Golf Ball Side Hustle

I didn’t plan to blog about the money piece on this side hustle right away because that was not my biggest motivating force at the onset. Obviously I would not do this if I did not make something in the way of profit. I really have not kept super accurate records on all the costs, but I do know exactly what I get in the form of revenue. 

I realize that for some folks it may be of utmost importance so I moved this chapter up to the front as the first blog after my introduction. 

I will skip to the answer you are probably looking for and then tell you how I got there. 

• I average about $.50 per ball (50 cents) after shipping costs, listing costs and other expenses. 
• I sell about 30,000 balls per year
• I clear about $15,000 net. I do report this income on a 1099-R provided by eBay. I am retired with little income so this does not reduce my overall profit much.

Here are the factors that go into the average price per ball just quoted.

WIDE PRICE RANGE 

There is a very wide range of sell price and hence profit per ball in this gig.  The biggest reason for that is that there is wide range of pricing in the retail pricing of golf balls when sold new. I can sell 32 Grade AAAAA 5A Titleist Pro V1s for $60 and after shipping and listing costs I will clear $40 or $1.25 per ball.  On the other hand I can sell 160 lower grade budget balls for $40 and clear $6 which is a whopping $.04 per ball.  

SPACE

You will need some space to do this. I don’t count the cost of the space I use because I have a small damp section of the basement my lovely wife has given me free for this pursuit. By strict accounting methods I could calculate the space I use and deduct that on my taxes, but I don’t do that. Maybe I will someday. I estimate the space I use at around 10 feet by 10 feet. 

SUPPLIES 

I don’t count the cost  supplies either only because the number is very small.  The only supplies I use are as follows:

• Dawn dishwashing soap (small amounts)
• Magic Eraser cleaning pads (these last awhile)
• 100% Acetone (very small amounts)
• Finger nail files (various grit levels – almost last forever)
• Boxes, plastic containers (free or lying around house)
• Rags (free) 

In a later blog I will detail cleaning methods, but suffice it to say the supplies needed are a very small expense.

SELLING AND SHIPPING

This is by far the biggest expense I have because I sell exclusively on eBay and every order gets shipped USPS.  There are other options that I prefer not to use; however, you may decide to sell using a different channel or channels that do not entail shipping.  I will provide granular detail on this in later blogs. 

INVENTORY COSTS

My costs here are hard to estimate. In future blogs I will describe in detail, more than likely more than one blog, how I get all these golf balls. In summary the various methods are as follows:

1. I find balls playing golf – the balls are free
2. I walk on golf courses near my home during times when there are no golfers and find balls. Usually with my patient wife. This will be explained. – the balls are free. 
3. I contact people who live on golf courses – some of these contacts give me balls for free, some I pay a small amount for the balls they have that have landed in their yard.
4. I have developed a network of greens keepers, starters, rangers and friends who work at golf courses and they find balls and sell them or give them to me.
5. I contact people who are selling balls on Facebook and I buy them from them in large quantity for as low a price as the sellers will accept.

As you can imagine my exact costs are hard to determine but I would my blended cost of all the balls find, get for free and what I pay for at about 6 or 7 cents per ball.

MY TIME

I do not keep track in any way of this either. Sometimes I spend an hour or two per day working at various aspects of this. Sometimes I spend more. I talk to friends and family on the phone while I am doing this. I listen to audio books. I have a TV nearby and sometimes will have a show on I know for certain my wife does not care for. Usually a documentary of some kind. 

I work at this whenever I feel like it. I can put as much effort toward this as I want. Stop anytime I want. Then, pick it up right where I left off.  Sometimes my grandsons help me and I flip them a 10 spot just for keeping me company and filling me in on their lives. I like all those aspects of those so it’s hard to call this work.

My January 2026 Stats – (Keep in mind that this is winter, a non-golfing month for many)

• 50 Orders Shipped –  most for 32 balls each, a few were 100 balls and one was 160
• 2,040 Balls were in those 50 orders
• $1,137.23 was the net profit after shipping costs and listing fees
• $.56 (56 cents ball)  – subtract the 6 cents I estimate for inventory and you get my estimate above at $.50 per ball.

Conclusion:

I am grateful that this pastime generates some money. Things I like about this just as much are that I have met many new friends. I provide golf balls to golfers on a budget at a lower price. It helps the environment. It helps the golf courses (balls damage mowers). I like to thrill buyers. I blow through a lot of audio books and learn much. I stay out of my wife’s hair and it helps our marriage. Family members are involved…and more

Can this be improved to a better margin? – Yes!  I continue to think of ways to do that.

Can this process be enlarged to generate more money? – Certainly – probably easily.The market is unlimited. 

It is NOT something that will make anyone rich without a concerted effort. 

It is 100% up to whoever is at the controls to decide everything I have referenced above.