'Heon Gong' Who Earned 17 Billion Won Over 14 Years... A Piggy Bank for Someone [New Jobs]

Golf Ball Diver Recovering Lost Balls
Selects and Cleans Only High-Quality Balls for Sale
Cheaper Than New and Prevents Resource Waste

Editor's NoteWith super-aging and ultra-low birth rates, along with the advent of the artificial intelligence (AI) era, new changes are occurring in the world of jobs. We introduce the world of new occupations, 'New Jobs,' which open paths for new challenges in working life or a second act in life.

Among golf balls, there is a type called 'lost ball.' It is commonly found on online shopping malls and is about one-fifth to one-tenth the price of regular golf balls, making it popular among beginners.

If you search for lost balls on a portal site, numerous sellers appear.
[Image source=Google Capture]

Simply put, lost balls are secondhand goods. They are golf balls lost during play that are collected, cleaned, and resold. Given the nature of golf, where losing balls during a game is inevitable, lost balls reduce the consumer's burden and are an ingenious product that prevents resource waste and environmental damage.

But who collects and cleans these lost balls? Overseas, there are so-called 'golf ball divers' who have made collecting lost balls their profession, and in Korea, the number of collectors is also increasing.

Golf Balls Fallen into Lakes Are Retrieved and Resold

A diver retrieving golf balls from a hazard. In the United States, recovering 5,000 golf balls reportedly earns an average of $25,000 (approximately 34 million KRW).
[Image source=YouTube capture]

The most difficult golf balls to retrieve are those in hazards?water hazards in the form of lakes. It is wiser to give up on balls that have sunk deep into hazards, and such balls are treated as lost balls.

In Western countries like the United States, where golf culture is well developed, there are divers who retrieve only golf balls sunk in hazards. Golf ball diving is not just 'picking up balls.' To dive to deep depths, one must receive professional diving training, and sometimes enter dangerous golf courses where wild alligators appear.

Golf ball divers are more dangerous jobs than they appear. Florida's massive golf courses can yield high profits but are also areas where wild carnivores such as alligators roam freely. [Image source=Golf.com capture]

The income of overseas golf ball divers varies greatly. Lost balls' prices differ depending on their condition when retrieved and the brand quality. However, one American diver who worked as a golf ball diver for 14 years reportedly collected an average of about 4,000 lost balls per day and earned a total income of approximately 17 billion KRW, which attracted attention.

Collection Business Gains Popularity in Korea Following MZ Golf Boom

What about in Korea? After the COVID-19 pandemic, a 'golf boom' centered on the MZ generation has increased the demand for lost balls. Beginners are more likely to lose balls than experts, so buying lost balls is much more reasonable than purchasing new ones.

Domestic lost ball collection operators often oversee the entire process, including collection, cleaning, and resale.

Accordingly, lost ball collectors in Korea are stepping forward. A characteristic of Korean lost ball collectors is that many handle the entire process of collection and resale themselves.

They establish cooperative relationships with golf course operators in advance to retrieve lost balls, select usable balls from the collected ones (lost balls also vary in price depending on their grade), then clean and package them at factories for resale. Sometimes, they supply large quantities of lost balls to golf courses. Occasionally, caddies hand out lost balls for free, which are such balls.

As a result, Korean golf ball divers inevitably need to have a good understanding of the golf industry's dynamics. In fact, it is reported that many consumers who enjoyed golf by visiting golf courses have sensed the business potential of lost ball collection and started their own businesses directly.