Count golf balls in a bucket from a photo

Golf ball counter for range buckets, pick-up loads and lake balls

A golf ball counter earns its keep at a driving range: counting pick-up loads, checking how many balls are in circulation against buckets dispensed, and tallying recovered and refurbished batches. Pro shops also count loose stock by brand and grade. White dimpled balls stand out against a range mat or grass, which makes them one of the easier round items to count from a photo.

A bucket or picker basket only shows its top layer, so tip the balls onto a mat or a shallow tray and spread them one deep before photographing from above. Recovered lake balls are often stained or yellowed; mark a clean ball and a stained one as two examples in Similar items so both get counted. Striped range balls and colored practice balls count better with their own example. New glossy covers show a bright highlight in direct sun, so shoot in shade or on an overcast day.

Name each checked batch in its tally row, for example Lake recovery, week 3. Sleeves and dozen boxes are quicker on the box counter, and a mixed cart of other sports balls has its own page.

Range ball checks

• Balls spread one deep, not left in the bucket
• Clean and stained balls marked as separate examples
• Shade or overcast light for new glossy covers
• One tally row per batch or pick-up