How two brothers turned lost balls into a movement
From weekend warriors to patent-pending innovators
We Started Golf Late in Life
Sure, we'd always been fans—watching tournaments, playing the occasional charity scramble—but we weren't real golfers. Not until our 40s, when we finally caught the bug. And like everyone who falls for this beautiful, maddening game, we fell hard.
The problem? We were terrible.
Balls in the woods. Balls in the bushes. Balls disappearing into the rough, never to be seen again. We weren't embarrassed about it—we were obsessed with the game, the challenge, the camaraderie. Most importantly, we were creating unforgettable memories with our teenage sons on the course. Quality time that money can't buy.
But the money we were spending on golf balls? That was getting ridiculous.
The "Holy Sh*t" Moment
One evening, after another round of losing half a dozen balls, we started doing the math. How many balls had we lost? How many had we bought, only to lose again the next week?
Then it hit us: Those balls are still out there.
Unlike water hazards, where balls sink into oblivion, the woods and rough just hold them. Brand new Pro V1s, sitting in the leaves. Titleist AVXs buried in the pine straw. Callaway Chromes hiding under bushes. All perfectly playable. All waiting to be found.
The more we thought about it, the more obvious it became: Golfers lose way more balls on land than in water. But every "ball finder" product on the market was designed for ponds.
Nothing existed to help us find the treasure trove hiding in plain sight.
"THOSE BALLS ARE STILL OUT THERE!"
Brand new Pro V1s sitting in the leaves. Premium balls buried in the rough. All perfectly playable. All waiting to be found. We just needed the right technology to see them. Brand new Pro V1s sitting in the leaves. Premium balls buried in the rough. All perfectly playable. All waiting to be found. We just needed the right technology to see them.
Before
After
The Technology No One Was Using (Until Now)
Through work we'd done in a completely different industry, we knew about fluorescent light technology—how certain wavelengths could make objects glow that are invisible to the naked eye. We theorized: What if there is lighting technology that works on golf balls? This is how FreeBaller's BallTorch™ was born.
Using one of our first prototypes of the BallTorch™, we hit the golf course and found more golf balls than we could carry in a 5-gallon bucket.
It was like turning on a Christmas tree. Balls everywhere—lighting up purple under the BallTorch beam, revealing spots we'd walked past hundreds of times.
Two Years of Prototyping. One Perfect Tool.
We spent the next two years testing every combination we could think of:
Different light technologies to maximize the glow. Extension rods that balanced reach with control. Retrieval claws that could grab balls from anywhere—under roots, in thorns, between rocks. Lighting systems that illuminated both the ball and the area around it.
We built it for ourselves. We wanted the perfect tool. And honestly? The thrill of seeing those balls light up never got old.
But something else happened along the way...
It Became More Than a Tool
Hunting for balls with our sons after rounds became our new favorite activity. It was like an adult Easter egg hunt—competitive, adventurous, and ridiculously fun. We'd go out at dusk, split up, and see who could find the biggest haul.
We started caring about which balls we played. Now that we could test any premium ball for free, we experimented with everything. Found the ones that worked best for our game. Gave the rest to friends, kids, and golfers just starting out.
FreeBaller wasn't just helping us save money. It was creating a whole new experience that extended the fun of golf beyond the 18th hole.
That's when we knew: Every golfer needs this.
MEET GREG - THE GUY WHO MADE IT ALL HAPPEN
Greg now leads FreeBaller full-time, bringing this innovation to golfers everywhere. What started as a weekend project between brothers has become his mission: to make golf more accessible, more fun, and more social.
With backing and guidance from his brother, Greg has turned years of prototypes into a patent-pending, premium-quality product that actually works.
He's building more than a company. He's building a brand that golfers can embrace and a community with which they can interact. His passion around building the Ballers Club (a community of golfers who hunt, collect, compete, and share the thrill of the find) indicates his determination to put the customer first.
"We didn't just want to create a product. I'm proud we took the time to design, test, and develop a complete solution that golfers love, a brand they can embrace and a community they can participate in."
-Greg
the freeballer difference
BallTorch™
The BallTorch is fine-tuned to ignite the glossy surlyn and urethane coatings found on golf balls. Makes them pop with a purple glow in low-light conditions—impossible to miss!
Carbon Fiber Shaft
Lightweight, durable, and perfectly balanced for precision retrieval
GlowClaw™
Grab balls from anywhere—under roots, in thorns, between rocks
It's Time to Get Some Balls