Golf ball diver

[Alisha Rechsteiner]

Hello all! I have just recently found out about golf ball diving. My friend is a commercial diver and is interested in this specialty, but I have been searching online and haven't really found any big companies offering positions to divers. Has anyone done this? Do you just call the golf courses and develop a contract on your own or do you work under a company? I am well aware of what the job entails and am not worried about the labor or conditions. Thanks!!

 

[loosenit2]

 

[kelemvor]

There's at least one person who does that and used to post here about it. Search scubaboard, you'll turn up some info.

 

[ibj40]

There's at least one person who does that and used to post here about it. Search scubaboard, you'll turn up some info.

Does PADI have a specialty course for that?

 

[greeniguana]

Golf ball diving in clear water with seals?

Sign me up.

 

[g2]

... haven't really found any big companies offering positions to divers. Has anyone done this? Do you just call the golf courses and develop a contract on your own or do you work under a company? I am well aware of what the job entails and am not worried about the labor or conditions. Thanks!!

Hi Alisha,

My impression is that there are few 'companies' that do it; it's mostly independent go-getters that somehow arrange it with various golf courses. In busy urban areas there have been turf wars between golf ball divers, since it became lucrative for some of them.

Also, some courses may be very reluctant to permit diving because they see it as a liability issue.

Good luck.

 

[broncobowsher]

And the water in the ponds can get nasty. All the fertilizer and pesticide the courses use to keep things green. The ponds are often run off pits. A lot of then you probably should have a decontamination shower after you get out. Black water diving, picking balls by brail.

 

[pauldw]

What It's Like To Be a Golf Ball Diver

 

[Rickk]

And the water in the ponds can get nasty. All the fertilizer and pesticide the courses use to keep things green. The ponds are often run off pits. A lot of then you probably should have a decontamination shower after you get out. Black water diving, picking balls by brail.

I spent a summer at Cold Lake Alberta and dove with the military dive club there. They had an annual fund raiser to go to the golf course and dive for balls. They sold the balls and used the proceeds for club level equipment, O2 stuff, IIRC the excess went to a charity.

Nasty diving, not really diving because the water hazards were only about a meter deep at the most, the bottoms were mucky and it took a long time to get my gear clean. Lots of hazards in the water, as some water hazards were along old fence lines and there was old barbed wire in them. One guy punctured his dry suit. After that I decided no more golf ball diving for me, I would rather pay a small additional fee to the club than have another nasty day like that and risk my gear.