A golf ball diver searches for lost balls in water hazards on golf courses. These balls are recyclable and can be processed. Some divers work for recovery companies that subcontract their services to local golf courses, while others work as independent contractors. This work can be demanding and unpredictable. Many people in this field work part-time during the summer, when the weather is nice and there are a lot of golfers on the course.
These scuba divers require SCUBA certifications and, in most cases, must provide their own equipment. They use golf course maps to locate all water hazards and devise a strategy for covering as much water as possible in a single workday. Golf ball divers are paid per ball and have an incentive to collect as many balls as possible as quickly as possible in order to make their job profitable.
Golf courses may charge a fee for golf ball recovery on their property. The golf ball diver may also need to work out timing and scheduling with staff, as the course may not want divers present at certain times. To land contracts for golf ball recovery services and interact with golfers and staff who may be present on the course, freelance work requires good people skills. Working for a company may pay less, but it provides more job security because the company handles fees, contracts, and other issues. There’s also a chance that the company will have enough contracts to offer full-time work.
A golf ball diver may act as a poacher in some cases, stealing balls from a course that has already signed a contract with another diver or company. This practice is frowned upon in some areas and can be dangerous in others; for example, sneaking in after dark could cause a golf ball diver to miss warning signs and hazards that are difficult to spot in low light. Because the diver does not have to pay a fee to work through the course, golf ball poaching can have a higher profit margin.
A person interested in becoming a golf ball diver might be able to find job openings at contracting firms. It can be beneficial to look for companies in areas with a large number of golf courses, such as Florida in the United States. Golf ball divers may be required to travel for work and should expect to work long hours. They may also be responsible for packaging golf balls for transport to recycling facilities and driving large trucks loaded with recovered balls.