For most golfers, a ball dropping in the water is an inevitable loss. For Glenn Berger, it was the start of a fortune.
Fourteen years ago, Glenn was out of work and aimless. One day, while walking a golf course in Florida, he watched players lose their balls in the lakes. At that moment, he had an idea as simple as it was brilliant: retrieve them and sell them.
At first, his method was rudimentary and even illegal. But he soon found a more professional way: he got exclusive permits, put on a diving suit and started retrieving balls from the bottom of the lakes. What seemed like a small business turned into a gold mine.
Glenn claims to have earned $15 million from the business, recovering between 1.3 and 1.7 million golf balls a year, which he sells for about $1 each.
But his job is not as easy as it sounds. Diving in golf course lakes involves not only finding balls, but also dealing with turtles, snakes and even alligators. Despite the risks, Glenn loves his job and has managed to turn a problem into a million-dollar business.
So next time you lose a ball in the water, remember that it may not be the end of his story.