Abstract: A dispensing unit for separating balls from a supply stream, particularly for use on golf driving ranges, comprises a supply tube (10) and a delivery tube which has a header tube (12) with a mouth portion (16) leading from the supply tube (10), and the supply tube (10) is provided with deflector ramp (14) inclined towards the mouth (16) of the header tube (12) but stopping short thereof so as not to prevent the onward passage of balls through the supply tube, whereby balls passing along the supply tube (10) are deflected into the mouth (16) to fill the header tube (12) and when the header tube (12) is full continue to pass through the supply tube (10). A typical installation includes a trunk supply tube leading to several of the dispensing units in series. When the header at the first unit in the series is full further balls pass on to the next unit until its header is full and so on until all headers in the system are full.