Customer Reviews

Golf Ball Hog Retriever

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The Golf Ball Hog works very well once you get the hang of it. Mine paid for itself within a couple of weeks. The construction is pretty solid, and it's easy to extend and contract the telescoping pole.

It works best for getting balls out of ponds, but not quite as well with streams. The rocks at the bottom of the streams can make it difficult to rake the balls up with the golf ball hog. I can still get them, it just takes me a couple of tries. I think the ad says it works in finding balls in deep rough. That may be true, but I haven't gotten that to work yet. When the head meets significant resistance, it spins a little, and can't pick up balls until it's twisted back again.

Ponds are the biggest area you'll benefit from the Golf Ball Hog, and using it just for ponds is good enough. I use mine as I'm playing, so I usually spend just 5-10 minutes at a time, and get 2-3 dozen balls a session. I now have more balls than I can use.

3 factors that will affect your ability to get balls out of ponds are the amount of plant life in the pond, the likelihood that people will hit balls into a particular place in the pond, and the underwater terrain of the pond.

I haven't had any luck in getting balls out of ponds with lots of plant life (looks like seaweed, I'm not sure what it's called) That stuff clogs up the Golf Ball Hog and prevents it from picking up any balls. Worse, you then have to untangle it by hand, and it's kind of nasty.

You'll have the most luck in getting balls out of ponds in spots where people just miss the green. They tend to leave a lot of balls in places like this, and because they were going for the green, they don't expect to hit the water, and the balls tend to be of higher quality (lots of Titleist ProV1 and ProV1x). These are the spots where you can rake 5 balls out at a time with the Golf Ball Hog.

How deep the pond is, and how steeply the pond slopes under the water also affects your ability to get balls. The balls tend to roll downhill under water and settle on the bottom. I've needed all of the 18' telescoping pole to get balls out. There are some ponds where the bottom of the pond is too far from the edge to be able to reach the balls that have settled to the bottom.

Balls coming out of ponds don't look like they do in the Golf Ball Hog promotional video. Unless they were just hit, they are not white. They are muddy, very nasty and they smell. I take a separate plastic bag to keep my balls in. When I get home I throw them in the washing machine with a pair of blue jeans to clean them. Even still, many balls require hand cleaning to get fully clean. Depending on their age, some balls are as good as new, but others are shag balls at best. Usually you can tell the bad ones by their color, sometimes you can't tell until you hit them and find they just don't seem to go as far.

Overall, the Golf Ball Hog is really good, and I do recommend it. I did a lot of research into ball retrievers, settled on this one, and I've been very glad I did.

the golf ball hog in theory is a great idea. in practice, however, it is quite fragile. i have broken two under what i would consider normal work load. they break where the rake attaches to the narrowest extension. it would be nice if it could be beefened up substantially at that junction. i would readily pay 2 to 3 times more for a golf ball hog that was a durable one, not a fragile one.

Retriever works well on even surfaces,not well if the ball is in a slight depression.

I say that in past tense, my home course has a lot of flat pond areas and in worked well. Problem is that it is fragile, broke halfway through the golf season. Same situation as another reviewer, it snapped at the base of the pole where head began. Also very hard to use in tight corners with rocks.

This looks like an excellent product. However, the golf course where I play is full of slime. It is not possible to get the ball hog down far enough to retrieve the ball. Would probably work well under other conditions.

This thing worked great BEFORE IT BROKE. It lasted about 2 weeks and then the end broke off with little to no heavy use. The end attaches to the pole with a very small diameter piece of plastic and there is NO WAY this product will last you more than a few times. DON'T BUY IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO WASTE MONEY!!!!

not heavy enough. When rake gets to bottom and you start to pull, rake takes off and comes to surface of water. Not a very good product. Should have known, "As Seen on Television">

The golf ball hog does not work. The ball scoop portion is too light and just bounces over golf balls.

Purchase second one ordered. Works great, but not in any type of current to combat this do not use the thinnest extension stick with the second, plastic hinge point works well but will break, why this is the second one purchased. No guarantee on product.

the golf ball hog is a grate product.i use it every time i play.
Fred Anderson Sr.