Best golf ball retriever- Buying Guide and Reviews

Best Golf Ball Retrievers

Now that you have taken into consideration some of the things to look out for before purchasing, here is the list of the top 6 best golf ball retriever to have in your bag.

Callaway Ball Retriever

  • 45″ retracted – extends to 15′
  • Ergonomic sure-grip handle
  • Stainless steel retriever mechanism picks up balls in a snap
  • High quality aluminum alloy – will not bend when fully extended
  • Comes with a dual zip head cover-looks like another club in your bag

This Callaway retriever is very easy to use, comes with a cover and slips right into your bag. Although it is not as portable as other golf retrievers it  does extend to 15 feet. The rubber grip makes it easy to hold, a great feature is the pick up mechanism just push down on the golf ball and it scoops it right up.

Pros

  • From Callaway
  • Fits in your bag
  • Retractable to 15′

Cons

  • Heavier than other retrievers
  • you have to carry it alongside your clubs

iGotcha Golf Ball Retriever

iGotcha has several different sizes of retrievers. They are the lightest and most portable retrievers on the market right now!

Combine that with a stainless steel shaft, rubber grip and the top mechanism to pick balls up. These retrievers are a must to have in your bag right now.

This is by far the best golf ball retriever, it has all the right features such as high-quality grip, materials, ball catching mechanism, and portability. This is what makes it the top golf retriever right now! It pays for itself after using it for only a couple rounds. Give it a try, it will drastically change the way you find golf balls.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oQW5xV3B7KQ%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Pros

  • 14 foot reach
  • super portable fits in side pocket of bag
  • weighs only 12 oz
  • retracts to 20 inches

Cons

  • may be hard to control at its max length

IGOTCHA Standard Golf Ball Retriever (18ft Reach)

This is the 18ft model, its is a lengthy retriever that weighs 20z and retracts to 44 inches. My favorite feature is that locking mechanism, once you grab hold of that golf ball it is not coming out. The ball is very secure when it is locked into place. This is ideal for the golfer who enjoys to pick up ball frequently. The length is perfect and the materials used are durable and high quality. This makes an excellent golf ball retriever.

Pros

  • 18 foot reach
  • Weighs only 20oz
  • Retracts to 44 inches
  • Good price

Cons

  • A bit bulky for the golf bag

IGOTCHA The Biggest Golf Ball Retriever (21ft Reach)

This is the 21 foot model, never miss a golf ball with one of these. Your reach will be able to cover almost anywhere. Its locking mechanism works you great never have to worry about dropping a ball. Ideal for the golfer who needs maximum distance to find golf balls. Expect it to be the longest club while in your golf bag.

Pros

  • Pick mechanism works great!
  • Saves you money
  • Great price
  • Durable design
  • 21 foot reach
  • weighs only 25oz
  • retracts to 26inches

Cons

  • May be too big for your needs

Search and Rescue 24-Foot Orange 2-Ball Retriever

Search and Rescue 24foot retriever is the ultimate tool to finding and retrieving golf balls. This retriever will pay for itself after a few times using it. The large head extends to 24 feet and is able to pick 2 golf balls simultaneously. The orange color makes it easy to see underwater. Once a ball is near you simply use the head to scoop up as many golf balls as you see. This tool is a must for the avid golfer who enjoy fishing for golf balls regularly.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=_79Yz7B6_5k%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Pros

  • Reach is 24 feet!
  • Able to catch 2 balls at once
  • Tube locks for desired length
  • Orange head makes it visable underwater
  • Rust free stainless steel shaft

Cons

  • long length may be difficult to store or carry.

Search and Rescue All Terrain Golf Ball Retriever (18ft)

This golf retriever is unique, instead of seeing a ball and pressing the retriever over it with the All terrain golf ball retriever  you roll the retriever on the bottom of a water hazard and pick up the balls. It’s a bit different than the other retrievers but does the job done. You are able to pick up to 4 balls at a time by simply rolling it on the bottom of a pond.This is the most unique golf ball retriever on the list.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8FOEVR-SbnA%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Pros

  • Two wheels rolls on any surface
  • Heavy duty aluminum shaft
  • Easy to use, roll over ball, able to retrieve 4 balls at once
  • 18 Foot reach!

Cons

  • You may have trouble seeing balls underwater

Imagine you’re playing golf with a few buddies, enjoying your last few holes. The upcoming hole is a par 4 with a water hazard near the green.

You feel confident about this hole because you have never had any problems before. You then hit a great drive down the middle leaving you only about 150 yards to the green.

You then get up for your approach shot and see the large hazard right in front of the green. You take a chance and go straight for the middle of the green.

Swish you hit a great shot but unfortunately, the ball hits the bank of the hazard and rolls its way into the water.

Now you are standing near the pond and taking out your irons trying to reach for the ball. Your friends laugh and you feel terrible because you can’t get the stupid ball out of the pond, and you just threw away a $3-5 dollar golf ball.

Does this similar scenario happen to you? But what if you had a golf retriever? Wouldn’t it make your life so much easier?

Having a reliable golf retriever lets you scoop your ball, and possibly a few other golf balls up and then move on with your round.

Wouldn’t that be a better approach the next time you are fishing out golf balls?

Pretty sweet huh?

When considering about purchasing a golf ball retriever it can be a tricky process and we want to help make it easier and less painful.

This is why we created this review on the best golf ball retriever.

Having one will make getting golf balls from water hazards much easier, and hey you might just be able to collect more along the way and save money!

This post was also inspired by our good friends at Hitting the golf ball.

Things to consider before purchasing a golf ball retriever

Grip

One of the first things to consider when purchasing a golf ball retriever is the grip, since you are using it to pull golf balls out of the water you must have a good grip on the retriever so it does not get accidentally dropped back into the water hazard.

That would not be fun.

Most retrievers have a rubber grip at the end to ensure a nice grasp. Always look for one that has, it will make it much easier to maneuver and get those tricky golf balls.

The last thing you want is to have a retriever with a poor grip and end up loosing it in the water hazard.

Always look for a golf ball retriever that has a solid grip.

This golf ball retriever has a solid rubber grip, always make sure that your retriever is fitted with a good grip.

Length

Another consideration should be the length you can extend the retriever.

A longer retriever means you are able to reach distances far away from you.

But there is a drawback to using a longer retriever it is harder to control, and for storage purposes, it can be a lot harder. Especially if you plan on carrying it in your bag.

A 6-foot golf ball retriever is best; it is not too large and you will have no problems carrying it in your golf bag.

I recommend these retractable golf retrievers

Callaway Ball Retriever

Extends up to 15′ and stores easily into your bag. Ideal for the golfer who enjoys casually using a retriever.

Now if you are looking to an even smaller retriever, one that fits on the side pocket of bag, you may want to check out this amazing one

I Gotcha Golf Ball Retriever

It is tiny, only weighing 12 oz. Super portable recommended for any golfer. The gripping mechanism holds the ball secure in place and the chances of it falling out are slim. Combined with an amazing grip this tops the list at one of the best golf ball retriever on the market right now.

Long length golf ball retrievers

If you are looking for a longer retriever and enjoy fishing for golf balls the recommended size would be a 15-20 foot golf ball retriever, this gives you the ability to retrieve almost any golf ball by having a great reach. You will have access to grab more golf balls. you’re almost guaranteed to be able to retrieve almost all of your balls, unlike some golfers who prefer choosing a smaller retriever.

You will have access to grab more golf balls. you’re almost guaranteed to be able to retrieve almost all of your balls, unlike some golfers who prefer choosing a smaller retriever.

IGOTCHA The Biggest Golf Ball Retriever 21ft 

This retriever extends up to 21ft, it is still lightweight for its size at only 25oz.  Its locking system does a great job at holding that golf ball in place once you pick it up. The rubber grip makes it easy to maneuver and has a good grasp while reaching for those golf balls.

Materials

Having the right material is important, you would not want a heavy retriever in your bag weighing you down. But you also want a durable material that is waterproof and lasts long.

Make sure you look at the weight of the retriever before making a purchase decision.

Most high-quality retrievers are made using aluminum, or stainless steel that keeps it lightweight and water resistant. It is also able to take some beating and still remain a great shape.

Having low weight plus the right materials will guarantee you have a well-built golf retriever that will get the job done.

Locking Mechanism

The most important part of a golf ball retriever is the locking mechanism that is used to catch the golf balls. Without a proper grip on the

Without a proper grip on the ball, the retriever becomes useless. It is vital to have a good lock mechanism at the end of the retriever to make sure you don’t end up dropping the ball once you have on the end of the tool.

Take a look at some of these examples of locking mechanisms.

The Callaway ball retriever has a simple mechanism, it is metal and you simply press down to grab the ball. To collect the ball you just pull it out of the locking system, it does the job well and you won’t have many problems using it.

The Igotcha golf retrievers have the best locking mechanism to capture golf balls. It has two plastic circles one bigger than the other. The smaller circle has a small spring that once it touches the golf ball it grabs it and locks it under the larger circle. The idea is brilliant. To get the ball out you just turn the smaller circle and pull the small ball out.

The smaller circle has a small spring that once it touches the golf ball it grabs it and locks it under the larger circle. The idea is brilliant. To get the ball out you just turn the smaller circle and pull the small ball out.

Image result for search and rescue golf retriever

The last most common type of locking mechanism to capture golf balls is seen in the search and rescue golf retrievers where it is a cage.

How it works is that the cage is dragged along the bottom of the hazard and you grab the balls by the opening in the cage. While it is not the safest way of capturing golf balls it still is a great way to catch multiple golf balls at once.

While it is not the safest way of capturing golf balls it still is a great way to catch multiple golf balls at once.

Over to you

Thanks for making it all the way through our list! We hope you found a golf ball retriever that fulfills your needs.

Feel free to leave your comments or questions below. We value your input here at Golf Reviewer and we strive to read and respond to all of your comments.

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