a golf ball is provided which changes color or other indicia after significant immersion in water to indicate that the ball has been recovered from a water hazard and may not have predictable flight characteristics which may result in loss of carry and roll . in one embodiment , a microencapsulated dye layer is formed immediately below the final gloss coat , with controlled dye release causing a stained look to the ball after significant immersion in water . in another embodiment , the dye or ink is provided in pelletized form for ease of manufacture .