Who Collects Used Golf Balls?

[135792468]

When it is raining and no one is out on the golf course, I often ride my bike over, lock it to a tree, and walk onto the course to search for golf balls in the woods and such. Then I take them home, count them, clean them, and sort them by brand. I sell the majority of them, but keep some for playing, as I am a beginner and lose quite a few. I only go out if there is no one else there. I currently have over 1700 used golf balls from doing this. Anyway, does anyone else do something like this?

[jjb333]

I do it while playing as long as it's not too busy. You're allowed to walk out on a golf course though? I would think it would be trespassing.

[23Rounder]

I buy used golf balls to play with but don't have time to search for them... I wish I did though as it would beat work anyday

[-BAMA-]

i dont "collect" them.. but if i find some in the woods i will play them and see how i like them compared to the balls i normally play.

i dont touch the ones i see in the fairway or the rough though.. you never know if its still in play..

[Todd]

i dont "collect" them.. but if i find some in the woods i will play them and see how i like them compared to the balls i normally play.

I do exactly the same thing! You never know how much you would like a specific brand until you try them and with all the different brands and different types in each brand, that's alot of balls to try out!

[firstcut]

After the game yesterday we were sitting down to have lunch overlooking the 18th. It's surrounded by water on the front and left side. We were watching a foursome finish. One of the guys in the foursome proceeded to get out his 20' ball grabber and spend at least 5+ minutes scooping balls out of the lake while his "friends" watched from their carts.

Then he did a Gomer Pyle with them. From the veranda, he just looked like such a jackass... All wet and disheveled, dropping and kicking balls across the green as he got himself and his new found gold back to the cart.

I can't help but to think it was the best part of his day. He probably couldn't tell you his score, but I can just picture him bragging about how many free Pro V's he got.

I dread getting paired with guys like that. You know if they're willing to do it in front of everyone at the 18th they've been doing it all day. Every water hole takes an extra few minutes while the cheap ass shows everyone how smart he is by holding up the group so he can get his free balls.

I guess in his defense, there wasn't anyone behind them...

Not directed at anyone on this thread, it just got me to thinking about yesterday.

Should I put this in the "pet peeves" thread?

[golfman43]

I do this. I like to keep the special logo balls and any other ball i find that i like. then i take the rest and clean them in the ball washer at my local club that i work at and then i sell them. its fun to go out in the woods on a long par 5 after a tournament, i usually find a couple dozen balls at least.

[telrod11]

I do. Been playing 15+ yrs, and have never bought a ball. I don't waste any time looking for them when I play, but if I'm in there looking for mine of someone else', what the heck, I'll pick them up....

Also, my kids love to dive for them when we are out on the lake....(There are a couple of courses on the lake we ski and fish...)

[Jay-Bird]

I do not fish any balls out of the water. But I will pick up anything good that I find in the rough. I often play during weekdays. I often play alone. One course I play at has huge natural grass rough, so there are a ton of balls in there on every hole. This year I have picked up and kept 600+ balls. I don't pick up anything that's discolored (which are most often Bridgestone balls) or anything otherwise not worth playing.

[brettwasbtd]

When I was younger I would go with my dad to drive the golf cart, and help him look for balls. The key to a good day was coming out on the plus side (finding more than you lose). I will attest that it can be dangerous around the edge of the water looking for balls. There was definitely an alligator a few feet away in the water at a course in Florida. I saw its head and told my dad to get out of there. I have seen a bunch of snakes too.

Another good story about finding balls. The local course I play has a long par 5 to finish things out. Second shot I went into some high grass to the left. i went in the grass to find my ball and I must have found 6 others! I guess people were in a hurry to finish, or didn't care and just dropped. Their loss, my gain