• 84 ideas

Golf Ball Drawing Ideas

Three marks or small drawings for a golf ball per press, each with how to draw it at that size.

Golf Ball Drawing Ideas

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  1. This side up, with the arrow pointing sidewaysSmall capitals in two lines and a bold arrow under them, aimed the wrong way.
  2. A dotted line that follows one row of dimplesTouch the pen into each dimple along a row. The ball's own pattern keeps it straight.
  3. A screaming face for the tee shotRound open mouth, eyes squeezed shut as two V shapes, three motion lines behind.

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All 84 ideas

Marks of your own 18

  • A clover with three leaves, not four Three small hearts meeting at their points and a curved stem.
  • A crescent moon facing the number Two arcs that meet at both tips. Fill it solid so it reads from a distance.
  • A crown sitting on top of the number A zigzag of three points on a short band. The printed number becomes the head wearing it.
  • A paw print with four toe dots One rounded pad and four dots above it. Fill the dots by sitting the pen tip in four dimples.
  • A plus sign in each dimple round the number Count the dimples that touch the number and put one small cross in each.
  • A small checkered square Rule a square three dimples wide, divide it in nine, and fill five of them.
  • A spiral that starts in one dimple Put the tip in a dimple and wind outward three turns. No two people's spirals match.
  • A tiny anchor under the number Ring, shaft, crossbar, then a curved base with a barb at each end. Four strokes and a dot.
  • A tiny flagstick with your initial on the flag One upright stroke, a triangle flag, a single letter inside. A short curve for the green.
  • A tiny key with two teeth A ring, a straight shaft, two short teeth at the end. Keep the ring open so it does not blot.
  • One star tucked beside the printed number Five short strokes crossing at a point. Always put it on the same side of the number.
  • One wave curl in blue A single stroke that rises and curls back on itself. Thicken the underside.
  • Three dots in a triangle, one in each of your colours Fine permanent marker. Set the dots in three neighbouring dimples so they sit in the same place on every ball.
  • Two crossed tees Two thin T shapes crossing at the middle like an X. Flare the tops a little.
  • Two short bars like an equals sign Two strokes the width of two dimples. Quick to redo when it wears.
  • Your initials in a small ruled box Fine tip. Letter the initials first, then box them. Keep it smaller than a fingernail.
  • Your initials stacked into one monogram Let the letters share a stroke. Practice on paper at the real size before you touch the ball.
  • Your lucky number inside a ring Write the number, then ring it twice. Use a different colour from the printed number.

Funny 20

  • A drawn bandage over a scuff A rounded strip with a square pad and four dots. Cover a real scuff with it.
  • A magnet pulling toward a tiny flagstick Horseshoe magnet on one side, flag on the other, three short pull lines between.
  • A map pin that says lost again Teardrop pin with a hole, the two words beneath in small capitals.
  • A monster mouth with the number as one tooth Draw a jagged mouth round the number and add more teeth either side of it.
  • A moustache under the number Two curled strokes meeting in the middle. The printed number becomes the nose.
  • A parachute, for soft landings A scalloped dome, four lines down to a dot. Put it on top so it shows when the ball sits.
  • A screaming face for the tee shot Round open mouth, eyes squeezed shut as two V shapes, three motion lines behind.
  • A snail, for the slowest group on the course Spiral shell on a teardrop body, two stalk eyes. Give it a dashed trail one dimple long.
  • A tiny door and window, as if someone lives inside An arched door with a dot handle, a four-pane window beside it, a path of three dots.
  • A tiny eight ball, number circled in black A white ring with an 8 in it on a filled black patch the size of a coin.
  • A tiny fish for the ball that always finds water An oval, a triangle tail, a dot eye, two bubbles.
  • A worried face watching the club come down Two wide eyes looking up and a wobbly mouth. Draw it opposite the number so it faces you at address.
  • A yawning face, for early tee times Closed eyes as two arcs, a tall oval mouth, one small Z.
  • An eyeball with a coloured iris Ring, coloured iris, black pupil, one white glint left bare. A few thin red veins toward the edge.
  • Baseball stitches in red Two long curves on opposite sides with small V stitches along each. Red fine tip.
  • If found, keep swinging Three short lines of capitals. Fine tip only, and let each line dry before the next.
  • Property of the pond, in neat capitals Letter it round a curve so it reads like a stamp, with a wavy line underneath.
  • Sunglasses drawn over the number Two filled lenses joined by a bridge, sitting on the digit like a face.
  • This side up, with the arrow pointing sideways Small capitals in two lines and a bold arrow under them, aimed the wrong way.
  • Two eyes peeking out of neighbouring dimples Ring two dimples and add a dot in each, both looking the same way.

Lines for aiming 14

  • A compass cross with one long arm A plus sign whose top arm runs on for three more dimples and ends in a point.
  • A dashed line like a road marking Dashes two dimples long with one-dimple gaps. Count as you go so they stay even.
  • A dotted line that follows one row of dimples Touch the pen into each dimple along a row. The ball's own pattern keeps it straight.
  • A ladder of short rungs along the aim line Two thin rails a dimple apart and five rungs between them.
  • A line in two colours, split lengthwise Draw a thick line, let it dry, then run a second colour down one half.
  • A line that ends in a small target ring Line first, then a ring and a dot at the far end like a tiny bullseye.
  • A line with an arrowhead at each end A line four dimples long. Add a small V at both ends so it points both ways.
  • A railroad track round half the ball Two rails and evenly spaced ties. Stop halfway so the blank side marks the back.
  • A ruler line with tick marks One straight line with short ticks every dimple and a longer tick every third.
  • A T: one line across and one down the target line The long stroke points at the hole and the short one sits square to the putter face.
  • Chevrons nose to tail, all pointing one way Four small V shapes in a row. They show which way the ball is rolling.
  • One straight line round the middle Sit the ball in a cup or a marking stencil and turn it against the pen. Use it to aim putts.
  • Three parallel lines like a runway One long line with a shorter one on each side. Easier to square up than a single line.
  • Your name written along the aim line Rule a faint guide with the stencil, letter the name along it, and the word does the aiming.

For a gift 16

  • A blank line after the words first hole-in-one Letter the words small and rule a short line for the date. The player fills it in one day.
  • A bow tie, for the wedding party Two triangles meeting at a small square knot. Add the date in tiny numbers below.
  • A countdown across three balls: 3, 2, 1 One large number per ball in the same spot. Ring each number.
  • A heart from each child, one colour per child Let each child draw one small heart. Sign with initials underneath in fine tip.
  • A ring of stick figures holding hands, one for each person at home One figure per person, tallest to smallest, right round the middle of the ball.
  • A sleeve of three that spells out a short message One word per ball, all in the same place beside the number. Put them back in the box in order.
  • A small trophy with the player's name on the base A cup with two handles on a stepped base. The name goes on the lowest step.
  • A thank-you note that wraps round the ball One line of small writing that starts and ends at the number. Turn the ball as you write.
  • A thumbprint turned into a bug Press an inked thumb on the ball and let it dry. Add legs, feelers and a line down the back.
  • A tiny cake with the right number of candles, up to five Two tiers and a plate line. Past five candles, write the age on the cake instead.
  • A tiny hammock, for a retirement A sagging curve between two short posts with a palm leaf above one of them.
  • A whistle, for a coach A rounded body, a short mouthpiece, a loop of cord. The pea is one dot inside.
  • The grandchildren's names, one to a ball Short names in capitals along a ruled guide. A small star before and after.
  • Initials and the year, for a birthday Initials large, year small beneath. Add a single candle beside them.
  • One word of advice from the giver: breathe Lowercase, centred under the number. Pick the word the player needs to hear.
  • Stripes in the colours of a team you play for Three bands round the ball, each two dimples wide. Your own club or league, not a famous one.

Animals and nature 16

  • A bee with a dashed loop of flight Striped oval, two wings, and a dashed trail that makes one loop before it reaches the bee.
  • A cactus with two arms One tall rounded column and two bent arms. Dots for spines, a small flower on top.
  • A caterpillar crawling round the middle, one hump per dimple A chain of small circles with a face on the first and two short legs under each.
  • A daisy with a dimple for its middle Fill one dimple yellow and draw eight long petals round it.
  • A duck paddling past the number, ripples behind A rounded body, a small head and beak, and three short curved lines trailing it.
  • A feather with a split near the tip One curved centre line, short strokes angled off both sides, and a V-shaped gap near the end.
  • A gopher peeking out of a hole A dark oval for the hole and a round head with two teeth rising from it.
  • A ladybug with a dimple for each spot Red dome, black head, a line down the back. Fill six dimples for the spots.
  • A mushroom with a dimple for each spot on its cap A dome on a short stem. Fill three or four dimples inside the dome for the spots.
  • A pumpkin face Triangle eyes, a toothy grin and a short stalk at the top. Orange marker if you have one.
  • A ringed planet using the ball's middle line Draw a thin oval round the ball and two stripes across it. The ball itself is the planet.
  • A snowman face Two dot eyes, a carrot nose on its side, a curve of five small dots for the mouth.
  • A sun with a dimple at its centre Ring one dimple and draw eight short rays out from it.
  • A turtle shell pattern over half the ball A ring of hexagons round one in the middle. Follow the dimples to keep them even.
  • An owl's face with the dimples as feathers Two large ringed eyes and a small V beak. Tick a short curve into each dimple round them.
  • Fish scales across one side Rows of small U shapes, each row sitting between the ones above. One scale per dimple.

How it works

Two players with the same make of ball need a way to tell them apart, and the Rules of Golf say a player should mark the ball to identify it. These 84 golf ball drawing ideas go from three dots to a full face.

Read the full guide

What to draw on golf balls so yours stands out

Marks of your own holds 18 that take a few seconds: initials in a ruled box, two short bars, a spiral that starts in one dimple. Pick one and put it in the same place on every ball, beside the number, so you can spot it without picking the ball up.

Use the dimples

The dimples are a ready-made grid. A pen tip sits in one and makes a clean dot, so a ladybug gets a dimple for each spot and a dotted aim line follows one row. Lines for aiming holds 14, most drawn by turning the ball against the pen.

  • Use a fine permanent marker and let it dry for a minute. Water-based pens wipe off on wet grass.
  • Keep a face smaller than a coin. A curved surface bends anything wider.

Questions and answers

What are some funny things to draw on golf balls?

Funny holds 20: sunglasses drawn over the number, a tiny fish for the ball that always finds water, a drawn bandage over a scuff, and the words property of the pond in neat capitals.

What are good things to draw on golf balls for a gift?

For a gift holds 16. A sleeve of three that spells out a short message works for any occasion. A heart from each child or the grandchildren's names, one to a ball, suits a parent or grandparent.

Which marker works best on a golf ball?

A fine-tip permanent marker. It grips the glossy cover and makes lines thin enough to fit between dimples. Red, blue, green and black show up best against white.

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