Golf Balls - Braving the Depths

Divers retrieve millions of golf balls every year from the watery hazards of the world's golf clubs.

Sinking golf balls

There are companies across the world whose sole focus is to retrieve the millions of golf balls left for dead across the world's golf courses. In Florida, one company alone retrieves two million golf balls a year from the course lakes.

Later alligator

Of course the other thing common to Florida apart from lost golf balls are alligators. And if you're diving for golf balls in the murky lakes of America, it's an occupational hazard that you'll come across a gator.

One-Eyed Jake

One diver recounted his experience of coming face to face with a one-eyed alligator known as One-Eyed Jake. He was working his way through the connecting waterways and was aiming to collect 5,000 golf balls when he got a funny feeling he was being watched.

I was told, don't work the middle,' the diver said. I came right up and when I broke the water, there he was. One-Eyed Jake was just an arms length away. I got close enough to see he only had one eye. Luckily the diver escaped after meeting Jake eyeball to eyeball, even if he didn't make his target of collecting 5,000 golf balls.

Once bitten, twice shy

Another diver at the Sawgrass Country Club wasn't so lucky. In the murk of the water hazard a 7-foot reptile was disturbed as he felt his way along the bottom of the lake feeling for golf balls. It responded by biting his arm.

He just grabbed me and let me go, the diver said. Normally they grab and start spinning and try to drown you or twist your arm off. I have a few scars on my arm, but that's about it. I was lucky he was small. He was even luckier when later in the year he escaped a 13-foot gator!

Top Ten finds (not always golf balls)

Diving for golf balls can lead to some unexpected discoveries too although, disappointingly, no sunken treasure chests!

Some of the more bizarre finds searching for missing golf clubs include:

• A submerged VW car with a drowned golfer at the wheel
• Golf buggies and carts
• Fishing line
• Golf clubs - no doubt thrown in by crazed golfers searching for their missing golf balls.
• Entire sets of golf clubs they must have lost a lot of golf balls!

Courses in Diving

If you're brave enough to take on the hazards of diving for golf balls than there are specialist courses you can take at diving schools. After all, it's a big business. Recycling companies categorize, clean and dry the golf balls and they can be re-sold at shopping outlets.