We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Careers

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Does a Golf Ball Diver Do?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 17,797
References
Share

A golf ball diver visits water hazards at golf courses to recover lost balls. These balls can be processed and recycled. Some divers work for recovery firms that contract their services out to regional golf courses while others may work as freelancers. This work can be grueling and highly variable. Many people in this field work part time in the summer months, when the weather is fair and numerous golfers are out on the course.

These diving experts need SCUBA certifications and usually must also supply their own equipment. They use maps of golf courses to identify all the water hazards and to chart out a plan for covering as much water as possible in a given workday. Golf ball divers are paid by the ball and have an incentive for collecting large numbers of balls as quickly as possible to make their work profitable.

Golf courses may charge a fee to recover golf balls on their grounds. The golf ball diver may also need to negotiate timing and scheduling with staff, as there may be times when the course does not want divers present. Freelance work requires good people skills to land contracts for golf ball recovery services and to interact with golfers and staff who may be present on the course. Work for a company may come with lower pay but more job security, as the company takes care of fees, contracts, and other issues. The company may also have enough contracts to offer full time work.

In some cases a golf ball diver may work as a poacher, taking balls from a course that already has a contract with a different diver or company. This practice is frowned upon in some regions and in others can be dangerous; sneaking in after dark, for example, could mean that a golf ball diver may miss warning signs and hazards that are hard to spot in low light. Golf ball poaching can come with a higher profit margin, as the diver doesn't need to pay a fee to work through the course.

A person with an interest in being a golf ball diver may be able to find listings at contracting companies. It can help to look for companies in regions with a high concentration of golf courses, like Florida in the United States. Golf ball divers may need to travel for work and should be prepared to spend long hours in the field. Their work may also involve packaging golf balls for transport to recycling facilities and driving heavy trucks with large loads of recovered balls.

Share
Golf Putting is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Link to Sources
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a Golf Putting researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Discussion Comments
By Ivan83 — On Apr 10, 2012

I had a job diving for golf balls once and I couldn't believe how many different golf ball brands I came across. You had all the American ones that you would expect but also brands from around the world. Golf is huge in Asian and I would often find balls with Asian characters I didn't recognize.

By jonrss — On Apr 10, 2012

There is a guy that hangs out in the parking lot at the golf course that always has buckets of used golf balls for sale. I think he salvages them from local course without them knowing.

It doesn't bother me. I figure somebody ought to be using those balls and he sells them for a good price.

By summing — On Apr 09, 2012

I grew up in Florida and there were a ton of golf courses around where I lived. One summer in college I decided to be entrepreneurial and contracted out my services as a gold ball diver. I already had all the diving equipment and figured I might as well make money off of it.

I got paid between ten and twenty cents per ball. I worked for about 20 different courses. It would take a couple of days to clear each course but you could make a couple of hundred bucks easily. It can be harder than you would expect to find people to do this kind of work so they were eager to work with me.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.golfputting.org/what-does-a-golf-ball-diver-do.htm
Copy this link
Golf Putting, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Golf Putting, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.