how much should i charge golf course to extract balls from water

by Elouise Gulgowski 3 min read

Full Answer

How much do golf courses pay for used golf balls?

Usually a golf course is paid 6 to 10 cents for each ball salvaged, or paid with a portion of the balls, after cleaning. If you work as a contractor for one of the big outfits that buys used golf balls, they will help you make arrangements with golf courses.

How much does it cost to water a golf course?

Depending on the amount of water needed, a typical golf course can spend between $7,000 and $108,000 per year. However, many courses use various methods to water their turfgrass spaces to help limit their need to use water from the municipal water systems.

How much can you make diving for golf balls?

When recovered and cleaned up, these used balls sell for as little as six cents wholesale and up to $1 or more retail. It’s a $200 million industry, and a golf ball diver can make $100,000 per year, according to Golf.com.

Can water penetrate a golf ball?

From the naked eye it seems almost impossible for the water to penetrate the outer layer of the golf ball but at the microstructure level, there are gaps at the molecular structure of the outer layer of the golf ball. Water molecules can move in through the mesh of the molecular structure straight into the inner layers of the golf ball.

How much can you make retrieving golf balls?

Typically, golf ball divers earn money for each ball they recover. Buyers include the golf course, retailers, and golf ball companies. Anecdotal information suggests that divers earn about $200 a day.

How much do you make diving for golf balls?

between $50,000 and $100,000 annuallyOver the past couple of decades, golf ball retrieval and recycling has become a multimillion-dollar industry, in which hardworking divers can earn between $50,000 and $100,000 annually, depending on the economy and a diver's stomach for harsh conditions. Still, the wealth does not come cheaply.

What do golf courses do with balls in the water?

A number of businesses have started to collect old golf balls and turn them into profit. The most common way to find success in the golf-ball-recycling world is to employ divers to scavenge the balls from the lakes on and around golf courses. John Weynand is one of those divers.

How do I start a golf ball retrieval business?

0:144:32How To Start A Golf Ball Retrieval Business - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd the second is going to a local golf. Course all right and go into a local course. And what youMoreAnd the second is going to a local golf. Course all right and go into a local course. And what you can do is you can build a relationship with the owners all right as a third-party outsource.

How do you collect golf balls from a pond?

To get started, buy a golf ball rake with a long handle for reaching out into ponds from shore. There's also a product called the “Golf Fisherman,” which you toss out into ponds and pull back in (hopefully full of balls) using an attached rope.

How much do golf ball picker uppers make?

Golf Ball Picker SalariesJob TitleSalaryNot Applicable Golf Ball Picker salaries - 1 salaries reported$10/hrStrongsville Golf Golf Ball Picker salaries - 1 salaries reported$10/hr

What do you call a pond on a golf course?

Lakes, ponds, and so forth are now called "penalty areas" in the rulebook, but golfers will be making casual references to "water hazards" for decades to come.

Are golf balls found in water still good?

Both types of balls lose approximately six yards of total distance after eight days in water. However, two-piece golf balls will lose about 10 yards in total after three months in water, while multi-piece golf balls will lose approximately 12 yards in three months and 15 yards in six months underwater.

How many golf balls are in a pond?

Weynand, 28, averages about 200 to 300 balls per pond but said many variables can affect the amount of balls in a lake, from the season to the location to whether they came from a left-handed or right-handed shot.

Is selling golf balls a good business?

There are even some companies that hire people to find them used golf balls. Selling used golf balls is a great way to make money. But before you sell them, it is important to know how much to charge and how to make sure that they are ready for sale. Golf Ball hunting is a very lucrative business.

How do golf ball divers make money?

Glenn Berger says he earns about $15 million a year retrieving golf balls from water hazards in golf courses around Florida. He dives for balls, collects them, cleans them and resells them to driving ranges for a buck a piece.

Are 20 year old golf balls still good?

So keep your balls in a cool, dry place and they will last for awhile. The golf ball researchers at Titleist state, "Today's Titleist golf balls can be safely stored for five years or even more, as long as they are kept away from excessive heat. ... Normal indoor conditions should be fine for storage."

How to clean golf balls with dish soap?

You could also rinse them with water; a hose will work best. Fill up your sink or a bucket with warm water. Put about “half a cup to a cup of liquid dish soap [into] the water.”. How much soap you add will depend on how many golf balls you are cleaning.

Should you clean golf balls when selling them?

If you are going to sell golf balls, then it is a good idea to clean them off, especially if you retrieved them from a water hazard. Since you are selling them, you will want them to be in the best condition possible! You don’t want to go around selling mud-caked golf balls since that could give you a bad reputation.

Can you clean golf balls with acids?

It is important to mention that you should not use abrasive cleaners, such as acids, to clean your golf balls. This will damage the ball’s cover, which will harm its performance. Also, if you do not have a lot of extra time, some people wash the golf balls in their dishwasher.

Is golf ball hunting a lucrative business?

Golf Ball hunting is a very lucrative business. If you choose to sell random balls you have found over the years, you can make a little cash, and if you choose to invest time and hunt for them, you can make a sizeable sum.

Do golf balls damage their covers?

For most golf balls, this should not damage their covers. If you do this, just make sure that they are not washed along with any dishes. 2. Sorting Golf Balls and Assigning a Price. Now, it is time to sort out the golf balls that you have collected and assign a price to them.

What to bring if you get caught?

If you get caught he/she would most likely not be very accommodating. Bring suitable gear. Bring a wet/dry suit depending on where you are in the world and what season it is. A diving mask and some waterproof lights might also be good to bring depending on lighting situations.

Is it illegal to hunt golf balls?

There’s no simple answer, but the short answer is “no”, it is not illegal to hunt for golf balls, as long as you respect the owner of the course and don’t bother anyone while doing it.

Is golf ball hunting illegal?

Just make sure that you’re not getting any enemies or start a brawl. If you’re well prepared and have permission, golf ball hunting isn’t illegal and can be quite a lucrative business.

Do golf balls absorb water?

So golf balls will actually absorb water when emerged for longer periods of time. Whether it has any real impact on the performance is to be left unsaid, but the small amount of water that can be absorbed will of course have some degree of altering the flight characteristics.

Can you get fined for hitting golf balls into the water?

Many golfers are concerned with how the performance of the golf ball is affected by staying in water, but how does the golf ball affect the marine environment? You will get fined for hitting golf balls into the water on purpose and there must be a reason for that.

Is it safe to haul golf balls?

Hauling golf balls from water hazards while playing is not okay. There are other dangers with hunting golf balls. Snakes, alligators, diseases, the possibility of drowning, and so on. So when summarizing everything it is not without dangers to hunt for golf balls.

What is the best device to pull a golf ball out of a water hazard?

Ball Retriever. A golf ball retriever is the ideal device for pulling a ball out of a water hazard on the course. It is long, with a telescoping handle and a tip with a retrieving tool that allows you to scoop up the ball.

How long is a golf ball?

When shortened, a golf ball retriever can be as short as one foot long, although most retriever retract to about three to four feet. Depending on which model you buy, the retriever can extend to between 10 and 15 feet.

What type of head do golf ball retrievers have?

Heads. Golf ball retrievers have different styles of heads -- from a circular basket to a tapered loop to set of claws. You can even buy retrievers with one or more wheels that roll along the bottom of the pond and pick up multiple balls.

What is the best tool to retrieve a ball?

Golf Club. The most basic ball-retrieving tool is a golf club. Choose a club with loft, suchh as a sand wedge or 9-iron, which will allow you to drag the ball to shore and then reach under the ball and lift it up. Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers win The Match.

Can you retrieve a golf ball in a pond?

Hitting your golf ball into a water hazard is no laughing matter when it comes time to write down your score, but the situation is somewhat improved if you're able to retrieve the ball.

How much water does an 18 hole golf course use?

Depending on the location of the golf course and the climate, an 18-hole course can use on average 2.08 billion gallons of water per day. Depending on the amount of water needed, a typical golf course can spend between $7,000 and $108,000 per year. However, many courses use various methods to water their turfgrass spaces to help limit their need ...

How is water extracted from a shaft?

A shaft is dug down to the water source , and then the water is extracted for irrigation. As with ground-level water, the levels can fluctuate through the year and can also be used by municipal water companies as well.

Why is there more demand for water?

As well as trying to reduce pollution, rising temperatures have seen more demand on water supplies that has to be managed to ensure there is always fresh water available. Over the past few years, more countries have had to impose water restrictions and spend more money on their infrastructure to ensure no water is lost.

Do golf courses use water?

Many countries have now imposed water restrictions on all of the businesses and farms that use water and limited the amount they can use in a year. Golf courses have a two-fold use for water. The first and greatest use is on the maintained turfgrass.

Can grasses tolerate salt water?

However, research has been going on into alternatives that not only need less water but can also handle more salt. Poor quality water often has a higher salt content, which can be bad for the grasses. By increasing their tolerance, water from more sources can be used.

Do golf courses have water restrictions?

Along with this, they will often have other facilities such as clubhouses, conference facilities, and other areas that may also need to use water. The restrictions placed on golf courses has meant that they have had to implement strategies to monitor and save water where possible.

How long do golf balls stay in water?

Thus, if you’re planning on using balls that have spent six months or more in water, you should consider that they might not perform at their best. For beginners, the difference will be negligible.

How does water affect a ball's mass?

Once the water breaches the outer shell, it essentially forms an extra layer within the ball, which in turn affects its mass and energy absorption. The ball won’t be able to compress as much, and so, theoretically, it will lose out on some distance. But this is a slow process.

Why are golf balls so sturdy?

It’s sturdy stuff, designed to protect the inner layers from the elements – including water. As a whole, golf balls are designed to compress at the moment of impact. If you were to observe one in super slow motion, you would see it shrink and then go back to its original shape.

Do golf balls have gaps?

However, at the microstructural level, there are unavoidable gaps in the molecules. And these gaps are just big enough to allow water particles to squeeze their way through.

Can you put a golf ball in a lake?

Modern golf balls are , in general, very well put together, and there is now evidence to suggest that a few months in a lake does not affect a ball’s performance. So if you retrieve a ball from a lake, and you’re confident that it’s not been in there for long, then I would argue that it’s perfectly fine to use. Save your money.

Can a golf ball fly in water?

Theoretically, and anecdotally, yes. A layer of water inside the ball does it no favors. Since the ball isn’t able to compress as much, it will surely not be able to fly as far – especially if it’s been lying in water for months, or even years. However, a few years back, a rather interesting study was carried out by the good folk ...

Does water change golf ball mechanics?

Water always finds a way, and once it’s in there, it changes the fundamental mechanics of the ball. And if you’re a scratch golfer, or a low handicapper looking to push your game to the next level, then no one would blame you for avoiding balls that have spent time in the water.

How far can a golf ball be picked out from the water?

Picking a golf ball out from the water that remained underwater for years can take more than a dozen or two yards of carrying distance. So yes distance traveled is directly proportional to how much time the golf ball remained under water.

How are modern golf balls made?

HOW ARE MODERN BALLS MADE. Modern ball has layers, they can be two, three or four. The first layer is the plastic layer followed by inner layers. For a ball to get waterlogged, water has to seep through the outer hard plastic surface and get into the inner layers. Golf balls have a weight limit and before making ball companies decide how much each ...

Can you play golf with a ball that is under water?

Absolutely yes, I would recommend playing with them if they remained under water for less than a few hours. Anything longer than that is serious damage for someone who takes this game passionately. Golf balls do not get waterlogged quickly, it takes months and years for a ball to have a massive decrease in its performance.

Is it important to measure your golf game?

It is important to measure your performance. Yes, it is fun to play the game but it is also important to be better at it the next time you are at the course. Invest in a mid-range golf ball set such as superhot bold that can offer both flight and distance .

Can water molecules move through the mesh of a golf ball?

Yes, the water can get penetrate and disturb the mass distribution of the inner layer.

Can water penetrate the outer layer of a golf ball?

From the naked eye it seems almost impossible for the water to penetrate the outer layer of the golf ball but at the microstructure level, there are gaps at the molecular structure of the outer layer of the golf ball. Water molecules can move in through the mesh of the molecular structure straight into the inner layers of the golf ball.

Do Golf Balls Go Bad Over Time (If Used)?

We all know that most players love to use their balls for numerous rounds, it will be good to know if golf balls actually go bad if used for a long period of time. If golf balls are extremely scratched up, they can go bad.

Do Golf Balls Go Bad In Water?

Yeah! If golf balls can sit down in the water for over twelve hours, it is going to be completely damaged. Although it may be hard to observe from the outside, the destruction caused will evidently impact the driving distance off of the tee. Moreover, the golf ball’s center is harmed and that is designed to be the cause in case the ball’s energy.

Do Unused Golf Balls Go Bad?

Unused golf balls have the ability to last for 10 years if they are stored at room temperature around 70-80 degrees. Golfweek.com once said that a golfer would not be able to tell the difference between a new ball stored for years and a new ball off the shelf.

Do Urethane Golf Balls Go Bad?

If you’re an avid golfer you would notice that the most common outer layer of golf balls available on the market are the Urethane golf balls. They are tough, durable, and can last for years if kept in mint or new condition. However, if you get them scuffed up or left inside the ponds, they’ll definitely lose their performance.

Do Pro V1 Golf Balls Go Bad?

If you’re talking about four-piece golf balls that are highly-priced with outstanding features like high-spin, long-distance, and complex build around the golf course.

Closing Thoughts

If golf clubs are not stored in bad conditions like extremely hot or cold temperatures, water-logged, or scuffed up, they should last for years. Once again, If golf balls can sit down in the water for over twelve hours, it is going to be completely damaged.

How long does it take for golf balls to decompose?

It takes from 100 to 1000 years for golf balls to decompose and 300 million are lost and discarded each year. This is all over the world, and an estimated number. But even if it’s not entirely accurate it still sets things a bit into perspective.

Where was golf ball discovered?

It was first discovered and brought to attention by a junior at Carmel High School in California, named Alex Weber.

Can you get the same performance out of limited materials?

The performance of these balls is questionable, since you can’t get the same performance out of the limited materials that can be used with the environment in mind. They are mostly thought out for events, cruise ships and ventures like that, where people will get an exclusive experience without impacting the sea.

Do golf balls absorb water?

They degrade albeit it is a very slow process. But you should be aware of the fact that golf balls will absorb water when submerged for longer periods. By doing this the characteristics of the ball will change. How much is hard to tell – and immense testing will be the only way to tell.