Understanding Recycled vs. Refurbished Golf Balls

At GolfBallNut, it is a very common request from our customers to explain the difference between Recycled and Refurbished golf balls. The first thing to understand is that both of these categories are talking about used golf balls. What differentiates one from the other is what is done to the ball before it is sold to the customer.

Recycled Golf Balls

These are golf balls that have been used prior to arriving at our facility. Some may have only been hit once, got lost, and are in mint condition. Others may have been lost for years and have been played for many rounds. When these golf balls arrive at GolfBallNut, they are cleaned, identified, and then sorted based on a grading scale. Mint and Near Mint balls are resold as such and often find their way back onto a golf course somewhere around the country. A customer will get balls from the same brand, under the same graded quality, but some markings and numbers may vary. Buyers of these used golf balls are essentially getting a premium ball that was barely used at a fraction of the retail price. Balls that are graded below the Mint and Near Mint level are sold as such and often make good yard balls, practice balls, driving range balls, putt-putt balls, and other recreational uses.

Refurbished Golf Balls

These balls start out the same as any used golf ball, but they go through an additional step where the coating is removed, the ball is repainted, and matching brand name and numbers are applied. The common stereotype with refurbished balls is that there is potentially a lower brand ball being mislabeled with a premium brand name and then being sold at a higher price. While we cannot speak for other used golf ball companies, at GolfBallNut, we take this issue very seriously and would never sacrifice the potential of a long term customer over making a quick profit on a misleading sale. We have even gone so far as to cut open our refurbished balls, or remove the fresh paint coating, to prove authenticity.

Regardless of your choice between recycled and refurbished golf balls, we would encourage you to do your homework on any company you are dealing with. At GolfBallNut, we take pride in servicing our customers for over 2 generations. We also know that honesty and fair pricing will turn a one-time customer into a life-long customer and that is our commitment to you. Give us a try and you will see why GolfBallNut has become the nation’s most trusted supplier of Recycled and Refurbished golf balls.