Next time you buy some “gently used” golf balls at your local pro shop, stop and ask yourself “how many people had to die in order for me to save a few dollars?”
On September 19, 75-year Jerry Gunderson drowned while diving for lost golf balls in South Florida. “I don’t know why he did it; it’s high risk, but he just loved it,” said his wife, Judith Gunderson. “He always said that’s the way he would go.” What makes it even crazier that a man would drown in a pond while diving for golf balls is the fact that his son died 27 years ago doing the same thing. Let me repeat that – his son drowned diving for golf balls 27 years ago!
You would think that after losing a son to drowning, that it would be hard to even go swimming (let alone scuba diving). Gunderson started diving in 1953, and reselling golf balls helped him to open a chain of seven golf supply stores called International Golf. Golf ball divers across the country won’t reveal how much money they make, because it’s a competitive business. Who knew? A typical golf store will have contracts with multiple “freelance divers,” and some rumors say a diver can make over $100,000/year! Maybe I need to consider changing careers.
Above all else, it’s tragic that a man has lost his life. And I am in no way trying to make light of the situation. But to me, this is a remarkable story giving a glimpse in to an industry that I never even realized was in existence! So next time you dip in to a barrel of used golf balls – remember Jerry Gunderson.