How to Refurbish Golf Balls

Bringing a bucket of scuffed, stained, and forgotten golf balls back to life is one of the most satisfying DIY projects in golf. It’s a sustainable, budget-friendly way to build up a massive inventory for practice or friendly rounds. This guide provides a complete, step-by-step process for turning those dirty-looking spheres into clean, playable golf balls, giving you the best methods for cleaning, stain removal, and polishing.

Is This Golf Ball Worth Saving? The Initial Sort

Before you get your hands dirty, the first step is a quick triage. Not every ball you find is a candidate for refurbishment. Dumping them all in a bucket for cleaning will just waste time on balls that are destined for the bin. Grab a towel and quickly wipe down each ball enough to see its surface. Here’s what to look for to separate the contenders from the duds.

Keepers: The Ideal Candidates

• Dirty or Stained Balls: This is what you’re looking for! Mud, algae, grass stains, and generalized grime are all cosmetic issues that you can almost always fix.
• Balls with Permanent Marker: Don’t be deterred by sharpie marks. Initials, dots, and lines can usually be removed with the right technique, which we’ll cover later.
• Slight Cart Path Scuffs: Minor abrasions, often called "cart path rash," are usually fine. If the scuff is shallow and hasn't ripped into the cover, the ball's aerodynamics are likely still intact. These are perfect for your practice bag.

Duds: The Ones to Toss

• Balls with Cracks or Deep Gashes: If you can see the layer beneath the cover (the mantle), the ball’s performance is compromised. A crack affects the compression and balance, meaning it won’t fly true. Thank it for its service and let it go.
• Egg-Shaped or Deformed Balls: Sometimes after a colossal impact with a tree or a rock, a ball can be knocked out of round. If it looks or feels obviously misshapen, it’s no good. A simple roll across a flat floor can reveal a wobble.
• Waterlogged Balls: This is a sneaky one. A ball that’s been submerged for a long time can absorb water, which deadens its core and significantly reduces distance. A quick test is to drop it in a bucket of water alongside a new ball. If your found ball sinks much faster or seems less buoyant, it’s likely waterlogged. They have no place in your bag, not even for practice.

Once you’ve sorted your haul, you’re ready to start the cleaning process with a pile of promising golf balls.

Step 1: The Pre-Soak and Initial Scrub

The goal of this first stage is to loosen and remove all the surface-level gunk. This makes the deep-cleaning step much more effective.

What you’ll need:

• A 5-gallon bucket
• Hot water (hot from the tap is fine, no need to boil it)
• Dish soap or a gentle all-purpose cleaner
• A soft-bristled brush (an old dish brush or a vegetable brush works great)

Start by placing your sorted golf balls in the bucket. Fill it with hot water until the balls are completely submerged. Add a generous squirt of dish soap - something with a degreaser works very well - and give the water a stir to create some suds.

Let the balls soak for at least an hour. For extremely dirty balls that look like they’ve been hiding in a pond for a year, you might let them sit for two to three hours. This long soak softens hardened mud and grime, so it comes off with minimal effort.

After the soak, it’s time for the first scrub. Take one ball out at a time and scrub it with your soft-bristled brush. Work your way around the entire surface, paying attention to the dimples where dirt loves to hide. You’re not trying to get it perfect at this stage, you’re just removing the primary layer of crud. As you finish each ball, place it into a separate container or on a towel rather than back in the dirty water. Once you're done, dump the murky water and give all the scrubbed balls a good rinse with clean water.

Step 2: Attacking Stubborn Stains and Scuffs

This is where the real transformation happens. After the initial clean, you’ll be left with balls that have tougher staining, permanent marker, or minor scuffs. It’s time to address these individually a bit more carefully.

Removing Ink and Discoloration

For unwanted art - initials, alignment lines, or sponsor logos - you have a couple of fantastic options:

• Dry Erase Marker: This is a neat trick. The solvent in a dry erase marker can dissolve the permanent ink. Simply draw over the old marker line, wait a few seconds, and wipe it all away with a clean cloth. It may take a couple of applications, but it often works like a charm.
• Rubbing Alcohol or Acetone: If the dry erase marker doesn’t work, a cloth dampened with isopropyl rubbing alcohol is your next best bet. For really stubborn ink, a very small amount of acetone (nail polish remover) can be used. Be quick and gentle with acetone, as excessive use can potentially soften the cover of some balls. Wipe with a clean, damp cloth afterward.

Handling Scuffs and Stains

For the faint stains and shallow surface scuffs, your best friend is a melamine foam sponge (you might know it as a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser). This material acts as a super-fine abrasive that is incredibly effective at removing marks without harming the ball's finish.

Simply wet the eraser and gently but firmly rub the stained or scuffed area. You’ll see the marks vanish. This is particularly good for removing those grayish "cart path rash" streaks. Go easy - aggressive scrubbing isn’t necessary and could dull the finish of the ball.

Step 3: Should You Repair Minor Nicks?

During your deep clean, you might notice small nicks or raised edges on some of the scuffs. The temptation might be to get out some sandpaper and smooth them down. As a coach, I will give you some strong advice here: don't do it.

A golf ball’s cover and dimple pattern are precision-engineered for aerodynamic flight. Altering them, even slightly, can have a noticeable impact. Sanding down a scuff might make the ball feel smoother to the touch, but you’ll be changing the shape of the dimples around it, which can cause the ball to fly unpredictably.

The goal of "refurbishing" is cosmetic cleaning, not remanufacturing. A ball with a slight, visible scuff that’s aerodynamically sound is far more reliable than one that has been sanded and “fixed.” Trust the original design. Embrace these balls as character-rich practice fuel.

Step 4: The Final Polish and Inspection

Once your army of golf balls is clean, rinsed, and completely dry, you can add one final touch to make them look almost new. A light polish not only restores that beautiful new-ball gleam but can also provide a thin, slick layer that helps repel a bit of dirt on their next outing.

One of the best options is a simple carnauba-based spray wax - the kind you might use for your car. Place a handful of dry balls on an old towel, give them a light mist of the wax, and buff each one with a clean section of the towel. Don’t overdo it, a little goes a long way. This tiny step makes a massive visual difference and leaves the surface feeling slick and new.

After polishing, do one last inspection. Sort your balls into two or three grades:

1. Grade A ("Gamers"): These look practically brand new. No scuffs, no discoloration. Put these in your bag for your next casual round without a second thought.
2. Grade B ("Practice Perfection"): These are clean and polished but may still have a minor cosmetic scuff or a faint, stubborn mark. They are perfect for the range, chipping practice, or for use on a hole with a intimidating water hazard.
3. Grade C ("Hopefuls"): These have more noticeable wear but are still structurally sound. Keep them for hitting in the back yard or for when you just feel selfless and want to donate a ball to the woods.

Final Thoughts

By following a simple process of sorting, soaking, scrubbing, and polishing, you can transform a neglected bucket of balls into a valuable resource. It saves money, reduces waste, and frankly, it’s a rewarding process to see something dingy become bright and clean, ready for another shot at glory on the course.

Just as cleaning and preparing your equipment gives you a feeling of control, knowing exactly how to play a difficult shot brings an unmatched level of confidence to your game. That’s what we designed Caddie AI to do. If you find one of your refurbished balls in a tough lie - maybe tucked in deep rough or sitting precariously in a bunker - you can snap a photo, and the app will instantly give you smart, simple advice on how to handle it. We want to remove the uncertainty from these moments so you can commit to your swing and play with more confidence.