How can I reuse or recycle old golf balls?

Golf ballsWe’ve had an email from Vicky, saying:

I live in Southport and the Open Golf Championship here the other week made everyone golf crazy. I walk my dog on the beach and every day since then she’s brought me golf balls that she’s found on the sands. I don’t play so I don’t know what to do with them but I don’t just want to leave them on the beach to get washed away. Any ideas?

First things first, let me wave excitedly at you, Vicky and request that you give my fondest regards to my hometown. I lived in Southport for the first 18 years of my life – my mum and dad still live there – and remember two Opens (I worked at the last one in 1998; watched, utterly bored, at the one before that in 1991) so know what an impact it makes on the town.

As for the golf ball situation, I guess the most obvious solution is pass them along to someone who will use them – but after time on the beach/in a dog’s mouth, they might not be pristine enough for Royal Birkdale.

Any other ideas?

(Photo by myles)

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13 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle old golf balls?”


  1. Delusion says:

    I would suggest passing them on to a youth group or community especially if they have “crazy” goal courses.

    They would be quite interesting as a border decoration in the garden if you managed to collect a lot

    Weights sewn in for table cloth corners?

  2. Bellen says:

    Around here, people (mainly the teens and retirees) collect any and all golf balls they can find and sell them for about $1/dozen. Buyers say they use them for practice.

    they could be used for drainage in large flower pots.

    Collect a bunch of different brands and make a framed ‘picture’ for a golf addict.

    • Dave says:

      Hi Bellen, I see you wrote this in 2008 so there’s a possibility you might not be around. However on the chance you are, I am interested to know where I can get old (beat-up, non useable) golf balls that I can use in a trench project. At a delicate spot (that crosses a pipe below) I need less weight but have to maintain the porosity for water flow; I think golf balls will do it.. enough to fill a space 1’Dx1.5’Wx3’L. I am told subcontractors dive and collect balls at the courses and sell to manufacturers for recycling or give to youth camps, but no one will tell me who they are.
      I live in Bolivia, NC dprogers99@yahoo.com

      Can you help?

  3. Nicole says:

    My brother used to collect buckets of them and then sell them back to the golfers. :)

  4. Anna says:

    One year for my grandma and grandpa’s aniversary, which was a bit before christmas, my family and I made ordiments. We glued a cheap christmas bell on the top (because it gave it a place to be hung from and was easier than drilling holes) and on the bottom glued tees to some, others we just left. It was really cute, and we also made a bunch of tee ordainments also.

    Also a use for the same ordiments later, was my nana hung one onna string from the ceiling in the garage, and so when she was pulling into the garage when the golf ball clinks onto the windsheild she knows to stop.

    Hope this helps! :)

  5. bob says:

    Learn to Juggle! Then give away three balls to each of you’re friends so that they can juggle too!

  6. Renee says:

    Make a caterpillar out of them all. Just paint them, hot glue them all together, and stick it outside for a nice lawn decoration.

    • laura says:

      HI I LIKE THIS IS THERE ANYWAY TO GET A PICTURE OF THIS? WHAT COLOR DO YOU PAINT THE GOLF BALLS? THANK YOU LAURA

  7. mojo says:

    pass them on to chicken breeders ……..they use them as fake eggs for broody hens

  8. Lucia says:

    I will love to have some: can you send them to me? Let me know.

  9. I use old tennis balls in my washing machine (helps beat the laundry, so I need to use less detergent). I don’t know if it would also work with golf balls…

  10. eddie/Amber says:

    I buy golf balls pro v1s .25 and.05 for the rest no range balls or cuts,you ship and i will pay for the balls after I receive them. I live in Fort worth tx 817-448-4801 sweetstuff19_2003@yahoo.com

  11. Collect them and sell them :)



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