After hitting a ball into the water hazard, many golfers don’t even look for their ball unless they think they hit it near the edge. They don’t know how deep the water is and sometimes it can be murky.
Finding their ball is an afterthought much like the possibility of floating golf balls existing, although there is such thing as a floating golf ball.
These can be extremely useful if someone is new to the game or prone to hitting it in the hazard a lot.
Let’s dive in with the floating golf balls and learn more!
Does A Golf Ball Float In Water?
Most standard golf balls made by companies such as Titleist, Callaway and Taylormade are dense balls that do not float in water.
It is extremely rare to encounter a floating golf ball but some companies do make and sell them.
These balls are of cheaper quality and will not fly as far in most cases but are perfect for recreational players who tend to hear a splash multiple times during a round or whose home course contains multiple bodies of water.
Floating golf balls are great for hitting into the pool, lake, or beach so you won’t lose them.
Can You Actually Get Floating Golf Balls?
Yes, you can purchase floating golf balls.
Floating golf balls to hit into the water can be found at multiple outlets. Some local golf stores will carry them but there are many more options online such as on Amazon.com.
If you search the keywords “floating golf ball” on Amazon or on any web browser, a plethora of different options and vendors will come up.
These options include cheaper range-style floating balls to better-performing ones that can be used during a round rather than during practice or messing around at the lake.
Examples Of Floating Range Balls
Below are three examples of floating golf balls and range balls that are available for purchase.
PG Professional Floater Balls
These PG Professional Golf Floater balls come in a yellowish lime color. They are easy to see when hit into dark water and will float right up to the top.
The company PG designed them to be two-piece balls so they can provide excellent performance on the course.
The balls come in a 12-pack and have the word “floater” labeled on them with a number one stamped below.
They are ideal for use on a watery course or at the pool or creek for fun.
Snugen Floater Range Balls
Snugen designed a set of floater range balls that are made more for practice than using on the actual course if you are playing a serious round. These are good floating golf balls for the lake.
The brand created the balls with a 326 dimple pattern, 90 compression and a 2-piece build.
These balls are selling in a 48-pack and are cheaper than the other two options in this list. They come in yellow with floater on one side and range on the other with two parallel black stripes surrounding the ball.
A small carry bag for the balls is also included so they can easily be collected.
EliteShine Water Floater
EliteShine created “unsinkable” floating golf balls so golfers can save money and use the same set of balls over and over. That is unless they hit the ball into the trees and can’t find it.
The balls were made with a sturdy surlyn cover to help them last longer and get distance off the tee as well.
They are two-piece “high performance” balls that are the same size as normal range balls. They are made to be played anywhere including with your friends at the river but can also be used during rounds.
These floater golf balls are 42.6 millimeters in diameter and weigh 1.34 oz.
The set comes with 15 balls and is available in orange, yellow or white. There is also an option with mixed colors that also includes green, pink, purple, blue and light blue along with the standard color options.
Are Floating Golf Balls Legal?
According to the USGA, a golf ball is not legal to play if it weighs more than 1.620 ounces or 45.93 grams. Floating golf balls generally are designed to conform to USGA regulations therefore legal ones can easily be found.
Is There A Big Quality Difference Between Regular and Floating Golf Balls?
The main difference between regular and floating golf balls is the quality.
The highest quality balls such as a Titleist Pro V1x, Pro V1, TaylorMade TP5, TP5x or a Callaway Chrome Soft will be a four or five-piece ball.
These balls are heavier, denser and will provide higher spin rates. They will easily sink to the bottom of a pond though. The same goes for a medium-quality three-piece ball such as a Srixon Q-Star.
Most floatable golf balls are two-piece balls.
They will have more distance and rollout but will be harder to spin from the fairway and on-chip shots around the green. These balls will be harder to control.
Many amateurs do fine playing two-piece balls so if you’re a high-handicap player who would rather play a floatable ball because you tend to find the hazard on many occasions, it is not a big deal to stick with a floater over a multi-piece ball.
Do Floating Golf Balls Go As Far As Regular Golf Balls?
Floating golf balls can go as far as regular golf balls if you use two-piece higher quality balls.
Two-piece golf balls have a lot of carry and release off the tee. That’s why so many older golfers and amateurs who have difficulties with hitting far distances use them.
Using range balls probably isn’t the best idea for the course because they will get damaged easier and won’t travel as far through the air.
How To Make Floating Golf Balls?
Checkout this video of an experiment on how to make regular golf balls float.
What Makes Floating Golf Balls Float?
The composition and how floating golf balls are created are what allows them to float.
Floaters are made to hold gravity less than 0.98. This enables them to float in saltwater, freshwater, and pools with chlorine.
These balls are designed with multiple polymers including elastomers, polymerization initiators, and monomers that strengthen the ball allowing it to be both sturdy, playable, and floatable.
Microscopic hollow glass spheres are added as well enabling them to stay on top of the water.
What Is A Floater Range Ball?
A floater range ball sounds fancy but all it is a floating golf ball for the driving range.
Many range balls are hit all over the range and golfers tend to take them around the course and joke around by hitting them into ponds.
It makes it easier for the employees of the course to find them and retrieve them from the ponds. It also saves the course money rather than them buying new range balls.
Final Thoughts On Floating Golf Balls
Floatable golf balls are a great idea to own for golfers who hit the ball in the water often and want to save money. Whether they live by a course with a lot of hazards or want to take them to practice at the beach or lake, having floating golf balls is convenient.
Be sure to comment your thoughts and experiences relating to floatable golf balls.
FAQ
Do floating range balls go shorter?
Yes, a range ball will fly 10-15% shorter than a regular golf ball. The reason why most range balls fly shorter is because of their design. Range balls cannot fly far because they have more of a drag. These balls are often used for practicing and are not the balls that will be used on a golf course.
Can you get floating golf balls?
Real golf balls do not float but you can get fake golf balls that float. Fake golf balls may appear normal on the outside but on the inside they are hollow, which is why they float. Another way to make your golf ball float is to add salt to the water. Salt-water is denser than normal water and will cause the golf ball to float.
