German Golf Scuba Diving Gold...

[Dien Rice]

One of the challenges of a golf course are the hazards. These are obstacles which can make it harder to move forward, such as sand pits and water hazards.

Water hazards can be ponds, lakes, and even streams.

There is a problem, though. Once your golf ball lands in a water hazard, you may not be able to get it out!

Some people make a living by retrieving those golf balls. They may don diving gear, and dive for golf balls. The balls are then cleaned, sorted according to brand and the condition of the balls. The balls are then resold to golfers at varying prices, also depending on the brand and the condition.

This is also of benefit to the clubs, as the golf balls can disintegrate and cause pollution in the ponds. Retrieving the golf balls is good for the environment.

One man in Germany heard about Americans who dive for golf balls for a living, and decided to also do this in Germany. However, he added a "twist" to the service.



He puts on his scuba gear, and between April and October each year, he dives for golf balls in 350 different ponds, divided among 25 golf courses in his region in Germany. Each year, he retrieves over 100,000 golf balls.

He provides this service for free to the golf clubs. The higher quality balls which are retrieved can then be sold through the golf clubs themselves. The rest of the golf balls, which are still playable, he sells online.

Each golf ball sells for between 5 cents and $2 (in US dollars), depending on the quality.

The "twist" is that, in addition to retrieving the golf balls, he provides another additional free service. That is, he cleans up the algae, and also removes any other garbage he might find there - such as car batteries, plastic bottles, etc.

Anyone who wanted to try this business, could try offering this new "twist" - of also offering to "clean up" the water hazards at the same time!


Golfballtaucher lebt von verschlagenen Bällen (in German)
http://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/nieder...aucher102.html