Radar finds lost golf balls

Casual golfers whose tee-offs slice or hook into the woods know that lost balls are par for the course.

You could always compensate like Rodney Dangerfield did in "Caddyshack" by dropping a ball on the sly to avoid penalty strokes, but in the end, your conscience knows how many balls you really lost. So does your wallet, with a dozen new balls costing $20 to $40.

Credit: RadarGolf

RadarGolf has been selling a golf ball finding system for about a year in the U.S. and says it will start shipping around the world late this summer.

The device uses a chip embedded in the ball that gives off a radio frequency. That signal is picked up by a handheld monitor weighing less than a pound. As you close in on the wayward ball, an LCD display and increasing beeps track your progress.

RadarGolf charges $249.95 for the system, including the handheld device, six AAA batteries, a dozen balls and pouches to shield unused balls from detection. A dozen extra balls costs $39.99, but you can get them right now for free through a Father's Day promotion on the Web site.

And you may need extras if balls you hit seem to be magnets for water hazards. One Golf Magazine tester said the locater did not fare well when balls were underwater.