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Article by: Rob over at http://www.sandbox8.com/ . Today he takes a look at how well recycled golf balls perform compared to new balls.  Make sure to check Rob’s blog for other great stories and product reviews! You can also follow him on Twitter & Facebook.

The Life of a Recycled Golf Ball

Do you ever wonder what happens to golf balls that end up in that lake or pond at your local golf course? More than likely those golf balls end up for sale on site like Knetgolf.com, one of the largest fully-integrated recycler and refinisher of premium, pre-owned, brand-name golf balls. I was lucky enough to get some samples of the Knetgolf’s Mint, Grade A, and Grade B recycled Titleist Pro V1’s to see if I could tell the difference between a recycled golf ball from a brand new one?

Knetgolf takes delivery of approximately 80,000 golf balls daily at its two 25,000 square-foot processing plants in Arizona and Toronto, which is on track to supply more than 200,000 golfers in 2009. At the these state of the are facilities, Knetgolf utilizes a very efficient and sophisticated cleaning and grading process with high quality standards.Golf balls are sorted and rated based on appearance and feel and assigned one of the following ratings:

• Mint
  Knetgolf’s Mint quality recycled golf balls are the best available and are the choice for many golfers regardless of skill level. The Mint balls have both the appearance and feel of a ball that has been hit for a maximum of only one hole of play. Also known as ‘One Hole Wonders.’ They have a consistent color and a glossy shine. There are no X Outs. Corporate or sport team logos will be in the mix unless otherwise noted. Retailers may describe them grade as AAAA, PEARL, PERFECT, 1st QUALITY, GRADE 1.

• Grade A
  Knetgolf’s Grade A recycled golf balls are clean, playable and have moderate surface blemishes and minor to moderate ink marks. None of the surface marks or slight blemishes will affect the trajectory, distance or flight path of the ball. There may be minor user markings or the color may be slightly inconsistent as these balls are similar to ones you have played a few holes with. These balls may be cosmetically challenged but have no cuts or creases. No X outs are included in this mix. Corporate or sport team logos will be in the mix unless otherwise noted. Retailers may describe this grade as AAA, NEAR MINT, NEAR PERFECT, 2nd QUALITY, GRADE 2.

• Grade B
  Knetgolf’s Value Grade B recycled golf balls are the best value buy for the most sought after balls in golf today. The GRADE B balls may be cosmetically challenged in that they have moderate surface blemishes and minor to moderate ink marks. None of the surface marks or slight blemishes should affect the trajectory, distance or flight path of the ball. A cut ball is considered unplayable. If Knetgolf deems that the scuff or scratch is too large or if it tears into the cover of the ball, it will not qualify for any of our grades. Cart paths, trees, and other small markings on the surface may be evident. There are no X Out balls. Corporate or sport team logos will be in the mix unless otherwise noted. Knetgolf stands 100% behind this product and all purchases are backed by our 100% guarantee. Retailers may describe this grade as AA, GOOD, 3rd QUALITY, GRADE 3.

So…How Do Knetgolf’s Recycled Golf Balls Perform?

Like the rating scale described above, the Titlelist Pro V1’s that I received are representative of their rating. The Mint quality Pro V1’s were indistinguishable from brand new Pro V1’s in terms of look feel, and playability. I’m pretty positive that your friends wouldn’t be able to tell the difference form a Mint Knetgolf ball and a brand new one. The Mint Pro V1 played no differently than a brand new one, with great soft touch and feel in and around the green, that you expect from the Pro V1, but at a fraction of the cost.

• The Grade A Titleist Pro V1, did have some scuffs on the surface of the ball, but nothing that would impact the distance, trajectory, and feel of the golf ball. The Grade A Pro V1, looked like a broken in golf ball that had seen a few holes of golf played with it based on it’s appearance. Just like the Mint golf balls, the Grade A Pro V1’s performed really well and without any performance issues at a fraction of the cost of new Pro V1’s.

• The Grade B Pro V1’s definitely had the most visible scuff marks and stains on the golf balls of the three grades I received. You could really tell that the Grade B Pr0 V1’s were recycled golf balls, based on the amount of wear on the cover of the golf balls. The performance of the Grade B were no different than the Grade A or Mint versions that I received, just not as nearly as clean looking. It’s important to note that Knetgolf will not sell or grade a golf ball that has a scuff or scratch that is too large or if it tears into the cover of the ball.

Can You Tell The Difference Between New and Used?

Performance wise there is no way to distinguish a new Pro V1 from a recycled Pro V1, except by appearance alone. The Mint Pro V1’s were indistinguishable from new ones, while the Grade A and B could easily be recognized as recycled based on the scuff marks and wear. Overall, the recycled Knetgolf balls are a great value, especially in this down economy or if you have a tendency to loose a ton of golf balls. For about half the price of  brand new Titleist Pro V1’s you can buy a dozen Mint Pro V1’s and not feel bad if you lose one, two, or three.

KnetGolf.com Specials Going on Now

Here are some of the deals that are going on right now for you guys.  Let us know how you guys like the balls when you get them.  We are interested to get your feedback as well.  We have a couple dozen here from KnetGolf.com played with them but we have not launch monitor tested them yet…although the guys over at GolfBallSelector.com already did that for us and we trust those guys more then anyone in the business when it comes to making claims about golf balls.