For golfers who make a splash, the Dipper can lend a hand
T.R. Miller Co., a Walpole sports merchandising outfit, said today it's debuting the Dipper, a $12.95 golf ball retrieval system for duffers with spotty aim "who want to protect their ball investment."
Other ball retrievers are large and cumbersome, according to T.R. Miller, but not the collapsible Dipper; when collapsed,, it's seven inches long and weighs three ounces. When needed, the Dipper clips onto a three-iron and extends to over 12 inches for fishing a badly shot ball from "hazards such as ponds, creeks, and wetlands," the company said.
"The Dipper's compact size makes it ideal for golfers who do not want to carry a bulky, unsightly ball retriever with their golf clubs," Tom Miller, president of T.R. Miller, said in a statement.
Carrying a large retriever around also advertises the fact that a golfer probably isn't very good and has the expectation of shots landing in the water, said Miller, himself an avid golfer.
A key selling point of the Dipper is that it's so compact that it can be easily concealed in the pocket of golf bag so no one knows you're toting one around until a shot actually goes badly awry, Miller said.
"We all have big egos," Miller said of golfers.
Plans call for the Dipper to be sold at golf pro shops and online, the company said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)
