I live in central Florida, those balls stay in the water. They also stay near the water. In fact one time I couldn't even finish the 9th hole because a gator took up the whole green. I got a birdie.
Hi Scott, i hunt golf balls in the west metro area. I am on bike going around to courses in Plymouth and Wayzata, so my hauls are not quite as prodigious as yours, but i did find 25,000 balls one day in 2015 at the old Begin Oaks executive nine in Plymouth. The course was closed in 2014 to put up town-homes and the previous management just dumped a whole storeroom of old (and brand-new stock) into a small slough before shutting down the place. Begin Oaks only opened in 2000, but i was finding dozens and dozens of 1960's and 1970's vintage balls in the slough (even old balls from the St. Andrews gift shop) so i am not exactly sure what was going on. The hundreds of brand new balls were Top Flite XL 3000's. It was a tough pick: knee high in mud, but every time i would put my hand down into the muck i would grab 4 or 5 balls. The slough wasn't even in play and there were balls in piles of 30 or 40 around the slough as well. I am guessing the former owner filed an insurance claim of some sort
@@thegolfballshop yeah, it ended up being a lot of work. i only managed to pull 20,000 balls out of the pit before the developers showed up and bulldozed the land. there are still at least 5,000, maybe more, still out there. 200 hours of picking, hauling and cleaning, and then swamp balls aren't quite as valuable as the balls i usually find in the woods or weeds, but it was a good time. I was selling loads of 2-3 thousand balls at 10 cents a piece to guys around the cities who had private acreage that they used as driving ranges. First Tee, the youth golf program got several garbage bags of balls and so did HopeKids Celebrity Golf Tournament out at Edinborough in Brooklyn Park (they have a skills challenge on the island green) . Do you come across many older collectible balls on your dives? i pulled a 1930 Dunlop ball with square dimples out of the creek at Brookview Golf next to Kare 11 in Golden Valley. Apparently, the course was private country club years ago. i am guessing i am not going to find anything older ball-wise around the metro.
That is SO cool! I love the floating air compressor. Never heard of that. Iv'e bee finding golf balls in Lake Michigan by some houses. Clearly a few home owners hit practice balls out there. I'm only snorkeling though. Don't find near what you do working at a golf course. How does one land a job like that? Wish you had some underwater clips to share. Are there any fish down there at all? I had to laugh. Must be a lot of really bad golfers out there. Wonder how long it takes for one water hole to fill up with so many balls. I did put a video of my finding a few out there. Fishing for golf balls in Lake Michigan
nice carryall2, looks brand new. I work on a course in New Zealand, We have a new lake that I dived in. I was free diving so no air, Got 730 golf balls in 20 mins. Ive put a video up on my profile.
I guess it's like most jobs, it ... looks ... easy from the outside but Diving in the dark for all that time sooner or later you'll run into trouble for sure. How many people would be willing to subject themselves in pitch black water with snakes and alligators and turtles and all sorts of sharp objects that can come at you at any given time? I could see how using a machine would be problematic. It's not like you're dealing with a smooth concrete bottom like a house pool.
What month do you stop diving for golf balls? November? It must get too cold even with a wetsuit. Or the golf courses close for the winter. Have you gotten hit by any stray golf balls?
Okay, decent harvest for 90 minutes. What about tomorrow. He's not the only one and there's only a finite number of lakes and golf clubs. Not a good career choice. Looks like fun though. No mention of how long the same lake takes to fill up again.
Gosh, if only I was privy to all of your insight and knowledge 40 years ago my life would be so much better!! Maybe then I would be sitting in front of my computer insulting people instead of doing a job I love.
Stephen, Usually you talk to the golf pro and sometimes the Superintendent. Work out a deal . Usually the will take a percentage back either range or over the country balls for resale.
Hey Scott, do you have a link or know where I can purchase bags similar to the ones you are using when you are finding the balls.. I do this as well, and the bags I use are ripping all the time. Need stronger ones!
Cody, I use replacement fish nets. You can get them at most sporting goods stores. The ones I use are 36" with (I think) 1/4 mesh. Just bring a golf ball with you when go shopping for them. I usually get a year or two out each bag. Good Luck and Be Careful Scott
Hi! My name is Rasmus and I'm working with the sports site "Sportbibeln" Saw this video and just love it! Can we get your permission to post it on our social media channels with cred back to your TH-cam-channel? Thanks /Rasmus
Hey man, don't know if you reply to comments on this video anymore but.. was just wondering how long you stay underwater working in pitch black?? do you not get bored? please tell me you spent some of that money on a nice holiday with clear waters and coral reefs!!
Had no idea that a little golf pond could collect that amount of golf balls. How long before you'd return to the same place for another dive? 1 year or more?
thegolfballshop 10k selling at $0.10 per ball is $1000 per day! and if you get the higher end of $0.25 that's $2,500 for a days work... that's good money! how can I contact you I want more info.
Hello, I work directly with the golf courses and I sell my product direct to consumers (via internet etc) and also wholesale to courses etc. Thanks for your interest!
So how does it work? Do the courses hire you to remove the golf balls? Do you have to pay the course a cut of the golf balls you find? Do the course just invite you to do it for free and you keep whatever you find?
I could answer all of those questions for you but I have something much more helpful to share with you right now. When you ask someone to take their time and advise you with knowledge that took many years to acquire. First, introduce yourself. Use phrases and words like, please, I have some questions if you wouldn’t mind helping me out? I would really appreciate a bit of your time, etc. Close with things like Thank You, I appreciate Your Time, Have a Great Day! I could share everything I know with you but what good would it do if you approach a golf course the way you approached me? You are probably just kicking around the idea of starting a diving career or maybe you've decided it's for you. No matter what you do in life, my advice will help you. If you are are serious about this and you would employ a few of the skills I outlined, I am happy to help as I've helped many other divers. I appreciate your interest, Have a Great Weekend! Scott
@@thegolfballshop Dear Your Lordship, Relax old son. I really don't need to know any of those answers and couldn't be less interested now that I know you're a real piece of work. Yours Sincerely, The TH-cam Comment Section
@@oinkooink Your Lordship Here, Your question had all the charm of a Nazi interrogation. Did you really expect a response? You really sound like the entitled type. Have Great Weekend! Your Buddy, Mr. Piece of Work
Yes, I have been snapped by a Snapping turtle. It's very violent, like getting you hand hit with a hammer. He didn't get all the way around my thumb so he just tore off as I pulled him out of the water. I have run into everything from beavers muskrats fish bullheads turtles broken golf clubs broken glass. I've had to go get stitches a few times also had a cut that got very infected went septic. You just have to be careful and seek medical attention when you need it.
We don't have gators up here but I done with some in the South. They stayed away, a couple even got out of the water when I was in. I did see a golf ball diver was attacked a few days ago by a gator and I've heard if others.
Unfortunately a flashlight doesn't help because it's trying to shine particulate setiment (meaning it's particles of mud and dirt floating in the water that you can't penetrate with light). It's like turning on your brights in fog, it just glares back. You are really better off just feeling around because most of the golf balls are going to be under the silt and you can't see them anyway. Thank you for the question!
Is this the first time ever diving at this course? How often do you cycle through a course, I imagine it takes years for a water hazard to accumulate that sort of volume
Hey scott, I wanna do this as a profession. I always wondered how nervous are you about getting bitten by stuff. Do you have a bite kit with you? Have you thought about wearing gloves?
I only have one bag around my neck at a time. Outside of the water those bags weigh over fifty pounds but in the water they are much lighter and it's easy to move around with them.
Where I live, there are no dangerous animals, you literally cannot be harmed much from them. The only thing we have is a rare little snake which only sometimes uses poison and even if it does, then it's just like a bee sting lol. I'd consider doing this
Snapping turtles are the scariest thing around here. I see them all the time and occasionally put my hand on one. I've only been bitten once but that was enough!
i want to start the same job i already sell to a company but i buy from people that work on courses what equipment do you recomend for me to buy thanks for reading and good luck find them all
Where is the air intake? Is that very near where the exhaust gas from the compressor is being led out? Or do you simply trust that the filters of the system will get rid of carbon monoxide etc. from the air.
Give me an hour at the tee near this hazard and I'll refill it for ya.
Lol we are literally watching him dive. No underwater footage what-so-ever... oh the days before GoPro.
I do have another video with an underwater camera, you should check it out. 90+% of the time you can't see anything while you are working.
We've all dreamed of doing this, let's be honest.
HRHooChicken ikr
HRHooChicken I
HRHooChicken I have
Sprinkler back flow preventer
HRHooChicken yeah I did this at a 9 hole and the Asian guy who owns the place was so triggered
Love the surface air compressor! What a great idea. Never knew they existed. Thank you.
Thanks for putting the water safety message at the end. Very classy.
I live in central Florida, those balls stay in the water. They also stay near the water. In fact one time I couldn't even finish the 9th hole because a gator took up the whole green. I got a birdie.
We dive there too.
Some really good players play at this club
That's pretty awesome!
Nice editing Garret at 5:41 "turn it off garret"
Nice video, thumbs up from us and cheers from sunny IGY Simpson Bay Marina, Sint Maarten in the Caribbean.
Thank You!!
To do a job like that you gotta have balls
Was that a man joke?
tigerise 11 nah not really just a joke
tigerise 11 yes...yes it was
tigerise 11 Get it because he scoba dives for golf balls!!
tigerise 11 no shit
Very cool diving for balls!
Ive watched this video like 10 times i just in joy it
Wow.. So manny golf balls..
Hi Scott, i hunt golf balls in the west metro area. I am on bike going around to courses in Plymouth and Wayzata, so my hauls are not quite as prodigious as yours, but i did find 25,000 balls one day in 2015 at the old Begin Oaks executive nine in Plymouth. The course was closed in 2014 to put up town-homes and the previous management just dumped a whole storeroom of old (and brand-new stock) into a small slough before shutting down the place. Begin Oaks only opened in 2000, but i was finding dozens and dozens of 1960's and 1970's vintage balls in the slough (even old balls from the St. Andrews gift shop) so i am not exactly sure what was going on. The hundreds of brand new balls were Top Flite XL 3000's. It was a tough pick: knee high in mud, but every time i would put my hand down into the muck i would grab 4 or 5 balls. The slough wasn't even in play and there were balls in piles of 30 or 40 around the slough as well. I am guessing the former owner filed an insurance claim of some sort
Wow! Nice haul
@@thegolfballshop yeah, it ended up being a lot of work. i only managed to pull 20,000 balls out of the pit before the developers showed up and bulldozed the land. there are still at least 5,000, maybe more, still out there. 200 hours of picking, hauling and cleaning, and then swamp balls aren't quite as valuable as the balls i usually find in the woods or weeds, but it was a good time. I was selling loads of 2-3 thousand balls at 10 cents a piece to guys around the cities who had private acreage that they used as driving ranges. First Tee, the youth golf program got several garbage bags of balls and so did HopeKids Celebrity Golf Tournament out at Edinborough in Brooklyn Park (they have a skills challenge on the island green) . Do you come across many older collectible balls on your dives? i pulled a 1930 Dunlop ball with square dimples out of the creek at Brookview Golf next to Kare 11 in Golden Valley. Apparently, the course was private country club years ago. i am guessing i am not going to find anything older ball-wise around the metro.
If hockey doesn’t work out. I know what I’m doing.
I would do that in the north, never in Florida though, too many gators.
Do you bring any knifes just in case an aligartor snapping turtle or any predator attack?
I usually do wear a knife and I have been bitten by a snapping turtle - No Fun!
wear*
thegolfballshop where do you sell the balls
WeirdRandomStuff 😂😂
Duh, I have a aligartor sandwich for lunch every Thursday at the Dew Drop Inn.
5:40 "Turn it off Garret" 😂😂
That is SO cool! I love the floating air compressor. Never heard of that.
Iv'e bee finding golf balls in Lake Michigan by some houses. Clearly a few home owners hit practice balls out there. I'm only snorkeling though. Don't find near what you do working at a golf course. How does one land a job like that?
Wish you had some underwater clips to share. Are there any fish down there at all?
I had to laugh. Must be a lot of really bad golfers out there. Wonder how long it takes for one water hole to fill up with so many balls.
I did put a video of my finding a few out there.
Fishing for golf balls in Lake Michigan
Too many moccasins in my neck of the woods to try this.... brave man!!
omg i played there last year and lost my favorite ball, i see it in the bag on the left near the bottom, can i have it back?
the orange one?
As it that white one?
Stop looking at that guys balls
If you get down on your knees and polish his shaft you can.
I love that job!
Reminds me of my pulls at Glen Abbey GC when I was a kid :D
That's my home course. Stop by hole 11 anytime. I've got about a dozen balls I need back hahaha
That's incredible how many golf balls u found!
nice carryall2, looks brand new. I work on a course in New Zealand, We have a new lake that I dived in. I was free diving so no air, Got 730 golf balls in 20 mins. Ive put a video up on my profile.
Awesome work!! Would love a job working with this guy!!!
looks like the funnest job ever
It’s all fun and games until the alligator from happy gilmore shows up to help you
That's like raiding a well for pennies. Those are golfers dreams and dearest wishes hahahahaha
I think you may be on to something. Instead of swearing golfers should make a wish when their ball hits the water!!
It was the best job you ever had!!
a lot of golf balls!!
The other reason why not many people like that job is the noise of the generator
I think the generator noise is exaggerated because of the camera we were using. It's just a 4 hp Honda running barley above idle.
So much for a quiet day on the links.
I can't believe how many golf balls you found
now that's a smart job
Pretty neat video! I wonder what the gas operated machine is for???
I guess it's like most jobs, it ... looks ... easy from the outside but Diving in the dark for all that time sooner or later you'll run into trouble for sure. How many people would be willing to subject themselves in pitch black water with snakes and alligators and turtles and all sorts of sharp objects that can come at you at any given time? I could see how using a machine would be problematic. It's not like you're dealing with a smooth concrete bottom like a house pool.
What month do you stop diving for golf balls? November? It must get too cold even with a wetsuit. Or the golf courses close for the winter. Have you gotten hit by any stray golf balls?
i always wondered what it would be like to do this! I wonder what the profit margin is!!
I thought this was all fun and games until he mentioned snapping turtles.
What is the value of the 10K used Golf Balls. Who buys them? Individuals? Driving Ranges?
Okay, decent harvest for 90 minutes. What about tomorrow. He's not the only one and there's only a finite number of lakes and golf clubs. Not a good career choice. Looks like fun though. No mention of how long the same lake takes to fill up again.
Gosh, if only I was privy to all of your insight and knowledge 40 years ago my life would be so much better!! Maybe then I would be sitting in front of my computer insulting people instead of doing a job I love.
So do you just offer to clear the pond of golf balls how exactly do you approach the course about this.
Stephen,
Usually you talk to the golf pro and sometimes the Superintendent. Work out a deal . Usually the will take a percentage back either range or over the country balls for resale.
That is just crazy.
2500 people had a really bad day lol
No, It was just me over the course (pun) of 8 years.
Hey Scott, do you have a link or know where I can purchase bags similar to the ones you are using when you are finding the balls.. I do this as well, and the bags I use are ripping all the time. Need stronger ones!
Cody,
I use replacement fish nets. You can get them at most sporting goods stores. The ones I use are 36" with (I think) 1/4 mesh. Just bring a golf ball with you when go shopping for them. I usually get a year or two out each bag.
Good Luck and Be Careful
Scott
I really hope Good Morning America edited this footage. Some underwater photography would of made this more interesting.
I do have some other underwater videos published as well. Most of the time you can't see anything.
What type of bag do you use in the water. They must be pretty tough.
so how much does the landowner get? how much overhead for operating costs and redistribution?
Thanks for posting. As Arnie might say ... veeery interesting..... but wet!
It’s a gold mine!!
Hi! My name is Rasmus and I'm working with the sports site "Sportbibeln" Saw this video and just love it! Can we get your permission to post it on our social media channels with cred back to your TH-cam-channel? Thanks /Rasmus
Hey man, don't know if you reply to comments on this video anymore but.. was just wondering how long you stay underwater working in pitch black?? do you not get bored? please tell me you spent some of that money on a nice holiday with clear waters and coral reefs!!
Maybe 4-6 hours of actual diving. I don't get bored but I find it relaxing
Had no idea that a little golf pond could collect that amount of golf balls. How long before you'd return to the same place for another dive? 1 year or more?
Depends on the course. Some are once are year while others are done several times a year.
Something in my mind just can't cope with the fact of picking 10 thousand golf balls in one day
do you ever see big bass in the ponds??
depends what kind of balls & condition
What about snapping turtles? They can easily cut off fingers.
Yes, I've been snapped! Very violent, like my thumb getting hit with a hammer!
do golf courses call you to come in or do you call them? confused on this process as you get to take the balls home
What would have been funny is to have a video of the compressor running for four hours on the surface and then you coming up for lunch.
Dang and I thought the 1200 golf balls I received in about 5 hours one day with my ball retriever was a lot.... Apparently not!
much more than i expected, is that true?
+Daniel
It is true. It was an above average day but 10K is not uncommon.
thegolfballshop 10k selling at $0.10 per ball is $1000 per day! and if you get the higher end of $0.25 that's $2,500 for a days work... that's good money! how can I contact you I want more info.
do you always go diving in the same golf course? and do you do it everyday
If he is getting .10/ball on exits that is about $1k/day. Figure he has to be connected with the big ball reselling streams to move serious weight.
Thanks for the comment. I actually process and sell everything my self.
I've seen a few different divers using those mesh bags now. Where do you get them?
Thumbs up if your the main supplier of his findings!
I WANTED THAT JOBB
You have to learn how to spell first.
Hello,
I work directly with the golf courses and I sell my product direct to consumers (via internet etc) and also wholesale to courses etc.
Thanks for your interest!
that is A LOT of golf balls
Are there ever any fish seen
I am a member at tpc twin cities
USA Hockey
You zuck.....lol
Turn that damn thing off.. I'm putting for birdie here...
Dang, does anyone ever hit it OVER the lake?
Too Darn many! (from my point of view....)
Did u see any bass in there?
Behind everyone of those balls was some cursing and and excuse. ;)
What do you make a day?
camera had to ne bored and annoyed just sitting there for hours by himself waiting for him to finish and come back up
beastlyzay I would just ditch him and go get some lunch
How much do you then sell the golf balls for?
Docm76 1$ each
How do you set up with the golf course
Do you sell these on your own or send them to a company that sells them?
On my own
So how does it work? Do the courses hire you to remove the golf balls? Do you have to pay the course a cut of the golf balls you find? Do the course just invite you to do it for free and you keep whatever you find?
I could answer all of those questions for you but I have something much more helpful to share with you right now.
When you ask someone to take their time and advise you with knowledge that took many years to acquire. First, introduce yourself. Use phrases and words like, please, I have some questions if you wouldn’t mind helping me out? I would really appreciate a bit of your time, etc. Close with things like Thank You, I appreciate Your Time, Have a Great Day!
I could share everything I know with you but what good would it do if you approach a golf course the way you approached me?
You are probably just kicking around the idea of starting a diving career or maybe you've decided it's for you. No matter what you do in life, my advice will help you.
If you are are serious about this and you would employ a few of the skills I outlined, I am happy to help as I've helped many other divers.
I appreciate your interest,
Have a Great Weekend!
Scott
@@thegolfballshop Dear Your Lordship,
Relax old son. I really don't need to know any of those answers and couldn't be less interested now that I know you're a real piece of work.
Yours Sincerely,
The TH-cam Comment Section
@@oinkooink
Your Lordship Here,
Your question had all the charm of a Nazi interrogation. Did you really expect a response? You really sound like the entitled type.
Have Great Weekend!
Your Buddy,
Mr. Piece of Work
What kind of inner tube is that?
Have you ever been attacked by anything(snapping turtles, etc) while diving?
Yes, I have been snapped by a Snapping turtle. It's very violent, like getting you hand hit with a hammer. He didn't get all the way around my thumb so he just tore off as I pulled him out of the water.
I have run into everything from beavers muskrats fish bullheads turtles broken golf clubs broken glass. I've had to go get stitches a few times also had a cut that got very infected went septic. You just have to be careful and seek medical attention when you need it.
how often to u go back to the same pond
Water balls aren't good for anything but practice. I use to keep them when I was hitting, ironically enough, over water.
What do the gators do when you are near them?
We don't have gators up here but I done with some in the South. They stayed away, a couple even got out of the water when I was in. I did see a golf ball diver was attacked a few days ago by a gator and I've heard if others.
Damn that shit is crazy but a good payoff I wonder can you use a flashlight on your head to look around while down there pay is good tho
Unfortunately a flashlight doesn't help because it's trying to shine particulate setiment (meaning it's particles of mud and dirt floating in the water that you can't penetrate with light). It's like turning on your brights in fog, it just glares back. You are really better off just feeling around because most of the golf balls are going to be under the silt and you can't see them anyway.
Thank you for the question!
@@thegolfballshop thanks so much for the reply happy hunting lol
I used to be a member
USA Hockey
You still zuck....lol
Is this the first time ever diving at this course? How often do you cycle through a course, I imagine it takes years for a water hazard to accumulate that sort of volume
Not the ones I play. Lol
I’m going to invent a machine with a camera to get the golf balls
Hey scott,
I wanna do this as a profession. I always wondered how nervous are you about getting bitten by stuff. Do you have a bite kit with you? Have you thought about wearing gloves?
golf ball diving at night is alot of fun but spooky
Funny how no one else thinks he put those there beforehand no doubt he’d be pulled down by the weight of just one bag lol
I only have one bag around my neck at a time. Outside of the water those bags weigh over fifty pounds but in the water they are much lighter and it's easy to move around with them.
Where I live, there are no dangerous animals, you literally cannot be harmed much from them. The only thing we have is a rare little snake which only sometimes uses poison and even if it does, then it's just like a bee sting lol. I'd consider doing this
Snapping turtles are the scariest thing around here. I see them all the time and occasionally put my hand on one. I've only been bitten once but that was enough!
i want to start the same job i already sell to a company but i buy from people that work on courses what equipment do you recomend for me to buy thanks for reading and good luck find them all
Where is the air intake? Is that very near where the exhaust gas from the compressor is being led out? Or do you simply trust that the filters of the system will get rid of carbon monoxide etc. from the air.
does the golf course you dive on get a cut of your profits or do you have to pay to dive there
can you tell me what exactly is that machine giving you air? is it safe?
It's called a service air compressor or a diving hookah. Mine is the Air Line by Joe Sink. They are safe, I've been using these for over 30 years.
Surface air compressor
I give you a lifetime supply of golf balls