Running on Empty - Or Why You Shouldn't Fish Golf Course Ponds

Another riveting tale from used golf ball diver Brett Parker - in his own words.

I was “running the edge” of a really big golf course pond in Texas (because the edge is where the most balls are) when I found myself low on air. I decided to keep working, following the edge until I got back to my gear on the shore. But the pond bottom was tricky and the water pitch black. So, when I popped up, instead of the edge, I was shocked to find myself 200 yards out in the middle of the pond!

Now I'm really low on air, weighted down with equipment and a couple of 60-pound ball bags. I was in serious trouble. I decided to try walking across the bottom – sometimes easier and faster than swimming when weighted down. When I came up, expecting to be safely at the shore, I’m back in the middle. The contours on the pond bottom had sent me in a circle! This was scary bad, so naturally things got worse. 

I started back again and in the blackness walked straight into an old tree on the bottom. Since people had been fishing this pond for years, this tree was a tangle of fishing line, hooks and lures. My legs get snagged, and now, I’m airless,  desperate and hooked underwater. I dropped my ball bags and pulled my dive knife, hacking my wet suit around the waist till I could peel the lower half of my suit off. Then I stripped off my gear, and swam choking and gasping to the surface with barely enough energy to swim to shore.   

But you can bet on one thing. I went back and got those balls, oh, and my tanks too. 

Before you go, check out some of our best selling balls here. Good chance our hero Brett pulled some of them.