The 5 Best Golf Ball Retrievers – [Reviews & Rankings]

Extendable golf ball retrievers were invented to access balls, which get stuck in sand traps or water holes or simply go really far out of the way.

They fold up for convenience and are suitable for experienced golfers and novices alike. Smaller ones can reach six feet when extended, while the larger ones can reach up to 24 feet.

If you’re tired of chasing stray golf balls around the course, a golf ball retriever is something you can’t do without.

Some players have to reduce their golfing time or even quit because of back problems that make bending over excruciating. Don’t become one of them: Once you buy a golf ball retriever, you will wonder how on Earth you ever enjoyed golf without it.

If you are looking for something that helps to prevent knee-related injuries when participating in a golf course or sporting activities, consider buying the right knee brace.

Why Do You Need A Golf Ball Retriever?

Golf ball retrievers can be pretty handy in a situation where you want to collect balls from unreachable places.

After all, playing golf requires a costly membership. Additionally, golf players have to pay for the balls too. Additionally, losing them is not the brightest idea. While swinging balls with a golf club, these balls often end up in the water bodies present at golf courses.

It can be hard to retrieve such balls with your bare hands or some other impractical way. That is where a golf ball retriever is an ideal tool to help you get those lost and unreachable balls with ease. This golf ball picker-upper is usually a long pole with a clamp or pocket at the end.

With its help, you can quickly grab the golf balls and collect them at will. That can save a lot of the money that you would have to invest in buying more golf balls otherwise. Choosing the right retriever can give you support to play without the worry of losing those precious golf balls.

Moreover, you can get them at favorable prices. On top of that, they are just a one-time investment.

Comparing The Best Golf Ball Retrievers

1. Search and Rescue Golf Ball Retriever – Best Overall 

The Search And Rescue Retriever was designed to retrieve a golf ball with stainless steel rings at the end of the device. It’s reasonably priced and comes with a head cover.

In general, it uses high-quality materials such as powder-coated aluminum and stainless steel to create a durable product.

Additionally, golfing often turns into fishing or swimming when you lose golf balls in lakes or ponds because golfers do not wear rubber waders in-game. Hence, this retriever is perfect: it can extend up to 24 feet and is able to scoop up two golf balls simultaneously.

Moreover, the orange color of this product makes it easier to see while you are scooping the ball in the water. Its telescopic shaft can be adjusted to shallow or deep water, too.

Furthermore, it will lock in place during use and then fold up to a compact size, allowing you to stay clean and dry. Thus, this is a smart ball retriever, which collapses conveniently into about a two-foot length and can fit easily in the side compartment of any walking bag.

Lastly, its ball-trapping mechanism can take a while to get used to, but you’ll be able to get even the hardest to reach balls quite soon.

2. I Gotcha – The Best Flexible Ball Retriever

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This extendable golf ball retriever retracts down to 20 inches for easy storage within your golf bag, but extends to 14 feet. It is made using lightweight, high-quality steel and weighs just 12 ounces in total.

Of all the I Gotcha models, the Executive XL model is the best quality and most popular. Albeit being costlier than many of its competitors, it’s still great value for money considering its size and quality.

Additionally, this top quality golf ball retriever is known to last for years on end. Taking into account individual differences, it comes in five different sizes. Hence, it is also perfect for shorter people or for children who are learning to play golf.

Consequently, it has a telescoping shaft and is flexible and user-friendly. It helps users retrieve golf balls at the speed of light. It is very easy to use in water, brambles, and bushes.

However, despite being compact, it is a bit heavy. On the other hand, it is extra strong and features a very simple control: a single-pull extension mechanism.

3. Signstek Retractable Steel Saver Telescopic Golf Ball Retriever with Scoop – The Most Convenient Golf Ball Picker-Upper

The Signstek offers players the convenience of a product that can also scoop golf balls up from the ground. This will save you time and reduce the risk of strain on your back and neck alongside subsequent health problems.

Moreover, it has a telescopic shaft made of a top-grade and highly durable stainless steel. This is not at the expense of convenience – the device is light enough for any player to hold. Its rubber handle features a comfortable grip for easy holding while its shaft can extend to seven feet.

Furthermore, the scoop’s automatic locking device keeps the golf ball from dropping. Likewise, it is foldable and brings the ball right back. Hence, this retriever will let you spend more time playing golf and less time picking up golf balls from anywhere.

4. Callaway Ball Retriever – The Most User-Friendly Gold Ball Pickup Pole

One of the unique features of this product is its dual-zip head cover, giving it the appearance of a club in your golf bag. The cover is made of heavy canvas and protects the product until you are ready to use it. It also keeps the retriever from hitting and possibly doing damage to your golf clubs.

The Callaway ball retriever is a 45-inch aluminum alloy and stainless steel retriever, which can extend up to 15 feet. It can also pick up lost golf balls from anywhere with its ergonomic handle. It reaches a length of 15 feet and retracts to just 45 inches.

This product is relatively expensive but has a 6-foot reach and can reach the vast majority of golf balls in ponds, lakes, and bushes. Additionally, despite being aluminum, it will not bend when it is extended.

5. JP Lann Golf Ball Retriever – The Most Durable Golf Ball Pick Up Stick

This warranty-protected golf ball retriever is relatively long, reaching a full 18 feet. When not in use, it can be retracted to 45 inches and stored in a golf bag easily. The hinged cup at the end of the retriever has been designed to pick up any golf balls easily and without any hassle.

Additionally, it has a shaft of anodized metal that preventing corrosion and a comfortable rubber handle. It can be used in mud, sand, water, or any other rough terrain.

Notably, this product boasts a telescoping extender tube, too, which is far superior to the traditional turn-and-lock type system. However, its press fitting gets loose after a few uses. Some sections of the tube end up slipping down with the weight of the tube.

On the other hand, there are also 9, 12, and 15-foot models as well as a 6-foot 7-inch compact, but this doesn’t feature metal hinge, just the orange pressure cup design.

How to Choose A Decent Golf Ball Retriever

Golf ball retrievers are usually in the form of large staffs with a cupping tool at the end. With this tool, you can quickly grab golf balls that are out of your reach.

Several types of golf ball retrievers exist, which have several unique features in them. When you are choosing a retriever, you do not need to get all the features, as some are not required.

However, you do need to choose a golf ball retriever that possesses the following features:

• Length – A golf ball retriever needs to have a decent range, as you will need to use it to reach places that are out of your reach. Water ponds, small gaps, etc., are unreachable without such staff.
• Ergonomics – Such a tool also needs to have a user-friendly and tactical design. Such a retriever needs to act as an elongated hand that is easy to use.
• Built – The material of construction for such a rod needs to be sturdy and durable. It also needs to be a non-corrosive material. Suitable materials that you can choose for a golf ball retriever are stainless steel, aluminum, alloys, etc.
• Portable – Such staffs, need to possess a design that can be retracted into a small size when not needed. That way, they can be carried in one of the compartments of your golf bag.
• Usability – Most golf ball retrievers are designed to pick up one ball at a time. However, there are specific designs that have a broader pocket in front of the pole. Such pockets can be used to grab multiple balls at once, thus saving you time.

How Do I Remove A Golf Ball Out of The River?

It can be hard to waste golf balls that end up in water reservoirs and rivers. Moreover, you cannot keep buying new ones to fill the gaps of the ones lost.

Doing that can be expensive for you. Instead, you can invest in a decent golf ball retriever pole that can be used for grabbing the balls quickly.

Rivers can be a little deep at times, which is why you might need a golf ball pickup tool that can extend to an impressive height without losing its sturdiness.

With the help of such a device, you can then look for the golf balls in the river and grab them with its clutching tool in the front.

What To Look For When Buying A Golf Ball Retriever

You can buy most quality golf ball retrievers at a decent price. They can make your game easier and you won’t have to replace expensive golf balls anymore.

A good ball retriever will save you some much-needed, precious time and effort even if your ball does stray. However, when choosing a golf ball retriever, one frequently needs to compromise between length and portability.

It would make sense to buy the longest ball retriever available, but many of these are hard to transport in a golf bag. Therefore, before buying a retriever, players should have a good estimate of their planned storage place to make sure the product will fit when fully retracted.

Build Material And Weight

You should also take the build material into account when deciding what ball retriever to buy. Players would be wise to look for one that is made out of aluminum or stainless steel because the retriever will be exposed to water on a regular basis. This is important as stainless steel and aluminum do not rust.

On the other hand, you should double-check the weight if picking a stainless steel model. Some ball retrievers are too heavy – they will be unwieldy and hard to use when fully extended.

Additionally, if you are concerned about the ball falling out after being fetched, look for a retriever that is equipped with some sort of locking mechanism to keep the ball safely in place.

Meanwhile, if you like to scour lakes and ponds for abandoned balls, we recommend a retriever with a head designed to pick up more than one ball at the same time.

For example, our first choice, the Search and Rescue Golf Ball Retriever, has room to hold two balls at a time. This makes it possible to retrieve more balls with less effort.

FAQ’s About Golf Ball Retrievers

Q: Is a ball retriever considered a golf club?

No, ball retrievers are not considered as golf clubs and are not counted as part of the player’s clubs.

Q: How do you not lose your golf ball?

1. Keep your eye on the ball. If you’re not watching your golf ball, how would you know which area to search?

2. When the ball lands on grass, be sure to comb the area where you think it landed thoroughly.

That would have to mean going back and forth searching through the grass, as sometimes, at an angle, golf balls could be easily unnoticed.

3. Ask someone for help.

4. Make sure your position when you hit the golf ball is right. Bad posing equals to bad swinging, which could have you lose your golf balls.

5. Check the golf clubs that you’re equipped with. Are you using the appropriate one for that specific shot? Is it longer or shorter than necessary? How about the clubface?

6. control the way you swing. Are you swinging too hard, playing without much strategy, or letting frustration win?

Lastly, get a good golf ball retriever for when you have sight of where your ball is but can’t retrieve it. Or when you need to easily pick your golf balls up.

Q: Do golf balls sink?

If it’s in saltwater, no; golf balls do not sink in saltwater. However, in freshwater, yes.

Q: How long can you use a golf ball for playing?

A golf ball can be used for a hundred strikes before it would retire.

Ready To Buy The Best Golf Ball Retriever?

Our top choice is the Search and Rescue Golf Ball Retriever because it is affordable, flexible, and easy to use. We find this golf ball pick up tool superior to any golf ball retriever we have ever used in terms of productivity and helping you get back in the game as quickly as possible.

However, each of the products reviewed here, not just Search and Rescue, are sure to suit your golfing needs. Besides golf ball retrievers, consider buying the best golf bag coolers as it helps to keeps your beverages cold while enjoying golf.

What features do you look for in golf ball retrievers? Share below!