A great way to save money when buying golf balls is to buy used ones. A long list of companies sell high-quality used balls in various quality grades. (See our list of used-ball retailers.)
While you can pore over that list, visit each site, and see which retailer has the best prices, we'll attempt to make it a little easier for you. Let's compare prices for the top grade of two popular balls: on the high end, Titleist Pro V1/V1X, and a lower-end ball, Callaway Supersoft .
(NOTE: Many of these used-ball retailers routinely offer sale prices and special promotions. Sign up for their email lists so you'll be alerted to the deals. Be sure to watch for free-shipping promotions; that will save you the most money. Shipping prices quoted below assume you're ordering only 1 dozen; most of these retailers offer free shipping with larger purchases, which is how you can pay the least per ball.)
TITLEIST PRO V1/V1X
For comparison, a dozen box of new Pro V1s currently costs $55.
Retailer | Price per dozen | Shipping cost | Quality rating |
|---|---|---|---|
Buy My Balz | $32.98 | $8.99 | Mint (5A); new models |
California Golf Balls | $22.99 | $9.99 | AAAAA/1st quality; 2014 model |
Clean Green Golf Balls | $23.95 | $7.75 | Mint; mix of years |
Found Golf Balls | $33.99 | $11.95 | 5A Mint; 2021 model |
Frank's Shanks | $45.99 | $9.95 | Superior Mint-5A; 2023 model |
Golf Ball Company | $35.99 | $11.99 | 5A Mint; 2023 model |
Golf Ball Hero | $29.99 | $6 | 1st quality; 2021 model |
Golf Ball Monkey | $34.95 | $15.50 | 5A Mint; 2023 model |
Golf Ball Nut | $35.99 | $6 | Mint; 2023 model |
Golf Ball Planet | $32.99 | $9.99 | Mint; new model |
Lost Golf Balls | $37.99 | $9.99 | 5A Mint; 2023 model |
ReNew Golf Balls | $24.99 | $9.99 | Refurbished balls |
Shank Golf Balls | $28.98 | $8.18 | Mint; unspecified model |
Two Guys With Balls | $37.99 | $8.99 | Eagle (top grade); 2023 model |
If you're only ordering a dozen and have to pay shipping, you're probably not saving much over buying new. Pay no shipping with a promotion, or by ordering multiple dozens so you don't pay for shipping, and buying quality used balls makes sense.
OK, let's compare prices for a less pricey used ball.
Callaway Supersoft
For comparison, a dozen box of new Supersofts currently costs $24.99. (Not all of the retailers in the table above carry Callaway Supersoft balls.)
Retailer | Price per dozen | Shipping cost | Quality rating |
Clean Green Golf Balls | $15.95 | $7.75 | Mint; mix of model years |
Found Golf Balls | $16.99 | $11.95 | 5A pristine |
Frank's Shanks | $19.99 | $9.95 | Superior Mint-5A |
Golf Ball Company | $16.99 | $11.99 | 5A pristine |
Golf Ball Hero | $13.99 | $6 | 1st quality |
Golf Ball Monkey | $15.95 | $15.50 | AAAAA/Mint |
Golf Ball Nut | $14.99 | $6 | Mint |
Golf Ball Planet | $13.99 | $9.99 | Mint; mix of model years |
Lost Golf Balls | $15.99 | $9.99 | Mint |
Shank Golf Balls | $12.98 | $8.18 | Mint |
Two Guys With Balls | $15.99 | $8.99 | Eagle (top grade) |
Conclusions
Don't pay for shipping when buying used golf balls, unless a sale price is low enough to make for a good deal even when paying shipping. Shop when a retailer has a free-shipping promotion.
Order several dozen at once, so you can take advantage of free shipping for larger purchases.
Watch for sales, which are frequent. Sign up for retailers' email lists so that you hear about sales/promotions.
You can save money by buying older-model balls. For example, 2023 used balls will cost a few dollars more than 2021 models. In general, try not to go older than 2021 models; stored balls will degrade over the years and may not perform optimally.
You can further save money if you're willing to buy lower-grade used balls. "Near mint" is a grading that usually will be satisfying, though not as pristine as "Mint."
Buy from retailers that offer a money-back guarantee. It's no fun to receive an order that's not as good as expected; you want to be able to send them back if necessary.