Everybody always asks, should I use recycled or refurbished golf balls? We did our own research and testing to find the answer. Let’s dive into the basics of recycled vs refurbished golf balls and find out more.
Recycled (Used) Golf Balls
A recycled golf ball is simply a ball found on the golf course and resold back to you or me. Most sellers have some sort of cleaning method to make them sparkle. No part of the ball has been altered in any way.
Refurbished (Refinished) Golf Balls
A refurbished golf ball is a used ball that is stripped of a thin layer of the outer coating and then repainted, stamped, and clearcoat to look brand new again.
How do they refurbish golf balls?
Now that we know the difference between refurbished and recycled golf balls, we need to find out how they refinish these balls.
First a company either purchases or finds used golf balls. Then they mechanically strip them of a thin layer of the outer coating. These balls are then painted. After drying they are stamped with whatever logo the company desires. A thin clearcoat is sprayed on the ball to make a shiny new refurbished product.
Watch the very interesting short video below to learn more.
Best Cheap Golf Balls for Beginners 2022
How are they sold back to us, the consumer?
Refurbished Golf Balls are simply sold back to us at around half the price of new golf balls with numerous different styles of aftermarket packaging.
Recycled Golf Balls on the other hand are sold back to us using many different grading levels. Most company’s use grading charts such as 5A though 2A, 1 through 5, or Mint through Good. The highest being pretty much brand new and the lowest being a range ball. They then set the prices accordingly.
Conclusion
Recycled (Used) golf balls are a trustworthy ball that you can purchase at the grade level that you desire. After tons of testing, we have concluded that a Mint or Near Mint golf ball performs just as well as a new ball straight out of the box. We also like being able to purchase different grades for practice, league play, or side bet golf. The ball will play just as it looks and feels. There has been no altering of any kind, and with that we find comfort.
Refurbished (Refinished) golf balls surprisingly performed better than we thought. We watched videos and read other mixed opinions about these balls and needed to see for ourselves.
They look and feel like a brand-new ball. They also perform like a brand-new ball in our opinion. One thing we can’t get over is that the ball has been altered. We don’t know what this ball was originally, and it feels a bit like your being cheated. For instance, I could be hitting a refinished ProV1 that was originally a TopFlite XL. I don’t know about you, but something about that doesn’t feel right.
FINAL THOUGHT
Recycled vs Refurbished Golf Balls: What’s the difference and should we use them? In our humble opinion you will not see much of a difference between quality recycled or refurbished golf balls and new ones. If it doesn’t matter to you that a golf ball has been altered, then refurbished (refinished) balls are for you. If something just doesn’t feel right about a refinished golf ball than we recommend a quality recycled (used) golf ball. After all, it’s about having a good time with great people on the best place on earth (any golf course).
Check out the video below to see the much loved and respected Rick Shiels compare refinished ProV1’s to new ProV1’s.
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