If you’re a regular golfer, you must have played many shots with dirty, muddy golf balls before you realized your mistake. Keeping your golf ball clean can improve your score by ensuring dirt particles on the ball don’t interfere with your performance. If you’re looking for the quickest and most efficient way to clean your golf ball, you need a high-quality golf ball washer.
In this post, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about golf ball washers and share our top picks in the market.
What is a Golf Ball Washer?
As the name suggests, a golf ball washer is a piece of equipment you can use to clean dirty golf balls. These washers are commonly found at every hole on a golf course. Not only does it keep golf balls clean, but it also maintains the ball’s aerodynamic properties for more efficient shots. Essentially, a golf ball washer holds soap and water in a cavity surrounded by soft nylon bristles and soap suds, and a plunger at the top.
You simply place the golf ball in the washer and push the plunger down repeatedly to clean the hard-dimpled surfaces on the shell where the dirt accumulates.
Drawbacks of a Dirty Golf Ball
If you pay attention, you’ll notice that there are usually many golf ball washers on a course in places, such as the tee box, hole layouts, greens, benches, and sometimes, even around garbage cans. This to ensure golfers have a clean ball before every hole. This is important because a dirty golf ball can have a great impact on your performance. Here are the three main drawbacks of a dirty ball:
Altered Club Contact
Pro golfers can easily understand the sound their clubs make as they strike the ball. The dirt particles on the ball can alter the contact with the club and potentially result in mishits.
Reduced Ball Flight and Distance
Manufactures specifically design golf balls to minimize air resistance using dimples. If the dimples are dirty, it can affect the ball flight and distance due to deviation in the air. Secondly, a dirty golf ball is heavier than a clean one so it will be affected more by gravity, resulting in relatively less distance.
More Friction on the Green
Dirt particles on the ball can slow down the ball roll on the green, which can impact your shots close to the hole.
How to Choose a Golf Ball Washer
Here are some of the features to consider when you’re buying a golf ball washer:
Design
The golf ball washer’s design can influence the effectiveness of the product. Most washers are mounted onto trees, inclined surfaces around the course, or even golf carts. You can also opt for portable designs that feature a clip so you can hook them up with your golf bag or belt loop.
Material
Different washer designs result in different build materials. For example, wall-mounted designs are usually made out of plastic and include bristles, a plunger, and soap sud. In contrast, portable golf ball washers are made of cotton, polyester, or even microfiber to allow them to stay moist for long periods.
Cleanability
The sole purpose of buying a golf ball washer is to have clean golf balls. So, you need to check how effective the washer is. The design also influences the effectiveness. For instance, wall-mounted, poaching designs clean more aggressively.
The Best Golf Ball Washers in the Market – Our Top 5 Picks
The following are our top 5 picks of the best golf ball washers in the market in 2021:
1. Kelmar
KelMar is a multi-purpose washer you can use to clean your golf club and balls. It’s one of the best portable golf ball washers in the market today and capable of cleaning up to 4 balls simultaneously. Moreover, the product features an already assembled design to increase convenience and a detachable towel for cleaning.
2. Gpd Golf Washer
The Gpd Golf Washer is also a multi-purpose product you can use to clean your clubs and balls. It is lightweight and can be mounted on all golf carts. It’s one of the most affordable options with ball revolving technology for faster and more effective cleaning. Even though it’s made out of plastic, the product is incredibly durable and reliable.
3. Yosoo Golf Washer
Many golfers claim that the Yosoo Golf Washer is probably the most user-friendly golf ball washer in the market. Beginners can easily learn to use it as it comes with all the necessary installation accessories. Plus, you don’t have to spend more money on additional equipment. Not only is the product effective in cleaning golf balls, but it is also incredibly light and compatible with most golf carts.
4. Yamaha Golf Ball Washer
You’re probably wondering what Yamaha, a manufacturer of motorcycles is doing in the golf ball cleaning business. Well, the company also manufactures golf carts, and the Yamaha Golf Ball Washer is an additional product. What makes it stand out from the others is its durability, portability, and lightweight. It is one of the most effective, inexpensive cleaners in the market.
5. Cocoarm Golf Ball Washer
The Cocoarm Golf Ball Washer is made of high-quality plastic which prevents the washer from losing its look or shape for years. In terms of cleaning, it does a fine job removing dirt particles from golf balls and also cluttering the grass of the field.
Our Final Thoughts
If you intend to become a pro down the line, you need to ensure you follow the best golf practices to improve your game, including using a clean golf ball for all your shots. The golf ball washers in our list durable, affordable and reliable. In the ending, choosing the best golf ball washer for you depends on how rigorous of a clean you’re looking for on your golf balls.
