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An Entirely New Approach To Executive-Style Golf Courses

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Can the Pointfive ball change the future of golf?
Can the Pointfive ball change the future of golf? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

The time it takes to play a round of golf these days is borderline ridiculous. In many cases, five hours is the norm (sometimes 6) and that just doesn’t fit into the 21st-century lifestyle. But one company, Pointfive is trying to help. You see Pointfive has concluded that in order to speed-up play, you should play a shorter-length golf course.

Recently, I’ve written about playing a 12-hole course to help hasten your round. But Pointfive is referring to golf courses of more the “par 3” or “executive” variety. Unfortunately, the thought of an executive-style course doesn’t really appeal to me. And if I had to guess, it doesn’t really appeal to many others either.

One major issue with these types of courses is you can’t hit all your clubs – especially your driver. Limiting the number of clubs you can use tends to diminish the game for many golfers – myself included. But this is where Pointfive comes to the rescue.

Pointfive manufactures limited distance golf balls. In fact, these balls travel just 60 percent of what normal balls travel. That may not sound like much, but on an executive-style golf course, it brings your entire bag of clubs back into play.

Pointfive adds a twist to the golf ball sleeve (photo by Greg D'Andrea)
Pointfive adds a new twist to the golf ball sleeve (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

The good folks at Pointfive sent me two free sleeves of their Hy-Flyte golf balls and I put them to the test this past weekend on a local executive 9. Now these are 1-piece balls that actually float, so they are a bit lighter than your typical golf balls. As such, my first inclination was to test them on the putting green, but I noticed no notable difference – their roll and lag was like that of normal balls.

Moving on, the first hole was a 100-yard par 3 – a distance where I would typically hit my 56-degree wedge (sand wedge). But with the Hy-Flyte ball, I hit my 7-iron and was nearly pin-high.  My 7-iron averages around 160 yards, so in this case, the 60 percent distance of these balls is fairly accurate.

There were also a few holes on this course around 300-yards long. In each case, I hit driver off the tee and landed around 110-yards from the center of the green. This would put my driving distance at around 155 yards (normally I’m about 260 with the big dog). Again, this holds true to the 60 percent distance of these balls. In addition, the flight pattern and trajectory seemed mostly on par with what I would expect to see.

By the end of my round, I knew these golf balls would entice me to play more executive-style courses in the future. The Hy-Flyte balls truly gave me back my entire set of clubs on a course where that normally wouldn’t be the case. What’s more, I felt satisfied despite finishing in just under 2 hours flat (even with a wait on most tee-boxes).

Admittedly, it was a bit strange hitting a 7-iron from around 100 yards out – at least initially anyway. And if you are a newbie where most tee-shots are flubs, it might be best to play regular balls – after all, you need all the distance you can get!

But for those in search of a quicker round, yet reluctant to play a par 3 or executive-style golf course, these balls just might be the solution.

What’s interesting is Pointfive also highlights the economic and environmental impact of their golf ball. On their website, the company points-out that with increased popularity of their ball, there will be demand for a new generation of golf course. One that is 60 percent scale and “requires minimal water and chemical usage; are much more affordable to build, maintain and play; and require only 40-70 acres of land.”

Can one ball drive the golf industry to thinking on a smaller-scale? It might be a stretch, but I believe everyone understands the game needs to get quicker, cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Let’s face it, the majority of us are recreational golfers and we are certainly looking for quicker and cheaper rounds. Hey, crazier things have been proposed (giant holes anyone)…

For the here and now, Pointfive’s Hy-Flyte golf ball will allow you to play shorter-length courses with a full-length course experience. Your options for golf on a tight schedule just got a whole lot better. And for me, that’s innovation enough.

3 Reasons You Should Use Recycled Golf Balls

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Recycled golf balls
Recycled golf balls (image by Greg D’Andrea)

I just picked up a refurbished iPad – I saved a good amount of money and can’t tell the difference between it and its brand new sibling. Yet many consumers avoid refurbished or recycled products because they fear a loss in performance…golf balls included.

Recycled golf balls have basically been reclaimed after being lost on a golf course, cleaned and repackaged for resale. The balls are typically categorized into groups (e.g. ‘excellent condition’ – hit once and lost; and ‘good condition’ – maybe minor blemishes but absolutely playable, etc.).

There are valid reasons recreational golfers should consider purchasing recycled balls over new ones – here are three:

1. You won’t notice the difference.

According to a study by GolfBallTest.org, there’s virtually no difference between recycled golf balls and brand spanking new ones. In fact, this includes balls that have been submerged in water. Only those that have been submerged for a substantial amount of time (and show obvious signs of wear) is there significant performance loss (and those balls won’t qualify to be repackaged and resold anyway).

As a personal testimonial, I myself have purchased/played with recycled golf balls on a pretty regular basis over the past five years and have not noticed a difference – performance appears to be the same as does my score vs. when I use new balls.

2. Cost.

You’ll save a good amount of cash switching to recycled balls – sometimes half price or more over new balls of the same brand or type. Check out some of the deals on CYCL’d Golf – a dozen Pro V1’s for $27? It’s crazy! Plus CYCL’d Golf has fun with it – their box turns into a putting aid so you can work on both speed and accuracy!

CYCL'd Golf's box doubles as a putting aid!
CYCL’d Golf’s box doubles as a putting aid!

3. The environment.

In the U.S. alone, golfers lose an estimated 300 million golf balls annually. Three hundred million! I know I’ve done my fair-share to contribute to that number. And those lost balls weigh heavy not only on our scorecards; not only on our wallets; but also on the planet (not just by being litter or hazards to animals, but also by possibly leching zinc into our water systems). Using recycled golf balls will help curb the amount of balls left out in our environment.

If these reasons aren’t enough, perhaps head over to CYCL’d Golf’s website and enter their contest to win a year’s supply of recycled golf balls! Or head over to GolfStinks’ Facebook page and check our wall for a chance to win a box of recycled balls, courtesy of CYCL’d Golf!

So Much For Growing Golf in China

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You may have read about this a few weeks ago but if not, here’s a quick recap: Basically, the Chinese government has begun destroying new golf courses (some so new they haven’t even opened yet) to enforce a ban put in place to preserve water, land and curb pollution in the country. You can read the original Reuters story here.

While the particulars of this story are all very interesting, what the Reuters piece doesn’t mention is the overall impact this will have on the golf industry in general. Golf is in its infancy in China, but its growth had looked extremely promising. The country has just 639 courses (compared to more than 17,000 in the U.S.), but nearly 50% of them have been built in the last five years.

Now consider that this growth happened all while the country is under the aforementioned ban on building new courses (which dates back to 2004). Why would developers risk fines and other penalties to build golf courses under the guise of “Sports Training Centers” and “Tourist Resorts”? Because there is money to be made – lots of money.

Golf is beginning to catch-on with the more wealthy Chinese and they are willing to pay for it – from expensive memberships to high-end golf course properties, golf is a chance to affirm their status in the community – just like it was in the U.S. years ago before the middle-class also began playing. As courses spring up in new areas, it stands to reason new golfers would also be born. The game would grow exponentially and with it, the industry as a whole – equipment, apparel, etc. – an entire golf lifestyle niche would be carved-out in the country.

Think about what 10,000 golf courses in China would do to the industry as a whole. Heck, even 5,000 courses would be an unbelievable asset to the game. No one is denying that golf courses use water and take up space – but done properly (using effluent water and minimal chemicals), they not only benefit those that play but the communities they are built in as well.

But in China, it’s just not meant to be – at least for now anyway. Though developers had been flying under the radar for nearly a decade and building new courses anyway, it appears those days are over. The Chinese government publicly announced it had not only closed but destroyed five illegal golf courses in March as a warning to developers. With only a few hundred courses, golf in China is sure to remain a minor sport enjoyed by only a small percentage of wealthy.

The Great Golf Ball Shortage Of ’78…

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We could be playing golf here soon...
We could be playing golf here soon…

Sorry, never existed. Completely made up. It is a rather humorous phrase though…the great golf ball shortage of ’78. Speaking of shortages, recently the Northeast has had a bulls eye on it for snow. We’ve been pelted a few times and this is getting a little ridiculous. Actually, all these storms and adverse weather conditions have put many of our municipalities in a road salt conundrum. Basically, salt inventory is dangerously low and one or two more good storms and Main St will be a slip-n-slide. Fun.

You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this. So, this salt shortage got me thinking about how golf has never had a shortage. Right? If you play like me though it is very possible to have a temporary golf ball shortage. You see, golf itself has never had a shortage as far as equipment or accessories go. In fact, I’d be willing to bet there is a surplus every year. Hence the end of year, last year’s models and close-out sales.

However, golf is responsible to a point for a serious shortage – water. I’m pretty sure we’re all aware of how much water a course can suck up. Especially for courses in the southwest. The USGA reported 18 hole courses in the Southwest had an average yearly water bill of $107,800 in comparison to the $4000 – $7000 the rest of the country averaged. Holy crap!!

Interestingly, last year Golf Digest released a special report discussing this and what can be done to improve the situation. You will see in the article that it discusses Hunting Hawk Golf Course and how they only use rainwater collected on its property to irrigate. Pretty cool! Now we have to take this model and apply it worldwide.

Ok, water issue…check! Now where can I find salt…?

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Marriott Golf Focuses on the Environment

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Perhaps you’ve never thought about golf’s impact on the environment – or perhaps you don’t care. But the reality is, golf courses make a tremendous impact on our environment and we should be doing all we can to help minimize that impact.

marriottgolfMeanwhile, Marriott Golf announced its ESPA award initiative last week. The ESPA (Environmental Sustainability Performance Award) program is the hotel chain’s way of implementing “greener” golf courses at its resorts around the world – and others should take note.

At first glance, hardcore environmentalists (who have long criticized golf as extremely anti-environmental) might dismiss the ESPA program as nothing more than a good public relations piece with only a minor impact to the environment. But the fact that Marriott – a corporation that manages several golf courses in multiple countries – has implemented an initiative towards more sustainable golf is a good sign for the environment.

This is actually the second positive step Marriott Golf has taken with regards to the environment. In 2008, the company mandated that all its golf resorts become Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries – a designation that protects areas of wildlife habitat on its courses.

This latest step (implementation of the ESPA) will take their eco-friendly initiatives a bit further: For starters, Marriott Golf will require 60 of its golf courses across the globe to complete the ESPA program by the end of this year.

All 60 courses must (in addition to being certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries) implement a water conservation strategy (specifically focusing on reducing irrigation water consumption); reduce their overall carbon footprint (by completing a program Marriott and agribusiness corporation Syngenta created in 2011 – more HERE); and achieve a set of conservation standards (established by the Marriott Golf Conservation Scorecard – “a newly developed exclusive evaluation of nearly 100 key conservation standards”).

So, is this ESPA program the most comprehensive environmental initiative for golf that could be implemented? No. Not by a long shot. There is so much more that could/should be done (to that end, see GolfStinks’ previous posts about golf and the environment HERE). But the ESPA program is a step in the right direction – and one that was sorely needed in golf. Kudos to Marriott Golf – let’s hope this trend catches on and expands exponetially.

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