t like the feeling when I hit a brand new Pro v1 into the lake or stream. So unless you’re made of money and you’re happy to lose a few £2-£3 each golf balls every round, then you need to look for a cheaper alternative.
Lake golf balls might just be the option you’re looking for.
In this blogs, we’ll tell you where to buy lake golf balls and also the cheapest place online. We’ll also give you some helpful information so you know if Lake golf balls are really for you.
What are lake golf balls?
Lake golf balls are golf balls that have been recovered from lakes and ponds in and around the golf course. The shots we all hit from time to time.
Every few months golf clubs hire someone to come round and dive and collect all the golf balls from the water. The balls are then cleaned with chemicals and physically washed many times and sorted into different grades and qualities. They then split the profits between the club and the company that dived for them.
It’s a win-win for everyone, the club gets funds to help run the club and the diver sells the balls on their website through Amazon. We also win because we get good quality golf balls at cheaper prices.
Why should you buy some lake golf balls?
Golf is an expensive sport to play, after paying anywhere from $200 – $5000 for a set of golf clubs, you then need to buy balls and Tee’s. Then you need to pay for club membership or visitors green fees, so It’s a costly sport to play.
So paying good money for a box of Pro v1’s just to hit them into the water every other hole will add up over a season, especially if you’re a high handicapper. An average round can cost you $30 -$40 in summer plus half a dozen balls or so that you’ll end up losing, so each round is actually even more expensive in the end
So using Lake golf balls is a much cheaper option for you especially when you’re first starting to play golf or simply whilst practicing.
Save those expensive Pro v1’s for competition time. Whilst practicing just use used Pro v1’s you’ll get a similar feel and performance at half the price.
Need more practice? Read our article on Golf practice cages
What’s the difference between new golf balls & lake golf ball?
There are many arguments for and against lake golf balls but even the best Golf coaches like Mark Crossfield believe there’s a place for lake golf balls.
Lake golf balls offer a similar feel and performance but at half the price. Yes, some will be poor-quality golf balls that we would never suggest using whilst playing a full round. Most golfers get a bad impression of recycled or lake golf balls because they find an old dirty golf ball on their course usually whilst looking for the bad shot they hit. They then pick up the ball and try hitting it off the next Tee only to hear a horrible noise come from the ball and it goes nowhere and splits.
Remember the lake golf balls that are re-sold on Amazon and places like that are washed, cleaned and sorted into quality which we will discuss in a minute. They throw away all the old crap balls that have started to split and are no good for anyone.
If you buy a selection of say 50 lake golf balls, yes you’re going to find one or two bad ones in there but at such a low price per ball that’s not too bad if you end up with 48 good quality cheap balls.
Grading lake golf balls
Pearl
These balls are our best quality lake golf balls you can buy, they’re superb quality almost like new. Pearl lake golf balls normally come with no logos or names on the balls. They’re the brand new balls golfers have hit off the Tee and straight into the water. These lake balls are truly one hit wonders and very difficult to tell from new. You might find a very small player’s pen mark on the occasional ball.
Grade A
Offers excellent value for money. Grade A lake golf balls are just below the standard to pass as Pearls, however, they will still be in excellent condition and will have only minor signs of previous play. These balls are suitable for competitive play.
Grade B
These lake golf balls have some signs of play and will have either club marks, pen marks, discoloration, or maybe a combination.
Although we would not recommend these balls for competitive play they are still perfectly playable for the friendly round with your mates.
Practice
These balls have been around the block and seen a few hooks and slices! They include X-outs, older balls, blemished balls, refinished balls. They are perfect when practicing in an open-place, and cheap enough that you don’t have to spend too much time looking for them!
Which lake golf balls should I buy?
The answer is simple, always buy the best golf balls you can afford. You may think that spending a fortune on Pro v1’s is fine, then go for it. However, if you can’t afford that ( Like me ) Then why not buy 12 Pro v1 recycled balls
You’ll find they’re perfect for the average player like you and me. They may not last you 3-4 rounds like a new ball would but considering the low cost… Who cares!
If you need to practice your putting, then click here!
Best place to buy cheap lake golf balls?
You can buy lake golf balls from most golf courses but to be honest the best place is AMAZON We have included some affiliate links below to help save you time and money searching. If you click on our affiliate links it won’t cost you a penny more but we will make a small commission. So If you liked this article then please use our links.
Final thoughts
Whatever your budget for buying golf balls, these lake balls offer you a real option when buying golf balls. I have just bought 50 assorted Grade B balls just to practice my chipping into a Golf Practice net in my back garden. Hours of fun for me when the Mrs won’t let me go to the club.
Hope you try some recycled golf balls, let us know your thoughts.
