As the world becomes more and more eco-friendly, the words reduce, reuse, and recycle have become a mantra not only for worm-worshipping hippies, but for the everyday man. Upcycling and reusing have become all the rage – as well they should – not only for the environmental benefits, but for the benefits associated with having a fuller bank account (like vacations to that ritzy golf course).

So maybe you are looking to save up for the vacation, maybe you happen to lose more balls than your partners like, or maybe you even want to be a little more environmentally friendly after that last game where you hit a squirrel on the head after a chip from the rough – either way Knetgolf has you covered with our wide selection of refinished golf balls.

So what exactly is a refinished golf ball?

A refinished golf ball is a lot like a recycled golf ball that’s levelled up. Recycled golf balls are balls that are collected from a course, then washed, brand sorted, type sorted, and then graded by color and cover condition. After that, they then relive my high school nightmare and are sorted into grade B, grade A, and Mint condition. Mint condition is like being on the honor roll – highly coveted and something you can brag about on bumper stickers. A refinished ball, on the other hand is the ball that zoomed through high school and got its doctorate at the age of twelve while the recycled balls were still learning how to print their names.

A refinished golf ball is a recycled golf ball that is 100% intact. That means it had no cover abrasions and no cuts. Any problems with these balls are purely cosmetic. Because of the high price of refinished, only the top-end brands of balls are subjected to this process, and that is only done in a golf ball manufacturing facility in the USA that has been processing golf balls for over eighty years. The outer layer of the ball is mechanically stripped of the outer clear coat and paint, leaving the ball essentially naked. After that, the ball is repainted in the same facility and then clear coated. The end result is a ball with enhanced cosmetics that both looks and performs like a new ball – there is absolutely no depreciation in performance.

So is a refinished golf ball a “fixed” golf ball?

Nope! We do not and cannot repair golf balls – that’s why a refinished golf ball is only the highest end of product. If the golf balls have any abrasions whatsoever, whether caused by cart path, tree or scrape marks, they are discarded and sold as lower grade recycled balls.

Are you sure there’s no difference in gameplay?

We won’t lie – there is a difference in how the ball plays, but the difference is incredibly slight. Outside of cosmetics (which is what grading is about – much like the eggs in your fridge!), the balls in all the various grades tested against new golf balls right out of the package showed a minimal loss. In fact, it was a statistically insignificant loss of carry distance. The loss evened out about one yard or less. Unless you play professional, 99% of all golfers can’t swing with any consistency to attain those types of averages, and that loss doesn’t happen. Check out the handy charts below.

Alright, you’re convincing me. But can I legally play with it in tournaments?

Oh, sweet summer child of mine, of course you can. They’ve been formally accepted by the USGA under Rule 5 ¼. They are permissible in tournament play – whether or not you’re playing at a pro tournament, a charity tournament, or a “backyard” tournament where the first one to lose a dozen balls wins.

Then what exactly is the major difference between new and refinished golf balls?

It all comes down to the money. Depending on the brand and sales, you can save 40-80% on the balls you buy refinished. You can have high performing, high quality brand name balls at half the price, and no one at the club will ever know the difference. The only real difference you’ll know is that you won’t have to bring a packed lunch to the green anymore – and that you can lose your balls without any real guilt.

 This post was originally published by Knetgolf on November 2, 2015. Knetgolf was acquired by LostGolfBalls.