Are Used Golf Balls Water-Logged?

Not modern golf balls. Modern golf balls are made of various types of plastic, so they don’t absorb water. Older type of wound balls, pre 2000, can be water-logged if the outer cover is broken, allowing the water in. Balls in this condition would never make it to the consumer market, rather they would be broken down and sent to plastic recyclers.

Is There A Difference In Performance?

Little to none. Outside of cosmetics, the balls in all the various grades tested against new golf balls right out the package show only a very minimal loss, in fact a statistically insignificant loss of carry distance. Golf Ball Nut tested our Refinished balls with a consistent mechanical driver, the Iron Byron. The results showed that our Refinished golf balls fly as far or further than ordinary rewashed/recycled golf balls of the type sold by us and many of our competitors. The average golfer would not be able to duplicate the swing with any consistency to attain these averages over many shots, this loss of carry distance form 1-5 yards is absolutely minimal when you take into account all the other factors that come into play when you swing a club, such as plane of club, follow through, back swing, in/out or out/in, weight shift, lie etc.