Divers have started searching a Donegal lough for what could be some of the world’s rarest and most valuable golfballs.
The rare golf balls nest at the bottom of Lough Salt
The unusual golf balls are believed to rest at the bottom of Lough Salt and once belonged to former golfing legend Tom Morris.
The former Open champion is believed to have driven the balls into the lake while designing nearby Rosapenna Golf course more than 120 years ago.
Now a team of divers are hoping to discover the rare gutta percha balls amongst hundreds of balls which have been driven into the lough over the years.
Gus O’Driscoll, who is leading the team, revealed they started their task last month.
“It really is like looking for a needle in a haystack but if we find the golf balls it’ll be well worth the effort,” he said.
Golfing legend Old Tom Morris
They believe that Old Tom Morris drove up to 20 golf balls into the lake while he was designing the nearby Rosapenna golf course in 1891.
Morris, who was from St Andrews in Scotland, was an all ‘round golfing enthusiast and regarded as the greatest player alive in the late 19th century.
He was brought over from Scotland by Lord Leitrim to design the 18-hole links course through the sand dunes outside Downings.
Diver O’Driscoll told BBC Radio Foyle they believe their information is solid as they go in search of the elusive balls which are made of rubber and first made around the 1840s.
“We’ve carried out some research and spoke to local people whose parents were around when Tom Morris was here and they told us how he stood up on the hill overlooking Lough Salt and drove the balls into the lake,” said Gus.
“It soon became a tradition after that for golfers on their way home from the Rosapenna to stop off and drive balls into the lake.
“That checks out because we’ve seen thousands of balls on the bottom of the lake and we have recovered some which date back to the 1940s and 50s.”
O’Driscoll says the balls are very distinctive but says they are not planning to cash in if they do manage to get a hole in one by discovering a ball belonging to the late Tom Morris.
“If we do get lucky and find one then we are going to donate it to the Rosapenna Golf Course because they’re his link with this part of Ireland,” he said.
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