Golf Ball Divers

What Golf Ball Divers does

Golf Ball Divers (legal entity Golf Ball Divers LCA, DBA GolfBallDivers.com) is a U.S.-based sporting goods retailer that recovers used golf balls from course water hazards and resells them direct to consumers at roughly half the price of new balls. The company operates America's first cooperative of golf ball divers under the Golf Ball Divers Alliance INC, with founder Jim Starr ("Big Jim") credited with establishing the co-op structure. Operations are anchored at a processing, packaging, and shipping facility co-located with Lapeer Team Work's GO Industries in Lapeer, Michigan, which has served individuals with disabilities for over 50 years — the partnership functions as both an operational backbone and a "Play It Forward" social-impact narrative.

The product catalog centers on used golf balls in three proprietary quality grades — Mint (AAAAA), Near Mint (AAAA), and Value (AAA) — across 20+ brands including Titleist, Callaway, Bridgestone, TaylorMade, Srixon, Nike, Wilson, Top Flite, Maxfli, Pinnacle, Slazenger, Volvik, and Noodle. Adjacent product lines include golf cart seats and replacement parts, tees, practice balls, the "Tee Bagger" vinyl tee holder, and the "Club Rest" grip protector. Subscription revenue is generated through "The Club," a recurring-delivery service with monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual cadences and free shipping on all subscription orders. Pricing is per-dozen unit pricing with a 10% permanent military discount and free shipping above $79; a 100% money-back guarantee (including return shipping) underwrites trial conversion.

The go-to-market is exclusively DTC e-commerce on a Shopify storefront, supported by eight social channels, SEO, blog content, email, and earned media including Golf Course Industry Magazine and Fox 66 News. Customers are primarily value-conscious amateur golfers, with secondary segments for left-handed players, beginners/practice users, and U.S. military; service geography covers the United States and Canada. The business is bootstrapped, privately held, and operates with 1–10 employees, with no disclosed funding, parent company, or subsidiary structure.

Name

Golf Ball Divers

Legal name

Golf Ball Divers LCA

Website

https://golfballdivers.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Golf Ball Divers is a U.S. cooperative that retrieves used golf balls from golf course water hazards and resells them direct to consumers at roughly 50% of new-ball prices. It operates a Shopify storefront, a "The Club" subscription, and a processing facility at GO Industries in Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recycled Golf Balls / Golf Equipment Retail

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423910)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Balls Retail (CRAMAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Golf Gloves, Headwear & Accessories Retail (CRAMAGAF), Golf Simulators, Nets & Practice Equipment Retail (CRAMAGAI), Golf Equipment & Accessories Distribution (CRAOAJAK)

Keywords

• Recycled golf balls
• Refurbished golf equipment
• Golf ball resale
• Golf ball subscription
• Used sporting goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Rumson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Golf Ball Sales: One-time purchase of refurbished golf balls in three quality grades (Mint/AAAAA, Near Mint/AAAA, Value/AAA) across multiple brands including Titleist, Callaway, Bridgestone, TaylorMade, Srixon, and others. Products sold by dozen at approximately 50% of new ball prices.
2. The Club Subscription: Recurring subscription service offering scheduled deliveries (monthly, every 3 months, or every 6 months) of preferred golf ball brands and models with free shipping for all subscription orders. Customers choose from three groups/tiers and can change or cancel anytime.
3. Accessories and Golf Cart Parts: Sale of golf accessories including tees, practice balls, gloves, club covers, ball markers, as well as golf cart seats and replacement parts (foam inserts, seat covers for Club Car, EZGO, Yamaha, Kubota).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Golf Ball Divers is a cooperative of professional golf ball divers that retrieves used golf balls from golf course water hazards, grades them into three quality tiers (Mint AAAAA, Near Mint AAAA, Value AAA), and resells them direct-to-consumer at roughly 50% of new-ball retail prices. The primary offering is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce catalog spanning more than 20 brands (Titleist, Callaway, Bridgestone, TaylorMade, Srixon, etc.), augmented by a subscription delivery service called "The Club" and a small accessories line including golf cart seats and replacement parts.

Product overview

Golf Ball Divers operates as America's first cooperative of golf ball divers, selling recovered golf balls retrieved from golf course lakes and ponds at approximately half the price of new balls. The core product is used golf balls offered in three quality grades (Mint AAAAA, Near Mint AAAA, Value AAA) across over 20 major brands including Titleist, Callaway, Bridgestone, TaylorMade, Srixon, Nike, Wilson, Top Flite, Maxfli, Pinnacle, Slazenger, Volvik, and Noodle. The business model includes a subscription service called 'The Club' providing recurring deliveries with free shipping. The company also sells golf cart seats and accessories, golf accessories (tees, practice balls), Tee Bagger tee holders, and Club Rest grip protectors. Golf Ball Divers processes and ships balls through a facility at Lapeer Team Work's GO Industries that employs people with disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Club: A subscription-based service that delivers golf balls on a regular schedule with free shipping for members.

Products and services

• Used Golf Balls (Mint, Near Mint, and Value grades)

Quantifiable outcome

• Mint-quality used golf balls show no statistically significant performance difference from new balls (tested at 1, 3, and 5 months underwater at Oakland University)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lapeer Team Work's GO IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolf Ball Divers Alliance built their state-of-the-art golf ball processing facility at GO Industries in Lapeer, Michigan. GO Industries has served individuals with disabilities for over 50 years, providing jobs, vocational training, and support. This partnership created diverse job opportunities in processing, packaging, and shipping for millions of golf balls annually, employing a mix of qualified people from within GO and the broader community. This 'Reverse Integration' model brings the community to GO rather than pushing people out, pioneering a new inclusive work environment template.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Titleist (Acushnet Holdings): Manufacturer of the most premium golf balls on the market (Pro V1, Pro V1x) and a major brand whose products Golf Ball Divers resells. Relevant as a broad incumbent whose brand equity and DTC strategy shape the secondary market Golf Ball Divers participates in.
• Callaway Golf: Major golf equipment manufacturer including the Chrome Soft ball line that Golf Ball Divers resells at scale. Relevant as a broad incumbent whose product launches, pricing, and DTC initiatives directly influence Golf Ball Divers' resale economics.
• PGA Tour Superstore: Large golf-focused retail chain offering new and used equipment, balls, and accessories across many U.S. locations. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving golfers with overlapping merchandise categories but with a physical-retail-led model.
• Golf Galaxy (Dick's Sporting Goods): Specialty golf retail banner of Dick's Sporting Goods selling new equipment, balls, and accessories in-store and online. Relevant as a broad incumbent competing for the same value-conscious golfer customer with broader assortment and omnichannel convenience.

Direct peers

• 2nd Swing Golf: Major retailer of used and new golf equipment including clubs and balls, operating both online and physical stores. Comparable as a multi-category used-golf-goods retailer serving value-conscious golfers with similar grading and quality assurance practices.
• GlobalGolf: Online retailer of new and used golf equipment including clubs, balls, and accessories with UTrade-In trade-in program. Comparable as a direct-to-consumer used-golf-goods retailer with similar grading standards and broad brand assortment.
• LostGolfBalls.com: One of the largest online retailers of refurbished and used golf balls, selling graded mint, near-mint, and value-grade balls across major brands direct-to-consumer. Most directly comparable competitor to Golf Ball Divers in the used-ball DTC category.
• Mulligans2u: Online retailer specializing in recycled, refurbished, and custom-printed golf balls in multiple grades. Direct competitor with similar DTC model, grading system, and brand assortment to Golf Ball Divers.

Emerging players

• BirdieBox: Subscription-based golf ball and accessory delivery service targeting golfers who want convenience and discovery. Comparable as an emerging DTC subscription player in the golf consumables space competing for recurring revenue relationships with golfers.
• Snell Golf: Direct-to-consumer golf ball manufacturer competing primarily on price-performance against Titleist and Callaway. Relevant as an emerging value-positioned ball brand that competes for the same price-sensitive golfer and could be a substitute purchase for used premium balls.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GolfBallDivers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/hashtag/golfballdiver
• Facebookfacebook.com/GolfBallDivers
• Instagraminstagram.com/golfballdivers
• Pinterestpinterest.com/golfballdivers/?actingBusinessId=1125900113001324274
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/golf-ball-divers-alliance-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Golf Ball Divers