Used Golf Balls…Thumbs up or down?

[skyryder]

Curious what are the feelings about buying “used” golf balls from someplace like Used Golf Balls website.  My understanding is these are NOT refurbished balls ( a NO-NO) but I am thinking that maybe they are balls used on the range at professional or higher end amateur events or something similar.  Any input is appreciated.

[GolfSpy_APH]

I did it once and it was okay, but I don't intend on ever doing it again. With so many good DTC brands like Vice and more which have great deals on golf balls that perform really well there is little to no need to buy used golf balls where there is the uncertainty of the true quality or how old/long they have been lost and found for.

[EasyPutter]

I think it has to do with the retailer with the used balls and what their business model is like.  If it is just repackaged balls that were sorted for best quality then those would be no different than those stray, lost, neglected balls that every official and unofficial IGBRC member recovers and puts back into play.  If anything more is done with the balls such as repainting rebranding or some other intentional conditioning then those are to be avoided.  

[cardia10]

They may look great, but you or they have no clue how long they have been under water. Based on the prices of DTC balls, they just aren't worth the risk as you will always have that doubt in your head if there are those odd squirrelly shots. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

Where would be the best or more reputable used website? Do any offer any performance guarantees or at the very least any assurances?

[EasyPutter]

The only golf ball resale site I know of where their business model of repackaging original best quality balls is Two Guys With Balls at https://twoguyswithballs.com/   They have a partnership with The Stick & Hack Club at http://stickandhack.com/ another high degree of integrity organization that has earned my ongoing support by being focused on providing best value.  

Edit:  The balls for the first Stick & Hack Club Challenge weekend in May 2022 at French Lick Resort, Indiana were courtesy of TwoGuysWithBalls.com and they played well.

Edited January 6, 2023 by EasyPutter
missed information

[oyamtr]

I have had a lot of expertence with used golf balls.  I rarely buy new balls anymore, unless there is an exceptional deal. Whether the few roadblocks are surmountable is up to you.  The 5A balls mean pristine (usually), no marks, no water balls, played less that a round, etc.  The cost of those is not far of the new cost.  It also depends on whether you insist upon tour-type balls- Pro Vs, TP 5s, etc.  Cost for those is considerably higher.  I usually buy 4A balls that will have player marks and logos, neither of which I care about.  The problem with below 5A ratings is they become subjective, so you have to be careful of the quality.  I have had greatest success with Jerry's Goll Balls on eBay.  (No, I am not Jerry, I don't know Jerry, I am not being paid by Jerry, etc.).  He normally displays the golf balls in a 3-D pyramid (like on some ranges.)  I have bever had a bad batch from him and the prices are lower than many.  What I do in shopping for them on eBay is figure the price per ball and compare the ones I like.  Look out for exorbitent shipping costs, especially when buying in bulk.  Price of shipping everything has gone up.  Usually, the good sellers on eBay will have multiple photos of the balls you are buying.  There ared good and bad sellers on eBay, like anywhere.  Give it a try.

[MrHogan]

I have occasionally purchased used, recycled (not refurbished - avoid) from a couple of sites and have had very good luck with all purchases. I recommend halfpricegolfballs.com or golfballplanet.com. Both sites offer a great selection of brands and condition ratings at very reasonable prices. 

[plano-jae]

There are "ratings" for used golf balls (Mint-5A, Near Mint-4A, etc) but they only speak to the cosmetics.  What one cannot determine is where those golf balls were harvested from.  Most "high volume" used golf ball merchants get them from water hazards and one cannot be sure how long they have been in the water.  They also use commercial grade machines and chemicals to clean golf balls they harvest.  There are some research reports that suggest that golf balls lose their performance characteristics after being in the water for a period of time (especially if the outer coating has been compromised).  To minimize purchasing water golf balls with compromised performance, I would recommend that you only purchase the most recent models (they could not have been in the water or in the elements for long) or from small entrepreneurs (e.g., someone who has a large backyard on the right side of a long par 4/5 fairway OR someone who walks the course looking for golf balls).

Of course, if you do not game premium/tour-level golf balls (e.g., Pro V/VX, TP5/5X, ChromeSoft/X) or not that picky about golf balls in general, there are several affordable options other than used golf balls.

[ChiefMikeOfficer]

Specifically focusing on 3+ piece urethane / "tour" balls - other models might be different: Lots of people have already said this, but there might be some duds in there even if they look good or are rated high on the condition scale. If you're looking for a bit of a discount, look for logo overruns instead of used, which you can usually find at a $5-10/dozen discount over the stock balls. For example, "Mint" ProV1x are likely going to run you $30-35/dozen, maybe more, but golfballs.com has ProV1x overruns for $34.99, with the stock model being $44.99 -- I'd rather pay the extra few dollars rather than take the risk of some bad balls. You just have no idea what logo you're gonna get (some can be fun!), and it might be the prior gen ball (also true of used). 

Or, other discount options: if you're not using them in tournaments, pick "Practice" over used -- the "Practice" balls perform well, just aren't legal in tournament play. Or, Vice, Snell, and OnCore all put out some really good, tournament-legal balls at lower prices than the mainstream brands (the first two offer bigger discounts than OnCore, but I've had success with all three). 

 

[TylorJudd]

https://youtu.be/ELNAxzTCQGA

[ChuckZ]

Never been in to buying used golf balls.  Kinda like buying a car, sight unseen.  You get what you pay for.   No guarantee.  With respect.  

[Mikedb26]

If verifiable from a tournament range then ok in my book.  But otherwise who knows where they came from, honesty in advertising... should I say anymore?!  If they are like new looking, who knows if they were hit once, ended up in the drink, cleaned and resold.  And we that follow MGS religiously, know that's a NO NO!!

Years ago when MIZUNO finally released their golf balls in the US, the PGA Show had them for the indoor hitting area.  On the last day of the show, the range attendant scooped about 5 dozen into our bags, less they had to take back.  Had zero issues, and have used them a few times since.  

So generally speaking, thumbs down.  Like as been said otherwise in this thread, the DTC brands are pretty damn good.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

At risk of going against the grain, I bought some used ProV1s from an older gentleman off of the Facebook marketplace this year (cue collective head shake of disapproval). I typically don't buy used golf balls, but I offered the guy $50 for 5 dozen and he agreed, so I really didn't feel like I was losing out on anything if they weren't totally up to snuff. He lives on a golf course in a larger city near my hometown, and all of the balls he pulled and none were from water. Being the trusting (to a fault, sometimes) person that I am, I took his word for it. I examined each ball, and 90% of them were in what I would consider 5A condition or better. At least a dozen had been hit once at most, and then there were some that were more along the lines of a 4A category. A good amount had corporate logos and some had player markings, but I don't care about things like that. I picked them up with just a few weeks of the season left this last fall in WI, and put some in play as soon as I got them. They performed just as well as the 2 pack demo ProVs I had gotten from a friend who is a long time fitter at Golf Galaxy. So for me, at least this time around, going the used route did not have a negative impact on my game. 

Also, to be sure, I am a high handicapper that loses at least a couple golf balls each round. I really like the performance aspect of the ProV1, but cannot justify the price tag. Playing these at less than $1 per ball, I feel like I won the deal far and away.

[Golfnut0226]

9 hours ago, skyryder said:

Curious what are the feelings about buying “used” golf balls from someplace like Used Golf Balls website.  My understanding is these are NOT refurbished balls ( a NO-NO) but I am thinking that maybe they are balls used on the range at professional or higher end amateur events or something similar.  Any input is appreciated.

I have bought from GolfBallPlanet.com and have had no issues what so ever. The ratings they give the quality of the balls has been dead on.

 

[Jim Shaw]

I use found balls in the winter, only pro V's, but never ever in tournaments.

[Rickp]

2 hours ago, EasyPutter said:

The only golf ball resale site I know of where their business model of repackaging original best quality balls is Two Guys With Balls at https://twoguyswithballs.com/   They have a partnership with The Stick & Hack Club at http://stickandhack.com/ another high degree of integrity organization that has earned my ongoing support by being focused on providing best value.

And “LostGolfballs.com” only ones I would trust. On one of the MGS UTube the Lost Golf balls got a thumbs up.  
I bought from them and was happy with them.

[NoRebound]

I've been using Lost Golf Balls for the last couple of years and as long as you stay in the 5A Mint catagory you get a solid ball.  I'm picky since I play the 2021 Pro V1 in yellow so not all sites work well for me.  

I gave up on most of the DTC market during the pandemic since finding higher compression yellow balls became too much of a challenge.  I have played around with Maxfli Tour balls but I still find that the used Pro V1 is a better performer.  

[Yankees802]

I would and do from time to time.  I use them in the backyard for practice.  Occasionally use them on the course.  Save money!!!

[Ramon Rivera]

I’ve bought used balls and have so far had a good experience. Especially when I purchase balls listed as in “mint” condition. I’ve purchased premium make golf balls at up to $20 dollars less than what these are listed for in the commercial market. I agree that Vice and others make excellent golf balls, but so far I give a thumbs up to purchasing off the used market. 

[Ramon Rivera]

1 minute ago, Ramon Rivera said:

I’ve bought used balls and have so far had a good experience. Especially when I purchase balls listed as in “mint” condition. I’ve purchased premium make golf balls at up to $20 dollars less than what these are listed for in the commercial market. I agree that Vice and others make excellent golf balls, but so far I give a thumbs up to purchasing off the used market. 

BTW, I only buy used balls listed as being in “mint” condition from Lost Balls. 

[tdroma98]

9 hours ago, skyryder said:

Curious what are the feelings about buying “used” golf balls from someplace like Used Golf Balls website.  My understanding is these are NOT refurbished balls ( a NO-NO) but I am thinking that maybe they are balls used on the range at professional or higher end amateur events or something similar.  Any input is appreciated.

I've purchased used golf balls from a local store who's been selling used golf balls for over 20 yrs.  Whenever I'm interested in trying a new ball, I'll go and buy a dozen balls. Did that a couple of months ago wanting to try Taylormade Tour Response and Bridgestone B RXS balls. Going back to try the new Maxfli Tour balls. I will never buy "Refurbished" balls! I believe MyGolfSpy did a good analysis on Refurbished golf balls this past year and were spot on. Haven't tried any online retailers. 

[gingerbeast87]

I guess it depends on how often you lose them. I'm still fairly new so buy cheaper golf balls, used ones could probably work if they were cheap enough

[tortise]

I rather hit a new cheap than a used premium one


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[doodlegolf]

I have a coworker who lives on a local course and works for them on the weekends. His high-school-aged son works at the course too and walks the course evenings and picks balls. I have an agreement with the son that I'll buy Pro V1's for $20.00 per dozen. They cannot have been in the water (he doesn't waste his time fishing them out anyway), and I get to pick and choose. Knowing what generation the ball is from the alignment arrows, I only pick the newest and best condition. We're on the 3rd son now, so I haven't bought a new ball in 10+ years. And my golf buddies are buying from him too.

[GPS111]

I once read that approximately 3 million golf balls are lost every year so as long as there are buyers, found balls and refurb sales are not going to go away.  I have golf buddies that save found balls for over water tee shots but play their normal ball the rest of the round.  Fait to a handicap?  We all sometimes save them as shag balls for the backyard practice sessions but I'm not a big fan of this either.  There is a feel and feedback (remember Top Rock?) a ball gives so any found ball needs to be the same ball I hit to be of benefit to me.  And since I have no idea what that balls history is (under water, frozen in winter, etc.) what guarantee and expectation do I have about it's performance?  I'm not a tournament player but I do want to play the best I can do for me, new balls only.  Why spend a few thou on clubs just to hit a cheap ball?  Let the tee be the cheap part of the game.

[HDTVMAN]

Absolutely NOT! ProV1 practice are fine, as they are shipped by Titleist, but used balls could have been underwater for a long period of time. Better to buy a new dozen of inexpensive balls, or hit what you find in the woods.

[G56788]

I have a friend who swears by used golf balls and buys them by the boxload. The ones I’ve seen are generally in good shape, but whether they perform like new is up for debate. My friend generally only cares that they are yellow and say “ProV1;” he’s not going to spend time analyzing performance. 
 

I agree with the others saying that affordable DTC balls are a better option given the uncertainty used balls present with one, very rare exception. Several years and two states ago, I volunteered for an organization I’ll call “Second Fairway”. In late April that year, someone from Augusta National called the director and offered to donate range balls from that year’s Masters. They sent 80 boxes containing every premium ball then in existence. They were all stamped “Practice,” contained no markings, and likely had been hit only once. If this situation happens to you, and you are permitted to take some of them, I’d go with used balls. 

[dlm]

I use them when I find them in good condition.  Rarely need to purchase them.  I would want to inspect them, many small golf shops carry recycled balls.  Personally, I would be wary of web orders tho, and opt for new Maxfli's or Vice, Wilson Duo, or Encore if I wanted new.

[bosasaty]

I refuse to buy new golf balls.  In Canada, you can't even get a dozen new decent 2-piece distance balls for <$30 - Titleist Trufeel are $29.99 Cdn. plus 13% tax.  I'm not good enough to notice much difference in golf balls, (+/- 15 handicap) but I still like to play good 3-piece urethane balls.  Besides, I usually lose at least one sleeve per round!  My go-to site is lostgolfballs.com.  They have great variety and various qualities, prices are reasonable, and I have never had a quality issue.  I buy 5A (mint) or 4A (near-mint), but NOT refurbished - had issues with those.  Most of the 4A's are almost new, 1 or 2 in a dozen might have a small scuff.  My problem is I keep seeing "deals" from other sites and end up buying some to try them!  No issues with quality (foundgolfballs.com, halfpricegolfballs.com) but now I have about 25 dozen various brands in my basement!