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How long do golf balls last in water?

Author

James Craig

Published Jan 17, 2026

Both types of balls lose approximately six yards of total distance after eight days in water. However, two-piece golf balls will lose about 10 yards in total after three months in water, while multi-piece golf balls will lose approximately 12 yards in three months and 15 yards in six months underwater.

How long can you leave golf balls in water?

They basically found that there was almost no difference in the performance of all of the golf balls. Using Trackman to trackball flight, carry distance, and roll distance, their testing revealed that golf balls that had been submerged for as long as 5 months performed just as well as brand new golf balls.

How long does it take for golf balls to get waterlogged?

How Long Does It Take for a Golf Ball to Get Waterlogged? According to HJGT, the answer is about 12 hours,. Although golf balls can totally be waterlogged, the process happens quite slowly. To explain, golf ball materials may not be totally waterproof, but its water-resistant coat is protective enough for hours.

Are golf balls ruined in water?

But if golf balls sit in the water for longer periods of time, permanent damage will be the result. While invisible from the outside, this damage will clearly affect the driving distance off of the tee. The further result is significant damage to the golf ball's core, which is designed to be ball's energy source.

Are golf balls harmful to water?

When golf balls are hit into the ocean, they immediately sink to the bottom. No ill effects on local wildlife have been documented to date from exposure to golf balls. But as the balls degrade and fragment at sea, they may leach chemicals and microplastics into the water or sediments.

16 related questions found

Are 20 year old golf balls still good?

The golf ball researchers at Titleist state, "Today's Titleist golf balls can be safely stored for five years or even more, as long as they are kept away from excessive heat. ... Normal indoor conditions should be fine for storage."

Do wet golf balls make a difference?

There's a good reason for it. Put simply: When both the club and ball are dry, there's more friction on the clubface. The grooves on the clubface grab the golf ball more and impart more backspin. When the clubface is more wet, there's less friction, so the ball slides up the clubface.

Do golf balls float in water?

Real golf balls don't float because they are denser than water. Fake golf balls float because they are hollow and less dense than the water.

Why do some golf balls sink in water?

When objects are placed in water, some will sink and some will float, when a heavier object like a rock or Golf ball is in the water it will sink to the bottom because it is heavier than the water that is holding them up.

What are floater golf balls?

Golf balls that float are commonly called floaters — yes they exist! These balls have the capacity to move towards the surface of the water instead of sinking. Majority of the golf balls used in the sport sink when thrown in the water because they are denser.

How much salt does it take to make a golf ball float?

needed to make a golf ball float? to make a golf ball float in 100 mL water. Add 5 g additions of salt to the water, dissolve, check to see if ball floats. Continue with this method of successive additions until ball floats.

How much shorter does a golf ball go in rain?

However, it's worth noting that this effect is pretty negligible. As a general rule, you can expect a change of about a yard for every 10 degrees. Another thing to consider is the counter-effect of humidity.

Does rain slow golf balls?

The golf ball will therefore not travel as far in the rain and even more so in cold wet weather. It is estimated steady rain causes a negative effect on 'carry' distance of around 3-5 yards. Are wet greens fast or slow? Rain makes greens slower than normal as the moisture on the ground and the ball slows it down.

Does Weather Affect golf balls?

Now as for the golf ball itself, when its warmer, the rubber materials used to make the balls respond better. So, a warmer ball will come off the clubface with more velocity and spin than a colder ball. Plus, it will carry a bit farther because warm air is less dense. Golf ball selection also plays a part.

Do golf balls lose distance over time?

If even longer, permanent damage can occur to the golf ball. The primary effect will be losing driving distance. If a 2-piece ball spends about a week submerged under water it can lose nearly six yards of carry and roll. If it is underwater for three months it will lose about three more yards.

When should you throw away a golf ball?

Now, see if your ball is going to float. Drop it in, and walk away for a minute or two. If the cover is intact, then there should be absolutely no leakage to the internal area of your golf ball. If it starts to sink or you see any air bubbles coming up at all, it's a sign that the cover has a microfracture.

Do golf balls lose distance with use?

Its results confirmed that in the absence of visible damage, repeated use had no effect on a ball's performance. However, it also found that even small scuffs led to a measurable loss in distance, reducing driver distance as much as 6 yards.

Is it worth playing golf in the rain?

Rain cools the air down, meaning you won't sweat as much, and you'll be able to grip your clubs better. Particularly in summer, cooler conditions should always be welcome.

Can you play golf after rain?

Yes, you can absolutely play golf after it rains provided the course has drained sufficiently. Resuming golf after rain can be easier than in dry, hot conditions because the greens will be softer and far more receptive – meaning you can attack more pins and get more backspin with your wedges, leading to lower scores.

Do warm golf balls go further?

Generally, a warmer golf ball travels farther. The rubber materials used to make golf balls respond better if they are more resilient. Warmth enhances resiliency. A warmer ball will come off the clubface with more velocity and spin than a colder ball, encouraging loft.

How do I keep my golf balls warm?

You can put the golf ball in a bag or a towel with a Hot Hands hand warmers to help ensure that it stays warm.

Does a wet golf ball go farther?

Typically when the club is wet it produces slightly less spin and slightly higher shot then when the golf ball and golf club are both dry. We see very minimal differences between the club being wet or dry.

Will an apple sink or float?

Pumpkins and apples float in the water because they are less dense than the water – meaning they are buoyant. The fall fruits contain a lot of air (even pumpkins because they are mainly hollow inside despite their size).

Do golf balls sink or float in saltwater?

A closer look: The golf ball is not as dense as the saltwater. Therefore, the ball floats on top of the saltwater. The colored fresh water is not as dense as the golf ball, so the ball sinks in the colored water.