Ball Retriever does not make Financial Sense

ultrafl1ght · April 5, 2016

I think the value of the ball retriever comes not from retrieving one's balls, but a whole bunch of other balls while you're at it.

With that said, I personally would never put on in my bag. "That guy is really good, why does he have a ball retriever?" - Nobody Ever

Argonne69 · April 5, 2016

From a rules perspective, a ball retriever could save you a few strokes. You are only allowed to take an unplayable if you can identify your ball. Let's say that you hit an errant shot, and you find a ball in the middle of a thick, thorny bush. This is not uncommon in Texas. If you haven't marked your ball in such a way that it's identifiable from a distance, you'd have to return to the point of the previous shot to play your next shot, as it would be considered a lost ball. With a retriever, you'd be able to retrieve the ball, identify it as yours, take an unplayable, and drop within 2 club lengths or behind the scrub on a line to the flag.

Of course, this is not a common situation, but it does arise from time to time. If you're lucky enough to have a paid caddie, than by all means send him/her into the thorns to get the ball.

hdr_ric · April 5, 2016

So shock of shocks, yesterday I actually considered buying a ball retriever. As low cap guy (I used to be scratch) I never thought I would ever buy a retriever.

However yesterday I hit a shot that rolled into the water, it was about 5' away and I asked if anyone had a retriever. Some one had this one:

It weighs in at 8oz and worked great. I thought - what the heck, suck up my pride and save a few bucks on lost balls.

Then I ran the numbers:

It is rare I lose a ball - I have bags full of beat up balls that are to worn out to play. I might lose 50 balls a year (or about 1 every 2.5 rounds)

It is even more rare I lose a ball in water, and even more rare that it would be lost where it could be retrieved. I also don't play found balls unless they match the model I choose to play that year, so retrieving other balls is not a factor.

The retriever is $40 and my balls cost $5 each ***new***. So after 8 balls the retriever pays for itself, right? Not really as I don't lose new balls, I lose used balls. It would be safe to say the balls I lose would have 50% of their useful life gone before they are lost. Used ball go for $2.00 or less. So now I need lose 20 balls that can be retrieved to pay for the retriever. That would take me about 2 years. From the reviews the retrievers seemed to last around 2 years before they break.

So as hard as it is to believe it make financial sense to protect my vanity!

Financial sense to me is not paying $60/dozen for new balls...

Who pays that?? Maybe if someone is buying golf balls by the sleeve or something...?

I just received 4 boxes of ProV1x's last week, personalized for $36/box. I still have 2 boxes of last years order left, so these will just sit in the closet for a while.

Imp · April 5, 2016

From a rules perspective, a ball retriever could save you a few strokes. You are only allowed to take an unplayable if you can identify your ball. Let's say that you hit an errant shot, and you find a ball in the middle of a thick, thorny bush.

Ok, good. Someone else was not thinking of water, but thatch just off the line, or just away enough in wet area (not wetland but soggy low-lying areas of a course) that you can't walk into to check if that ball is yours. We have some wooded areas on our courses locally that are quite wooded and overrun with pr1ckers/thorns and such heavy thatch. A ball retriever can help you not get your arm torn to shreds, and also keeps your arms/hands out of poison ivy, etc...

They have their uses. :)

--kC

2bGood · April 5, 2016

So shock of shocks, yesterday I actually considered buying a ball retriever. As low cap guy (I used to be scratch) I never thought I would ever buy a retriever.

However yesterday I hit a shot that rolled into the water, it was about 5' away and I asked if anyone had a retriever. Some one had this one:

It weighs in at 8oz and worked great. I thought - what the heck, suck up my pride and save a few bucks on lost balls.

Then I ran the numbers:

It is rare I lose a ball - I have bags full of beat up balls that are to worn out to play. I might lose 50 balls a year (or about 1 every 2.5 rounds)

It is even more rare I lose a ball in water, and even more rare that it would be lost where it could be retrieved. I also don't play found balls unless they match the model I choose to play that year, so retrieving other balls is not a factor.

The retriever is $40 and my balls cost $5 each ***new***. So after 8 balls the retriever pays for itself, right? Not really as I don't lose new balls, I lose used balls. It would be safe to say the balls I lose would have 50% of their useful life gone before they are lost. Used ball go for $2.00 or less. So now I need lose 20 balls that can be retrieved to pay for the retriever. That would take me about 2 years. From the reviews the retrievers seemed to last around 2 years before they break.

So as hard as it is to believe it make financial sense to protect my vanity!

Financial sense to me is not paying $60/dozen for new balls...

Who pays that?? Maybe if someone is buying golf balls by the sleeve or something...?

I just received 4 boxes of ProV1x's last week, personalized for $36/box. I still have 2 boxes of last years order left, so these will just sit in the closet for a while.

One problem on interantional board is currency discusions, I should have been clear iwas speaking about CDN dollars. $60CDN is the going rate for box of Pro V1x's, that about $45 USD. Like you I buy the 4 boxes for three deal and that brings it down to $48CDN a box or $36.50 USD.

bobcat · April 5, 2016

Amazing that some people have nothing better to do than run a cost benefit analysis on a ball retriever... :taunt:

SixtySomePing · April 5, 2016

So shock of shocks, yesterday I actually considered buying a ball retriever. As low cap guy (I used to be scratch) I never thought I would ever buy a retriever.

However yesterday I hit a shot that rolled into the water, it was about 5' away and I asked if anyone had a retriever. Some one had this one:

It weighs in at 8oz and worked great. I thought - what the heck, suck up my pride and save a few bucks on lost balls.

Then I ran the numbers:

It is rare I lose a ball - I have bags full of beat up balls that are to worn out to play. I might lose 50 balls a year (or about 1 every 2.5 rounds)

It is even more rare I lose a ball in water, and even more rare that it would be lost where it could be retrieved. I also don't play found balls unless they match the model I choose to play that year, so retrieving other balls is not a factor.

The retriever is $40 and my balls cost $5 each ***new***. So after 8 balls the retriever pays for itself, right? Not really as I don't lose new balls, I lose used balls. It would be safe to say the balls I lose would have 50% of their useful life gone before they are lost. Used ball go for $2.00 or less. So now I need lose 20 balls that can be retrieved to pay for the retriever. That would take me about 2 years. From the reviews the retrievers seemed to last around 2 years before they break.

So as hard as it is to believe it make financial sense to protect my vanity!

Financial sense to me is not paying $60/dozen for new balls...

Yes I have run those numbers too as it use to pain me to shell out for Pro V1x's. I have found used balls can be a bit irradic in terms of how far they fly,so that leaves new balls for actuall rounds of golf. The ball I want to play is $60/dozen $48/Dozen (I buy them on the 4 for 3 special). The bargain ball I would still find barely accepatable is ?$20/dozen?. Last year a ball lasted me 2.63 rounds on average (I kept track of balls used and rounds played). Playing the ball I want costs $1.40 per round. Playing the Value ball cost me $0.63 per round. So for $0.77 a round I can play the ball I want. Once I ran the numbers price was no longer an object when it came to selecting a ball.

Maybe you should give the Snell My Tour Ball a try...

http://www.snellgolf.com/

Imp · April 5, 2016

Amazing that some people have nothing better to do than run a cost benefit analysis on a ball retriever... :taunt:

However one of the biggest benefits was completely overlooked. Not only do you have the occasion to recoup your loss, you can increase your benefit and offset costs by using other free "found" balls. And then you can get into a collective bargaining discussion with your group on the balls you found that you don't use.

--kC

ChipDriver · April 5, 2016

So shock of shocks, yesterday I actually considered buying a ball retriever. As low cap guy (I used to be scratch) I never thought I would ever buy a retriever.

However yesterday I hit a shot that rolled into the water, it was about 5' away and I asked if anyone had a retriever. Some one had this one:

It weighs in at 8oz and worked great. I thought - what the heck, suck up my pride and save a few bucks on lost balls.

Then I ran the numbers:

It is rare I lose a ball - I have bags full of beat up balls that are to worn out to play. I might lose 50 balls a year (or about 1 every 2.5 rounds)

It is even more rare I lose a ball in water, and even more rare that it would be lost where it could be retrieved. I also don't play found balls unless they match the model I choose to play that year, so retrieving other balls is not a factor.

The retriever is $40 and my balls cost $5 each ***new***. So after 8 balls the retriever pays for itself, right? Not really as I don't lose new balls, I lose used balls. It would be safe to say the balls I lose would have 50% of their useful life gone before they are lost. Used ball go for $2.00 or less. So now I need lose 20 balls that can be retrieved to pay for the retriever. That would take me about 2 years. From the reviews the retrievers seemed to last around 2 years before they break.

So as hard as it is to believe it make financial sense to protect my vanity!

Financial sense to me is not paying $60/dozen for new balls...

Who pays that?? Maybe if someone is buying golf balls by the sleeve or something...?

I just received 4 boxes of ProV1x's last week, personalized for $36/box. I still have 2 boxes of last years order left, so these will just sit in the closet for a while.

Not to thread jack - but why do people buy 1 box of balls at a time? It's the most expensive way to buy them, and often is the least efficient. You have to wait for the perfect timing - of sale price, no shipping, and no sales tax?

I doubt those folks are market movers....the 4 dozen balls is almost perfect for the average golfer I'd bet - enough to get you hooked, but not enough to finish the season. :) Myself - I tend to buy 8-12 dozen a year.

2bGood · April 5, 2016

Amazing that some people have nothing better to do than run a cost benefit analysis on a ball retriever... :taunt:

Sad I know, I am just kind of wired that way. Of course it takes way longer to post about it than it does to run the numbers in my head.

So shock of shocks, yesterday I actually considered buying a ball retriever. As low cap guy (I used to be scratch) I never thought I would ever buy a retriever.

However yesterday I hit a shot that rolled into the water, it was about 5' away and I asked if anyone had a retriever. Some one had this one:

It weighs in at 8oz and worked great. I thought - what the heck, suck up my pride and save a few bucks on lost balls.

Then I ran the numbers:

It is rare I lose a ball - I have bags full of beat up balls that are to worn out to play. I might lose 50 balls a year (or about 1 every 2.5 rounds)

It is even more rare I lose a ball in water, and even more rare that it would be lost where it could be retrieved. I also don't play found balls unless they match the model I choose to play that year, so retrieving other balls is not a factor.

The retriever is $40 and my balls cost $5 each ***new***. So after 8 balls the retriever pays for itself, right? Not really as I don't lose new balls, I lose used balls. It would be safe to say the balls I lose would have 50% of their useful life gone before they are lost. Used ball go for $2.00 or less. So now I need lose 20 balls that can be retrieved to pay for the retriever. That would take me about 2 years. From the reviews the retrievers seemed to last around 2 years before they break.

So as hard as it is to believe it make financial sense to protect my vanity!

Financial sense to me is not paying $60/dozen for new balls...

Who pays that?? Maybe if someone is buying golf balls by the sleeve or something...?

I just received 4 boxes of ProV1x's last week, personalized for $36/box. I still have 2 boxes of last years order left, so these will just sit in the closet for a while.

Not to thread jack - but why do people buy 1 box of balls at a time? It's the most expensive way to buy them, and often is the least efficient. You have to wait for the perfect timing - of sale price, no shipping, and no sales tax?

I doubt those folks are market movers....the 4 dozen balls is almost perfect for the average golfer I'd bet - enough to get you hooked, but not enough to finish the season. :) Myself - I tend to buy 8-12 dozen a year.

I actually I tend to buy 'bulk' when the TP Red was discontinued and selling out for $20 a box I bought around 20 dozen and played them for years. Now I buy Pro V1 at the 4 for 3 price.

golfdad907 · April 5, 2016

I have the 14 ft IGotcha...I don't lose many balls, and when I do it's my fault, but my playing partners will hunt for a used ball, so speeds game up, and occasionally find a good one. Time is money so it's been said.

gmangolf · April 5, 2016

I've never seen a guy with one of those go into a pond for just one ball. They stand there for 5 minutes and fish as many Pinnacles and Top Flights out of the pond as they can.

Guia · April 5, 2016

The biggest cost association with a ball retriever is the yearly regriping.

Conrad1953 · April 5, 2016

The biggest cost association with a ball retriever is the yearly regriping.

That and getting the lie adjusted.

Guia · April 6, 2016

Lie Adjustment. I'm giving a +1. Funny.

Chomper · April 6, 2016

The club champ at my course has a similar ball retriever as the OP, and he walks.

He gets balls out of cacti, yucca, mesquite trees, cat claws, etc. The desert is no place to be stickin' your hand, things that don't bite you have thorns. He saves a few strokes w lost ball penalties every few rounds.

I am pretty sure it has "paid" for itself as often as he uses it.

KYMAR · April 6, 2016

I just don't know how anyone can put a price on ball retriever coolness factor.

Conrad1953 · April 6, 2016

I just don't know how anyone can put a price on ball retriever coolness factor.

Especially after RP bought one and posted pics.

toc · April 6, 2016

Agree, but acetylsalicylic acid, generic makes good financial sense, good advice

Wriggles · April 6, 2016

I carried ball retrievers for years. The last I had had a yellow cup with some sort of ball locking lever. I've related this story before. One day, I was at an empty course, playing alone. Seeing a bunch of balls in a small pond in front of a tee box, I proceeded to fish out balls. As I'm fishing, the ground under my feet started to give way, and before I knew it, I slid into the muck. I kept sliding until I was breast deep. I felt like a cowboy in quicksand, about to meet his maker.

No one around, I carefully got myself out, and washed at a outside irrigation spigot. I really thought it was all over. I could just see the evening news, "Dumbbell golfer drowns in pond."

Gave the retriever to Goodwill, and keep away from ponds since, about twenty years now. There's other threads on this site about guys who weren't as lucky as me.

PS: I don't go into the woods anymore, either. Last year, I found a buried tick in my stomach. The $85 Quick Clinic bill negates any golf ball saving.