It's bad enough blasting a drive off to the left or right and never seeing your ball again, but it's even worse when you plonk it in the water and can't get it back because you haven't got a way of hauling it out.
With this in mind, it's worth remembering that investing in one simple piece of kit means you will never lose a ball in the drink again.
The
PGA Tour Telescopic Ball Retriever has an extendable shaft that reaches a length of 80 inches, making it easy to get your ball out of a lake or any other hard to reach spots.
When collapsed, it is just 38 inches in length, so it fits easily in any golf bag.
On top of that, it weighs just 0.21 kg so you won't even notice it's there - until you need it to get that shanked chip out of that nasty looking water hazard.
GolfOnline reviewer Peter Svendsen gave it five stars, saying: "Does everything it's supposed to. Stable and very compact when folded - fits nicely in a pocket in my cart-bag - easily good value - how many quality balls do you have to pick up before it has earned its own value?"
Meanwhile, golfers looking for some bargain balls could take advantage of their fellow players leaving them behind in the wet stuff.
Buying any box of lake balls is a great investment as they are always in great condition, despite enjoying a spell in the drink in the recent past.
For example,
Srixon's Soft Feel Lake Balls are all grade A or B and ideal for a friendly round or a competitive fixture, while
Titleist's PTS Distance Lake Balls are all grade A too.
Reviewer Aaron Kinchen loved the latter, stating: "Excellent buy, well worth it. Might buy a few more sets. PTS Carry is my favourite ball and it treats me well especially round a tough course. Balls look as good as new and have the same attributes as they normally have."
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