When most people think of scuba diving, they imagine tranquil reefs, colorful fish, and the soothing rhythm of bubbles. But for one golf ball diver attacked by an alligator in Florida, the reality was murky water, lurking predators, and a job that’s anything but paradise.
Yes, you read that correctly! This man risks life and limb diving into brown, algae-filled water not for treasure, not for research… but for golf balls.
The Sun – Diver collecting golf balls bitten by alligator
Welcome to Whacky Wednesday, where today’s hero is a man who wrangled golf balls and alligators in the same shift. Let’s dive in!
Who Is Jim Best?
Jim is one of a handful of professional golf ball divers in the United States. His full-time job is slipping into golf course ponds, feeling around blindly through goop and goose poop, and bagging up wayward balls for resale. It’s not glamorous but it is weirdly lucrative.
“I’ve pulled out thousands of balls in a single day,” he told reporters. With used golf balls reselling at $0.25 to $1 each, that can turn into a few thousand dollars a week.
But his workplace hazards go far beyond cranky ducks and soggy socks. Jim is a golf ball diver that was attacked by an alligator!
The “Oh Crap” Moment
While diving one seemingly average day in Florida, Jim reached into the silty bottom of a pond to scoop up a handful of balls. That’s when a nine-foot alligator made it very clear that this was his pond!
The beast latched onto Jim’s arm in what can only be described as nature’s version of a cease-and-desist.
“I felt something hit me like a truck,” Jim said. “Then the pain hit and I knew it wasn’t a snapping turtle.”
Somehow, Jim yanked himself free and swam to the surface, adrenaline doing what training couldn’t. He escaped with minor injuries and one hell of a story!
But that wasn’t even the worst of it.
On another dive, Jim came face-to-face with a 14-foot alligator that launched from the bottom like a reptilian missile. He described it as “watching a school bus swim at you,” which sounds like a nightmare only Florida would dream up.
Why in Neptune’s Name Would Anyone Do This?
Because golf ball diving is weirdly profitable. Especially in Florida, where the combo of warm weather and retirement income leads to more lost balls than lost socks in a laundromat.
Used balls are cleaned, sorted, and sold back to courses or online through third-party vendors. The top divers make six figures a year, but the catch (aside from literal gators) is that you need nerves of steel, a solid scuba certification, and a complete disregard for visibility.
Jim wears chainmail sleeves now. No joke! He’s upgraded from wetsuit to medieval knight.
A Brief Guide to Becoming a Golf Ball Diver
So you’re reading this and thinking, “This is my calling.” Here’s what you’d need:
- Open Water Diver certification (minimum)
- Hazard training for low-visibility and contaminated water
- Commercial diving insurance (for when the gators bite back)
- A contract with a local golf course (not all allow diving)
- A complete lack of common sense (kidding… mostly)
You’ll also need to tolerate fish nibbling your ears and diving blind in brown water, which is essentially scuba diving’s version of walking through a haunted house with your eyes closed.
Only in Florida
Only in the Sunshine State could this story be considered just another day at the office. Florida is home to over 1.3 million alligators, and they don’t exactly read the “No Swimming” signs.
In fact, Florida Fish and Wildlife warns all scuba divers, snorkelers, and even paddleboarders to assume gators are present in freshwater. Golf course ponds, while artificially made, are essentially free buffets to a curious reptile.
And Jim? He just shrugs it off. “They don’t usually bother you,” he says. “Unless you surprise them or look tasty.”
Gator-Free Fun Facts: The Golf Ball Economy
- Over 300 million golf balls are lost in the U.S. every year.
- Divers recover as many as 5 million per year, depending on region.
- Some rare brands or logo balls resell for up to $5 each.
- Divers usually collect 2,000–4,000 balls a day during peak season.
- A full-time golf ball diver can earn $100k+ annually (before tax… and gator bites).
Final Thoughts from the Pond
Jim Best’s story isn’t just wild, it’s the perfect reminder that scuba diving isn’t just about coral reefs or underwater selfies. Sometimes, it’s about making a living one soggy Titleist at a time… and occasionally playing tug-of-war with Florida’s apex swamp lizards.
This week’s lesson: If your job description includes “must be okay with murky water and jaws,” ask for hazard pay…and maybe a harpoon!