2022 Golf Ball Retriever Buyer’s Guide
Do you have a ball retriever? For some golfers, owning a golf ball retriever is a must.
We understand there’s a stigma attached to the golf ball retriever but sometimes owning one can save you money.
According to Golf.com, more than 300 million golf balls are lost every year in the U.S. alone. You could safely double that number when you take into account how many balls are lost around the world. We don’t know how many of those are just left lying in plain sight in water hazards (Sorry. “Penalty areas.”) because they can’t be reached without a retriever.
So it’s safe to say owning one of the golf ball retrievers could save you money. Hell, you might even come out with a profit by the end of your round.
Whether you’re looking to buy a golf ball retriever today, seeking buying advice to get started or just want a closer look at what’s on the market, this guide will help you find the right ball retriever.
WINNER: I Gotcha
If you want the best golf ball retriever on the market, look no further than the I Gotcha. This golf ball retriever extends to 10 feet without the extension of your arm. It has a spring-loaded head which makes it easy to collect the ball in the water or in deep brush. These are just some of the reasons why I Gotcha was crowned Most Wanted Golf Ball Retriever of 2022.
- 2nd in extension
- 1st in ball security
- 6th in sturdiness
- 1st in handle
- 3rd in storage
Features That Matter
Ball Security
You can’t retrieve it if you can’t secure it. Scoop designs work best for soft mud but the ball can fall out if the retriever turns upside down. Well-designed options like the I Gotcha excel at securing the ball but can struggle with softer ground.
Shaft Length
Size does matter! If you have a ball retriever that is too short, you won’t be able to reach balls deeper in penalty areas. Granted, you may never reach the one that’s in the middle of the lake but the longer the shaft, the greater your chance to retrieve your ball.
Ball retrievers that have the greatest reach are Callaway and Orlimar. Inesis wasn’t too far behind.
Handle
At full extension, some models get heavy and dig into your palms. Pick a retriever with a comfortable handle like the I Gotcha and Golf Ball Gopher.
Stability
When extended to full length, does the ball retriever droop or even snap? Some models like the I Gotcha are made from sturdier materials and hold their rigidity. Products that are lightweight tend to bend more and are less durable.
EXPERT TIP - Ball Security
If you are worried about your golf ball falling out when transporting out of a hazard, look for a retriever that has a lock mechanism associated with it for added ball security.
THE BEST GOLF BALL RETRIEVERS 2022 - FEATURES
| Product | Distance Covered | Weight | Retracted Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Callaway Check Price | 15FT | 1.5LB | 4FT |
 | Golf Ball Gopher Check Price | 7.8FT | 1LB | 3FT |
 | I Gotcha Check Price | 14FT | 1.1LB | 20.5 INCH |
| I Gotcha Executive Check Price | 6.9FT | 0.4LB | 15.5 INCH |
 | I Gotcha Jawz Check Price | 14FT | 1.2LB | 21 INCH |
 | Inesis 100 Telescopic Check Price | 14.7FT | 1LB | 3.7FT |
 | Orlimar Check Price | 15FT | 1.1LB | 4FT |
 | Pro Active Sports Check Price | 9FT | 0.4LB | 19 INCH |
 | Search N Rescue Blue Rescue Check Price | 14FT | 1.7LB | 4FT |
 | Search N Rescue Orange Trapper Check Price | 9FT | 0.4LB | 20 INCH |
More Tips
- To allow more room to get your clubs in and out of your bag, pick a ball retriever that is small, compact and fits in your side pocket.
- If you play a course with a lot of water, a ball retriever might be a must. Otherwise, skip it.
- To prevent bending, look for a model with a high-quality shaft that keeps its rigidity.
How We Test
We're here to help you find the perfect golf ball retriever to fit your needs.
To do that, we employ a thorough and fully independent testing process that leaves no feature unexplored, no detail unchecked, and no stone unturned.
Our Metrics
Ball retrievers are tested head to head using rigorous protocols.
The metrics we consider when rating Golf Ball Retriever include Extension, Ball Security, Sturdiness, Handle, and Storage.
THE BEST GOLF BALL RETRIEVERS 2022 - RESULTS
| Product | Extension | Ball Security | Sturdiness | Handle | Storage | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I Gotcha Check Price | 3rd | 2nd | 6th | 1st | 3rd | 85 |
| I Gotcha Jawz Check Price | 3rd | 4th | 6th | 1st | 3rd | 83 |
| Golf Ball Gopher Check Price | 9th | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 6th | 80 |
| I Gotcha Executive Check Price | 10th | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 79.5 |
| Inesis 100 Telescopic Check Price | 1st | 7th | 2nd | 9th | 7th | 79 |
| Search N Rescue Blue Rescue Check Price | 3rd | 5th | 6th | 1st | 7th | 79 |
| Callaway Check Price | 1st | 5th | 9th | 7th | 7th | 78.5 |
| Orlimar Check Price | 3rd | 9th | 1st | 7th | 7th | 78 |
| Search N Rescue Orange Trapper Check Price | 7th | 8th | 10th | 1st | 3rd | 78 |
| Pro Active Sports Check Price | 8th | 9th | 2nd | 9th | 1st | 74.5 |
What do I need to know about a ball retriever?
Q: Why do I need a ball retriever? They seem stupid!
A: There is definitely a stigma attached to ball retrievers but they will save you money. More than 300 million balls are lost every year in America alone. The average premium ball costs around $4 so the cost of lost balls adds up quickly. If you can retrieve a couple of dozen balls (or more) a year, it might be worth the sideways looks from your playing partners.
Q: Does a golf ball retriever count as a club?
A: A golf ball retriever or an umbrella does not have a shaft or a head. Therefore, it does not count as a golf club.
Q: Is a longer ball retriever better than a shorter retriever?
A: Almost always. It’s obvious enough: a longer ball retriever gives you more reach which means fewer lost balls and perhaps a few extras for the shag bag.
Q: Aren’t all golf ball retrievers the same?
A: No. Some have a scooping device to collect the ball while others, like the I Gotcha, have a locking mechanism for easy collection and added ball security.
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Tommy Two Putt
2 months agoThis is a hilarious item to review but I clicked the post and it was actually pretty good.
I personally don’t lose that many balls over the season and more often than not I am retiring them after 2 or 3 rounds of use, but I totally understand there are some bad golfers out there who lose balls in the water. At that point, they may want to consider playing cheaper balls until their skill level improves, therefore they won’t have to worry about losing balls.
Mike
2 months agoGuys, who & how do you actually test these ball retrievers? Seriously come out a day or two with me when I’m bull hunting and you’ll see the complete fallacy of your most wanted list. I have found more balls over the past 12 years than 99% of the people out there. The gotcha apparatus you continue to promote is a COMPLETE waste of time (mine broke within 2 years). The best one continues to be the JP lann extendable model w/ the orange cup at the end. All these other devices with the spring or other contraptions are just a piece of metal waiting to break. Sure, the gotcha folds down real small but who cares. If I’m out ball retrieving, I’m looking for balls, not looking to have a cute little device in my golf bag. And if I’m playing a real round for score, don’t you dare pull out a little ball retriever & slow me down by looking for balls doing a round.
And folks, I love to be able to make a comment without a thousand pop-up ads coming up constantly.
Tiny
2 months agoIk heb een “balkenvanger “ op 2 wieltjes dat bij elkaar gehouden wordt door een een middenstuk , rol ermee over de grond en kan 4 ballen tegelijk pakken , heeft dan ook nog eens een lang rijk vermogen
Patrick
2 months agoI have shagged well over 15000 golf balls and the best ones are the ones that have a little basket at the end work on embedded balls water balls those hoop ones never work on an embedded ball
I think I have more experience retrieving lost balls than any of your tests and I’m still using my original retriever
Dennis Beach
2 months agoI have a retreiver that was given to me at a garage sale. Been in my bag ever since. It,s shaft is aluminum, with the end being kind of square, made of metal, loosely, so the ball can get trapped in the cage. At least 15 ft. long extended.. Saved me a few balls from a watery grave…
Kenny B
2 months agoI won an I Gotcha a long time ago and it still works fine at most courses… other than mine! With large rocks on the bottom of our ponds, the I Gotcha can’t trap the ball. I like that it fits inside the pocket of my bag though.
Craig
2 months agoI’m another disappointed I Gotcha retriever owner who’s seen multiple problems with the ball retrievers. (I’ve owned 3 of them over the years.) I’ve had the extension rods rust together so tight that you can’t extend the retriever, the plastic ring comes loose, the spring fails, you can’t trigger the ring to flip to capture the ball. The retriever looks like stainless stell but it’s not, which is why the rust is a problem, especially if y ou’re near the coast where there’s salt water. The retrievers have the potential to be the best retrievers but the problems are well known and the manufacturer has made no significant changes to eliminate them. Given the prices charged, stay away!
Tom S.
2 months agoThere is a better way to keep balls from getting lost AND speed up play. Put a passive RFID in the middle of the ball and let your cell phone ping where it is. There are many a times I have “lost” a ball over a small hill in tall grass or under leaves in the fall. We all saw where it went but still took 5+ minutes to find it, of give up and drop and hit another.
Andrew the Great!
2 months agoPlenty of water here in Puerto Rico, so I’ve been thinking about getting a BR. My buddy has one and it’s worked well when it’s been needed AND the ball has been recoverable. Therein lies the rub: recoverable.
But, I didn’t expect these things to be so expensive. At $60 for the I GOTCHA, I would have to recover at least 15 balls just to break even. Then again, my dozens are in the $35 range (last time I bought, which was about a year ago), so I’d need to recover 20 balls just to break even. And since not every wayward ball is retrievable – let’s say half of them are recoverable (e.g. not in deep water or lost in the woods) – I’d have to lose 40 balls (!) for the I GOTCHA (or any similarly-priced BR) just to break even.
Yes, I do understand that I can recover *other* balls as well, even if I can’t recover mine, but I don’t play “found” balls, so that won’t do me much good (if any).
I love these tests. But what this one taught me is that ball retrievers don’t pass my cost/benefit analysis.
Steve S
2 months agoShould be easy to test water balls. Throw a half dozen balls in a 5 gallon bucket. Leave them for a year. Then test against the other half dozen with an Iron Byron and Trackman..
Andrew the Great!
2 months agoShouldn’t there be water in the bucket, though?
tscdave
2 months agoI have had retrievers similar to your favorite ‘Gotcha” . I found it worked pretty well, but it is more fragile than others on the market. The plastic is pretty thin, and I broke it when the device was simply dropped on the ground if it lands head first. Also, the inner disc can start popping out of the outer disc over time. Then, their is the spring which can fail or jump out and get lost.
I prefer a fixed head or Callaway’s with the drop down arm mechanism.
Whitey
2 months agoI’ve had several I Gotcha retrievers , all have failed , either the spring mechanism stopped working, or the plastic ring broke. Carefully stored in my cart bag, and not abused. The best one is the search and rescue two ball which you didn’t review , likely because they’ve been unavailable for some time now due to manufacturing delays. They’re worth waiting for.
Ian
2 months agoCool, now that we have done a review on retrievers let’s get one on “waterlogged” balls and used golf balls from lostgolfballs. Buying used/cleaned golf balls from their top two tiers is not the same as a refurbished ball. Since the introduction of solid core golf balls, I find it hard to believe that you lose significant distance/spin change from a golf ball that has been underwater for 6 months. Show me the data!