Lake Balls vs New Golf Balls: Are Lake Balls Worth It?

If you lose more than a couple of balls a round, lake balls are one of the best value moves in golf: graded, recycled balls from the big brands at a fraction of the new price. If you keep a ball in play for several rounds, buy new and enjoy the consistency, because a fresh ball has no history to worry about. For graded lake balls, start with the SDP pearl and A grade lake ballsSDP pearl and A grade lake balls£26.99Buy on Amazon. For a new ball at a sensible price, the Srixon AD333Srixon AD333£22.95Buy on Amazon is the UK club golf default.

At a glance: lake balls vs new golf balls

How different is a lake ball from a new one, really?

Less than the price gap suggests, with one honest caveat. A lake ball is not a cheap ball, it is an expensive ball that took a swim. Recovery companies wash and grade them, and the top grades, pearl and grade A, look and play close to new. The caveat is time in the water: a cover can slowly absorb moisture over months of submersion, and independent testing has measured small distance losses in balls left underwater for long periods. You cannot tell how long any individual ball was down there, so a batch of lake balls is a lottery with mostly winning tickets. A new ball removes that uncertainty entirely, which is what you are paying for.

When should you buy lake balls?

Buy lake balls if you are learning, playing off a high handicap, or facing a course with water on half the holes. When three or four balls a round are not coming home, the maths is brutal: premium new balls turn every blob hole into a five pound hole. Graded lake balls cut the cost of those mistakes by more than half while still giving you a proper ball, not a rock hard budget model. They are also the obvious choice for practice, short game work in the garden and winter golf, when mud and plugged lies punish pristine balls anyway.

When should you buy new balls?

Buy new once you keep a ball in play for most of a round, because at that point consistency starts to matter more than replacement cost. Playing the same model in the same condition every round means the same feel on the greens and the same flight off the tee, which is exactly what our ball fitting advice is built on. New is also the way to go if you want a specific model and colour rather than whatever the divers brought up, or if you are buying balls as a gift. Value multipacks make new surprisingly affordable per ball.

Our picks

SDP Premium Used Lake Balls, Pearl and A Grade

The graded lake ball pick. Top two grades only, properly washed and sorted, so most of the bag plays close to new for a fraction of the price.

Second Chance Grade A Lake Balls, 12 Pack

The cheap way to try lake balls. A dozen grade A recycled Srixon distance balls for less than many single sleeves of premium balls.

Srixon AD333

The new ball we would hand most club golfers. Soft, consistent and affordable enough that losing one does not sting.

Wilson Ultra Distance 24 Ball Pack

The new ball multipack that undercuts the lake ball maths. Two dozen new balls at close to lake ball prices, ideal for high handicappers who want new without the premium.

Wondering whether the pricier tour balls are worth it at all? We ran the numbers in are expensive golf balls worth it.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly are lake balls?

Lake balls are golf balls recovered from water hazards and course boundaries, then washed, graded and resold. The UK has a large recycling industry around them. Because they are real branded balls rather than budget models, a graded lake ball is often a premium ball at a value ball price.

What do the lake ball grades mean?

Pearl or grade AAA means the ball looks and plays close to new, often a ball lost on its first few holes. Grade A has minor cosmetic marks. Grade B shows scuffs and discolouration and suits practice. Stick to pearl and grade A for scoring rounds and B for the shag bag.

Do lake balls perform worse than new balls?

A ball that went in the water recently performs essentially like new. The caveat is time: covers can absorb moisture over months underwater, and independent testing has measured small distance losses in long submerged balls. Graders remove the worst examples, but you cannot know each ball's history, which is the trade you make for the price.

Are lake balls allowed in competitions?

Yes. A recycled ball is the same conforming model it always was, so a lake ball Pro V1 or AD333 is fully legal in club competitions. The only thing to check is the usual one: that the model appears on the R&A conforming ball list, which every mainstream ball does.

How much money do lake balls actually save?

Typically half to two thirds off the new price. Graded premium balls often cost about a pound each in bulk, against four to five pounds new. If you lose three balls a round, that is a saving of roughly ten pounds every round, which over a season funds a new wedge.

Should beginners buy lake balls or new balls?

Beginners are the perfect lake ball customer. When you are losing several balls a round, paying premium prices is burning money, and no beginner will feel the difference between a pearl grade lake ball and a new one. Switch to new balls once most of your golf finishes on the green rather than in the trees.

Lake balls win on price and are the smart buy while you are still donating balls to the water, new balls win on consistency once you stop. For the best new balls that will not break the bank, see our best value golf balls guide, and check how often you should replace your golf balls either way.