ABOUT RAWHIDE

Soon after graduating from high school in 1975, my activities of recycling golf balls started at a local golf course in Southwestern Indiana. My parents were members there and friends with the golf pro. Knowing how much I enjoyed swimming at the club pool, he asked if me to wade the edges of the two water hazards for 5 cents a ball, so that he in turn could clean and sell the golf balls to his member players.

Using money earned, I soon became certified and purchased scuba gear with the intention of recovering additional golf balls that were out of reach of wading depth. One golf course led to another in the local area and by the time I graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, I had acquired over ten courses to supplement my geology counseling income in the petroleum industry.

In 1993, golf course harvesting accounts grew to a level that required me to make a decision on one source of income or another. None too soon, since petroleum prices were declining and the growth in my counseling business was predicted to follow. My love of golf made my decision. Knowing that diving was not the safest or efficient means of harvesting golf balls, I began testing mechanical methods of harvesting of golf balls by purchasing tractors, developing custom wenches and a roller disk. I soon found that rolling water hazards mechanically extended the harvest season into winter, yielding a total pond cleanout of golf balls. With this proven concept, I decided to incorporate and name my business Rawhide Golf Ball in the spirit of the old western series "Rawhide," starring Gil Favor and Clint Eastwood. Also, some of the original golf balls were covered in leather! When training my tractor operators, I would often sing a tune from the theme song with a twist. "Keep that roller rolling…Rawhide" – and so it stuck.

By 1995, the business had grown from not only managing over 120 golf course pond accounts in our 250 mile radius, but to also purchase pond balls from many of these golf courses for cleaning, marketing and distribution.

By 1997, growing pains forced us out of my resident garage onto the family farm. Since my family made the decision to retire the hog business and focus on farming the land, the hog buildings lay idle and waiting. Perfect for someone like me to remodel into a new golf ball processing facility.

The business continued to grow and by 2008 over 200 golf course pond accounts were contracted, yielding 1.6 million harvested golf balls. Marketing and distribution was expanded and now reaching out nation wide.

After all these years in the golf ball business, I still like to get out of the office from time to time and visit my favorite golf course with my RV. Instead of playing a round of golf, I don my scuba gear and harvest golf balls the old fashioned way. Good for the ole heart and soul! It is the way I started the business – from the muddy bottom of water hazards all the way up to where we are now, one golf ball at a time.

Thanks you for your time!

Rawhide Golf Ball will work hard to gain your trust as we have with all our loyal customers.

Mark Schmitt, President
Rawhide Golf Ball Company