Do Used Golf Balls Lose Distance? Used vs New, Tested

Do Used Golf Balls Lose Distance? Used vs New, Tested

No, not in any way you would notice, as long as the ball is in good condition. A graded mint or near mint ball flies almost exactly like a new one. The idea that a used ball quietly costs you ten metres off the tee is one of golf’s stickier myths, and the testing does not back it up. Here is what actually happens, and the one type of used ball worth avoiding.

The short answer

A used golf ball in good condition performs the same as a new one for almost every golfer. The clearest evidence comes from a study published in the International Journal of Golf Science, which sank Titleist Pro V1s in ponds for up to a year and then tested them. The result was no significant loss in distance. The submerged balls travelled about one yard less on average, roughly half a percent, and even that small difference was not statistically significant. Ball weight had not changed after twelve months underwater.

One yard, on a drive. That is not something you will ever feel on the course, and it sits well inside the variation you get from your own swing shot to shot.

What actually affects a used ball

If water and time barely matter, what does? Condition, and specifically the cover.

A ball’s distance and spin come from an intact cover and core. As long as those are undamaged, the ball plays true. What changes performance is visible damage: deep scuffs, cuts, or cart-path scrapes that break the cover surface and the dimple pattern. That is exactly what grading sorts out. A mint ball has a clean, undamaged cover, so it plays like new. A practice-grade ball has visible wear, which is why it costs a fraction of the price and gets sold for the range and the water holes.

This is the whole logic of buying by grade. You are not choosing between “new” and “worn out”. You are choosing how much cosmetic and surface wear you are willing to accept, and paying accordingly. In the pond study the balls held Mint or Near Mint condition through five months underwater and only started to dull in colour near the one-year mark, so even long submersion is a cosmetic issue long before it is a performance one.

The one exception worth avoiding: refinished balls

There is one kind of used ball that genuinely can lose performance, and it is not a normal used ball. It is a refinished or refurbished ball.

Refinished balls are stripped, repainted, and re-stamped to look brand new. The problem is the process. Extra layers of paint can fill in the dimples slightly and add a touch of weight, and both of those change how the ball flies. A repainted ball can look flawless and still play worse than an honestly graded ball with a small scuff on it.

This is why where you buy matters. Every ball GreenBlue Golf sells is a genuine recycled ball, hand cleaned and graded on its real condition, never repainted or re-stamped. What you see is what you get.

Does water ruin a golf ball?

Plenty of golfers assume a ball fished out of a lake is ruined. Modern balls are built better than that. The urethane and ionomer covers on today’s premium balls are effectively watertight for a long time, so water does not soak through in an afternoon, or a week. The pond study is the clearest proof: even after months underwater, the balls held their condition and their full distance.

Very long submersion, closer to a year, can start to dull the cover’s appearance, which is why those balls end up in lower grades. But a lake ball that has been retrieved, cleaned, and graded mint is not a compromise. It is a premium ball at a used price.

So which grade should you actually play?

Match the grade to what you are doing.

• Competition or a serious round: play Mint or Near Mint. You get new-ball performance for a lot less.
• Weekend and social golf: Standard or AAA is plenty. The odd cosmetic mark has no effect on the shot.
• Range work, short game, and the water carry you always find: buy Practice grade in bulk.

Our golf ball grades guide and the ball grades page show exactly what each grade looks like.

Bottom line

Used golf balls do not lose distance in any way that matters, as long as they are graded honestly and the cover is sound. The testing puts the real-world difference at about a yard, if that. Skip refinished balls, buy by grade, and you are playing the same ball the pros play for a fraction of the price.

Browse used golf balls at GreenBlue Golf, every ball hand cleaned, graded, and shipped Australia wide.

Frequently asked questions

Do used golf balls go as far as new ones?
In mint or near mint condition, yes. Testing shows about a one-yard difference at most, which no golfer notices on the course. Distance only drops once there is visible cover damage, which the lower grades are priced for.

Do lake balls lose distance?
Not from the water itself. A study submerged Pro V1s for up to a year and found no significant distance loss. Long submersion affects appearance, not flight, which is why those balls sell in lower grades.

How long does a golf ball last in water before it goes bad?
Months, not hours. Modern covers keep water out for a long time. In the study, balls held mint condition and full distance through five months underwater.

Are refurbished or refinished golf balls bad?
They can be. Repainting can change the ball’s weight and dimples and hurt how it flies. Stick with recycled and graded balls, which are cleaned but never altered.

What grade should I use for competition?
Mint or near mint. They perform like new, so you get full distance and spin without paying full retail.