Lake Balls
Lake balls are used golf balls that are recovered from water hazards, cleaned and sorted, and sold again.
On almost every course, dozens of balls sink into ponds and lakes every day. Recovery services or divers retrieve them on behalf of the facility, often in their thousands per season. The balls are washed, sorted and graded by condition into quality levels, from almost as new down to pure practice quality. They then end up on the market as a cheap alternative to the new ball. The term is made up of the English word for lake and the ball.
In practice, lake balls pay off mainly for two groups: beginners who lose several balls per round, and golfers who use up many balls on the range or at the practice green. An example: you play a hole with a pond across the line of play and regularly lose two balls there. Instead of expensive new balls you take a lake ball for this hole, and the financial loss stays within limits. When buying, pay attention to the stated grading, because the range goes from premium models to practice balls battered bare.
One stubborn misconception: that lake balls are fundamentally bad. A premium ball that only lay in the water briefly plays practically like new. It looks different with balls that lay on the bottom for months, because water can penetrate into the core over time and cost length. That is why the quality grade is worth more attention than the price. And do not worry: playing with a lake ball is completely within the rules as long as the ball meets the requirements of the rulebook. Whoever loses a ball in the water hazard (penalty area) consoles themselves with the thought that it may get a second life as a lake ball.
FAQ
Are lake balls allowed in tournaments?
Yes, lake balls are completely within the rules as long as the ball meets the normal requirements for a golf ball. You may play stroke play rounds, tournaments and handicap-relevant rounds with them. The origin of the ball does not matter to the rulebook; only its condition is decisive.
Do lake balls really lose length?
That depends on how long the ball lay in the water. A premium ball that was only under water briefly plays practically like new, while balls can absorb water into the interior after months of lying there and then noticeably lose distance. So when buying, pay more attention to the stated quality grade than to the price.
Who do lake balls particularly pay off for?
Above all for beginners who lose several balls per round, and for everyone who uses up many balls at the practice green or on the range. On holes with a pond across the line of play, a cheap ball is also a relaxed choice, because a loss hardly hurts financially. Whoever consistently loses few balls usually does better with new balls of one model, because the playing feel stays the same.