So I don't know how many of you are Costco Club members (it's like a SAMs and JBs), but fron 7/6-7/26 they're running a deal in conjunction with Links Choice (http://www.linkschoice.com/AboutUs.asp) to sell they're recycled golf balls at a discount. They offer through the deal Nike One/Platinum, Callaway HX Tour and Bridgestone B330's in MINT condition. You can get 3 doz delivered for $45, or 6 doz for $80. Yes, shipping included.

If you read LC's website, it sounds like they strip off the outer polish and repolish the balls and probably stick on the Links Choice logo from what I can tell, but these are good prices for good balls.

So I'll probably order a batch of the B330S's as I've hit that ball before and it's a great ball for $13/dozen if you buy 6 doz, or $15/doz if you buy 3 doz.

You can go to http://www.costco.com, in the search box enter Julygolf and press search. You'll see them there. Supposedly the sale price won't show up till Monday the 6th. Anyway, I'm going to give it a shot. If you're looking for a deal on golf balls, this may not be a bad one.

I'll have to check out the Links Choice site and see what I can find out on exactly what they are doing to the balls. All of the balls you mentioned are great golf balls, as I've used all of them, and they all perform very well.

They say they use a high pressure water doohickie to remove the outer finish and re-apply it. Just like (or so they say) the original finish was applied. I will say that if Costco is partnering with them, they must be pretty good and Costco stands behind it's products. If you don't like them you can most likely return them.

Scott, My BIG concern is that on their site, they mention that the get golf balls from the lakes, ponds, and woods around the courses. Don't think I want any golf balls that have been sitting at the bottom on any POND, thank you very much.

So isn't that how almost all of the used golf ball companies get their balls? Around here all the golf courses have people who scuba the ponds/lakes and then sell those balls to the used ball companies. Talked with one set of guys and they had HUGE potato sack type bags of balls from one visit.

Doesn't bother me, Golf or Golf Digest did an article and a submerged ball lost very little of it's performance.

I am all for using inexpensive golf balls. At the rate that I lose them, this makes the most sense for me!! Seriously, though, unless you are playing in a tournament, I see no reason why you shouldn't go for the recycled balls.

It depends on HOW LONG the ball was under water. After a few days, the ball can lose more than 10 % of it's distance. For you, that could be 30 yards less off the tee. Are YOU willing to give up 30 yards with your driver?

Seems to me this is a problem know matter where you buy used balls because you don't know exactly where the ball came from. From all the used ball retailers I checked (of which many were actually owned by Links Choice), they all basically say they get balls from woods, lakes and ponds, buying from the best resorts across the US.

I guess I'll do a one to one comparison on the course and see for myself. 30 yards will be very easy to notice. If that's the case, shoot no, no one would want to give up that sort of distance. Tests show that a new ball played just a few rounds starts to loose it's performance and distance but only at about a 3% loss. So I for one wouldn't want to give up a 10% factor.

So I guess there's only one way to find out and that's to do a valid comparison of new ones to the used ones so I will let you all know what I find.

When I've bought used golf balls, I immediately pull any that aren't bright white. I always figure any that have been buried in mud or water for a while will be discolored. If I play a ball that just doesn't seem to be performing correctly (ie, coming up much shorter than it should) I assume it may have been a water ball and put it into the recycle pocket (that is to say, I make it a "water" ball to use on a risky shot so I don't care if I lose it). When I'm paying 50 cents a ball, I'll assume there will be one or two "duds".

Granted, you can get some really good prices on used balls. but you do run the risk of getting balls that are not all equal. And this is one reason I'd rather buy top of the line balls when they go on sale at the end of the year. I have always been able to buy last years tour quality balls on sale for at most $20 a dozen, and some for as little as $10.

Don,

What site do you go to for last years "tour quality" golf balls?
At $20.dz. you can afford to discard after a couple of rounds.
New balls certainly is the way to go. But, whem you play 80+ rounds per year it can get a little expensive.

Selftaughtman

Various golf retailers run sales on golf balls if you sign up for email updates and/or "preferred shopper clubs" or whatever. Sometimes it's buy 1/get 1 half off.
Another little know source for cheap golf balls (new) is Target!

Thanks Aimee...

I get the e-mail updates...
But Don mentioned "Tour quality" last years ball for $20. dz.
Maybe the issue is: What is tour quality.

Selftaughtman

Are you playing on the Tour?
Me neither.

But back to "tour quality"...I know that with the brouhaha with Titleist and Callaway that there were some deals on the ProV's that had to be discontinued after the lawsuit.

Self; I just buy golf balls when they go on sale, either at the end of the season, or at the beginning of the season. Fact is, most ball companies come out with new golf balls EVERY year, and when they do, LAST years golf balls go on sale. This is when I buy balls. And I don't buy online, I buy at my local golf stores. As for what I mean by Tour quality, I mean top of the line Tour balls, To name some, Nike ONE, Callaway HX tour, MasFli Rev Tour, Masfle M3 tour, older ball. TalyorMade TP Black or RED. MaxFli Black Max. Srixon Z-URS, Bridgestone B330 and 330S. Before these, there was the older Strata Tour balls, which were played by Jim Furyk a few years ago.

I've never paid over $25 for a dozen new balls, and most were $20 or less. Paid as little as $10 one time when there was a sale AND I had a $5 off coupon. Bottom line is, if you buy at the end or beginning of the season, when the new balls are coming out, and the older tour balls go on sale, you too can find $40 balls for $20 or less. Here's one example of what I paid back a few years. New Strata Tour Premier balls. were $45, marked down to $29.99, got them on close-out, buy one get one free. Final price was $29.99 for two dozen balls. Anyone old enough to remember the old MaxFli M3 Tour balls? I got those 6 years ago for $10 a dozen. They were LOGO overruns, with a small American Flag on the ball. Excellent tour ball and I kind of like having that American flag on my ball.

Don...

You are absolutely correct....Smart way to buy....
Of course we all have our "tour" mind on Pro-V1's...But the balls you stated are all great balls...
I also agree with your American Flag logo....I never tire of seeing it...

Selftaughtman

Self, about the best you'll do on the ProV's that I've seen is like $35/dozen. That's in SC where I like to go play. Around town, even off season, they were still near $40 sometimes more. Most I saw was in Pinehurst where a dozen was $64. YIKES!!!! Had a golf store go out of business and still only gave 10% off Titleist balls.