Buying guide for best golf ball retrievers
If you find the thought of losing golf balls the most frustrating aspect of the game, golf ball retrievers may help alleviate some of your stress. The ball retriever helps you reach and grab a ball in a water hazard or along a sharp drop-off without having to risk your safety by climbing or wading to where the ball landed.
Golf ball retrievers can extend to lengths of 15 feet or more, giving you a chance to grab a ball that’s too far away to reach on your own.
These ball retrievers are not only useful during a round of golf on a course with water hazards. Some people use them during practice sessions, allowing the player to collect several practice balls quickly. If you struggle to bend over to pull the golf ball out of the hole, some retrievers have a grasping tool on the end to help you.
More designs and types of ball retrievers exist than you may guess. Our shopping guide can help you zero in on the best ones.
How to buy the best golf ball retriever
Consider the terrain
Different courses have various hazards, such as deep lakes, narrow streams, and significant elevation changes. If you often need to pull a ball out of the middle of a shallow stream, you want a retriever with significant length. If you often pull a ball from a sharp drop-off, you need sturdier materials to generate the leverage needed to grab the ball.
Design and looks
Some golfers want the ball retriever to look like a golf club so it matches the other clubs in the bag. (They don’t want to look like they’re carrying a retriever.) Some retrievers have a headcover to mimic actual golf clubs.
Collapsed length
The majority of golf ball retrievers use a telescoping design, meaning the handle folds into itself. This creates a small length for storage. Some of these tools fold down to a length as small as 15 to 18 inches. If your golf bag has a side pocket, this is the perfect place to store the retriever.
Others may only fold down to a length of around three feet, so you can store them alongside the golf clubs inside the bag.
Some people use a golf ball rake or sweeper when practicing putting or chipping, as this tool can move several balls at once without having to bend over and move them up by hand.
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What features do golf ball retrievers have?
Maximum extended length
The retriever collapses to a small length for storage, but when you need to use it, you want it to extend to as much length as possible to reach those golf balls in tough locations.
Shorter retrievers may only reach a maximum 6 feet in length. However, the majority of golf ball retrievers reach at least 10 feet in length. Some can extend to 18 feet or more in length. A shorter retriever has more sturdiness to it, making it easier to grasp the ball and pull it out of a tough location.
Design of the golf ball grasping tool
The end of the golf ball retriever has a few different design options.
- Scoop: The scoop design has a golf-ball-sized cup or hoop, allowing you to maneuver the tool underneath the ball and snare it with the cup or hoop. This is a highly popular design.
- Claw: The claw design uses a spring or clip to tighten the grip on the ball. Just place the claw over the top of the ball and press down to force the ball into the claw.
- Suction cup: A suction cup ball retrieval tool uses suction to grip the ball. This design is not as forceful as the other designs, so you may struggle to pull the ball out of mud or the water. This design works best for pulling the ball out of the hole without having to bend over to grab it.
- Basket: With a basket design, the retrieval tool uses a series of tight wires or bands. You press down on the ball until you force it through the gap between the wires, popping it into the basket. This design works best for picking up practice balls on the putting green or at the range.
Color of the grasping tool
Some ends of the ball retriever tool have a bright orange or yellow color. This makes it easier to spot the tool in tall grass or in shallow water, helping you line up the tool to grab the ball. Others have a silver or black color that’s a little tougher to see.
Shaft materials
The most common material in the shaft is aluminum, which is ideal for this use case. It doesn’t rust, even when you expose it to water frequently. Aluminum is lightweight, yet it provides plenty of durability.
If you want a golf ball retriever with maximum sturdiness when extended, it should consist of thicker aluminum. Retrievers made of thin aluminum bend and flex quite a bit when you extend them to the maximum length.
DID YOU KNOW?
After being submerged in water for a couple of weeks, retrieved golf balls lose several yards of distance versus a new ball.
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What accessories fit well with golf ball retrievers?
Golf balls
Even with a ball retriever, you’ll have some golf balls you can’t reach or find. It never hurts to have some of your favorite golf balls stored in your bag, just in case you lose one permanently.
Golf rangefinders
One way to hit the ball in fewer water hazards where you need to deploy a ball retriever is by knowing the exact distance to the green. A golf rangefinder can help you measure distances perfectly, even on course layouts with which you have very little familiarity.
Golf practice nets
When you want to practice at home, set up a golf practice net to catch your shots, then use a basket-style golf ball retrieval tool to quickly pick up the loose balls afterward.
How much do golf ball retrievers cost?
Inexpensive
The least expensive ball retrievers cost $8 to $20. These tools don’t extend as far as more expensive models, and they may not fold down to as small a size, either. The end of the tool that grabs the ball may not have material or fabric that helps you generate friction on the ball to hold it in place.
Mid-range
The vast majority of golf ball retrievers fit in the mid-range price point of $20 to $35. This likely is a telescopic-designed retriever that can extend to lengths of 10 feet or more. It consists of sturdier materials, creating rigidity that helps you generate pressure on the ball to aid in grasping it. It may have sticky or grippy material on the end to help in grasping the ball.
Expensive
The most expensive retrievers cost $35 to $75. These may include baskets that allow you to pick up multiple balls, such as during practice on the putting green or on the range. Extremely long retrievers may also fit in this price range, such as those at 18 feet or longer.
If you’re struggling to grasp a ball, try shortening the length of the retriever’s telescopic handle. You can then gain more leverage on the ball.
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Tips
- Practice using the golf ball retrieval tool. Before taking a new retriever with you on the course, practice picking up a few balls at home so you can gain a feel for how it works. It’s embarrassing enough to hit a ball into a water hazard — don’t compound your embarrassment by being unable to operate the retriever.
- Store it carefully. Yes, we all have frustration when we hit a ball into a hazard. Don’t take out your frustration on the golf ball retriever. If you slam it on the ground when extended, you could bend the shaft, preventing it from collapsing down to its smallest length for storage.
- Consider the weight. If you like to walk the golf course and carry your clubs, adding a golf ball retriever will increase the overall weight of the bag by one to two pounds.
- Only extend the shaft as far as you need. If you purchased an 18-foot golf ball retriever but you’re trying to reach a ball that’s only 10 feet away, just extend the retriever to 10 feet in length. This keeps the shaft steadier and sturdier, making it easier to maneuver and grasp the ball.
FAQ
Q. How quickly will my golf ball retriever pay for itself?
A. After you pull several expensive golf balls out of the water hazard, you may find that your retriever paid for itself by giving your golf balls a second life. If you’re someone who purchases new golf balls, you usually pay $2 to $4 per ball. For a retriever that costs $30, it pays for itself by rescuing eight to 15 balls.
Q. Can’t I just use my golf clubs to pull my ball out of the water hazard?
A. You certainly could use a long golf club to try to retrieve a golf ball from a tough-to-reach location. However, the ball retriever tool is able to achieve a greater length than any golf club you’re carrying, allowing you to reach farther distances to retrieve balls safely. Additionally, the retriever has a grabbing tool to help you grasp the ball that a golf club doesn’t have.
Q. Does buying a ball retriever guarantee I’ll never lose another golf ball?
A. Unfortunately, no. Your ball could end up in deep water where you can’t see it. Some balls may end up in a location that you can’t reach, even with the longest golf ball retriever tool. The retriever doesn’t magically help you find your ball; you still have to see exactly where it entered the hazard to have a chance of retrieving it.
Q. Does the golf ball retriever count as a golf club for tournament play limitations?
A. No, the retriever is not a golf club. During tournament play, you may have a limitation of carrying 14 or 15 clubs. The retriever doesn’t have a club head on it, so it doesn’t count as a club.
