# Lake Balls vs New Golf Balls: Are Lake Balls Worth It? By Fayrway Pros · Published 29 September 2026 **The short version** Graded lake balls cost half to two thirds less than new and play close to new in the top grades, so they are the smart buy for anyone losing several balls a round. - Pearl and grade A lake balls perform close to new, grade B is for practice - Long submersion can cost a little distance, and history is unknown - Buy new once you keep a ball in play, for consistency round to round 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 balls](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FP6PBFRV/ref=nosim?tag=fayrway-21). For a new ball at a sensible price, the [Srixon AD333](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GL8JV4ZZ/ref=nosim?tag=fayrway-21) is the UK club golf default. ### At a glance: lake balls vs new golf balls | Attribute | Lake balls | New balls | | --- | --- | --- | | Price per ball | Roughly a third to a half of new | Full retail, from about £1.50 to £5 | | Performance | Pearl and A grade play close to new | Guaranteed factory fresh consistency | | Condition | Graded cosmetically, history unknown | Perfect, straight out of the sleeve | | Model choice | Whatever was recovered, often mixed | Any model, any colour, any quantity | | Best for | Beginners, high handicappers, practice | Regular scorers who rarely lose a ball | ### 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](https://fayrway.co.uk/blogs/journal/how-to-choose-a-golf-ball) 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. **Best graded lake balls: SDP Pearl and A Grade Lake Balls** - Top pearl and A grades only - Washed, graded and sorted in the UK - Premium models at value prices Price: £26.99. [Buy on Amazon](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FP6PBFRV/ref=nosim?tag=fayrway-21) #### 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. **Best budget lake balls: Second Chance Grade A 12 Pack** - Grade A recycled condition - Costs less than a premium sleeve - Ideal for beginners and practice Price: £13.80. [Buy on Amazon](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DZCZGS2K/ref=nosim?tag=fayrway-21) #### Srixon AD333 The new ball we would hand most club golfers. Soft, consistent and affordable enough that losing one does not sting. **Best new ball for most golfers: Srixon AD333** - Factory fresh consistency - Soft feel with real distance - The UK club golf benchmark Price: £22.95. [Buy on Amazon](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GL8JV4ZZ/ref=nosim?tag=fayrway-21) #### 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. **Best value new multipack: Wilson Ultra Distance 24 Pack** - 24 new balls in one box - Per ball price near lake ball money - Durable two piece construction Price: £28.95. [Buy on Amazon](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C1GNC47R/ref=nosim?tag=fayrway-21) Wondering whether the pricier tour balls are worth it at all? We ran the numbers in [are expensive golf balls worth it](https://fayrway.co.uk/blogs/journal/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](https://fayrway.co.uk/blogs/journal/best-value-golf-balls-2026), and check [how often you should replace your golf balls](https://fayrway.co.uk/blogs/journal/how-often-should-you-replace-your-golf-balls) either way. --- Canonical version: https://fayrway.co.uk/blogs/journal/lake-balls-vs-new-golf-balls Fayrway, golf gear curated by pros: https://fayrway.co.uk. Some links in this article are Amazon affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.