Royal North Devon bans plastic tees

[Imurg]

All you pink/orange or White castle tee enthusiasts had better dump then if you're thinking of playing RND next year
Plastic tees are banned from 1st Jan.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Is that for environmental reasons?

Good luck in policing that.

 

[IanM]

Here's the news page

Seems like a good idea.... (says someone who doesn't use them anyway) My wife uses pink-castles, I am sending her the link!

 

[sunshine]

1. Is there research to support the view that wooden tees are better for the environment? I know they degrade, but they also break so you need to manufacture a lot more of them. You could play a whole year with just a couple of long plastic tees. Find another one if you lose it.
2. How do you manage this. If someone is using a plain white plastic tee for example, it's not possible to monitor unless you employ a tee inspector. Maybe a job extension for the sock police?
3. Personally, am ambivalent about this, I mainly use wooden tees and I'm not precious about it at all.

A playing partner recently mentioned another course that was adopting this rule, can't remember which.

 

[Orikoru]

1. Is there research to support the view that wooden tees are better for the environment? I know they degrade, but they also break so you need to manufacture a lot more of them. You could play a whole year with just a couple of long plastic tees. Find another one if you lose it.
2. How do you manage this. If someone is using a plain white plastic tee for example, it's not possible to monitor unless you employ a tee inspector. Maybe a job extension for the sock police?
3. Personally, am ambivalent about this, I mainly use wooden tees and I'm not precious about it at all.

A playing partner recently mentioned another course that was adopting this rule, can't remember which.

Agree wholeheartedly with these points. Is countless broken bits of wooden tees really better than the odd handful of plastic tees that weren't found??

 

[rosecott]

All you pink/orange or White castle tee enthusiasts had better dump then if you're thinking of playing RND next year
Plastic tees are banned from 1st Jan.

As LT says, how do you police that?

How can they stop you using a tee that is conforming in terms of the rules?

 

[Imurg]

As LT says, how do you police that?

How can they stop you using a tee that is conforming in terms of the rules?

No idea Uncle Jim....
Not convinced it's a particularly good argument because, as mentioned above, fewer plastic tees equals more wooden tees equals more wood required.
Although I can see why they might be doing it,it does suggest a bit of bandwagon jumping.
I bet they'll still sell drinks in single use plastic bottles...

 

[IanM]

The language on the website seems to be more "asking" rather than jack-booted, and the pro shop isn't selling them any more. Seems like a good idea to me.... I never buy single use plastic drinks now either and use a flask...

Mind you, I think plastic tees are not damaging to wildlife... the seniors I play with won't leave a teeing ground till they've found the dam things!! So never

 

[rosecott]

The language on the website seems to be more "asking" rather than jack-booted, and the pro shop isn't selling them any more. Seems like a good idea to me.... I never buy single use plastic drinks now either and use a flask...

Mind you, I think plastic tees are not damaging to wildlife... the seniors I play with won't leave a teeing ground till they've found the dam things!! So never

Same with our Seniors - the cry goes up "close the course, I can't find my tee peg".

 

[sunshine]

As LT says, how do you police that?

How can they stop you using a tee that is conforming in terms of the rules?

… although there's nothing in the rules about black socks, hoodies etc but that is policed to varying degrees up and down the country.

 

[patricks148]

Same with our Seniors - the cry goes up "close the course, I can't find my tee peg".

hope you inforce the 3 min rule

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Inicdentally, I did not mean my post to be totally literal, more an observation. If the club are requesting this, and they are no longer selling them, then you would hope that people would respect it. It is a self policing one really. There are people who will rock up and not have wooden tees in their bag, why would they if they use castle tees, and they will presumably just carry on with what they have.

I think this is the start of a general movement now, if they really want to see this through they should also ban plastic bottled drinks from the pro shop, from behind the bar etc.

 

[IanM]

Some courses have stopped selling the plastic bottles of water..... I've now use a 750ml flask... in the summer it has iced water in it, in the winter it has soup!

 

[rosecott]

… although there's nothing in the rules about black socks, hoodies etc but that is policed to varying degrees up and down the country.

As you say, nothing in the rules about socks, hoodies etc, but tees are defined in the rules and must conform to the Equipment Rules - which make no mention of plastic tees not being allowed.

 

[IanM]

As you say, nothing in the rules about socks, hoodies etc, but tees are defined in the rules and must conform to the Equipment Rules - which make no mention of plastic tees not being allowed.

But this isn't anything to do with rules or golf per se... they are taking steps to reduce plastic left on the course.. Now, will this have a measurable positive impact on the environment? No idea. Can't do any harm though.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Don't have an issue with it per se but I'd argue how good to wildlife would the wooden tees painted white be. Not convinced they will be covered in a wildlife friendly paint. I can see other clubs seeing this article and following suit but not sure how big a reduction it'll lead to in the carbon footprint

 

[Maninblack4612]

I can't see what was wrong with the little pyramids of sand they used to use when I was a lad.

Historical fact: A "tee box" used to be the box on the tee containing the sand. We used them for many years as tee markers & rubbish bins. "Tee Box" is now used by many people to mean the tee itself but that's where the expression came from.

 

[garyinderry]

Every little helps I suppose. May not be ruthlessly enforced but rather reminded and encouraged.

Golf tends to forget it pumps millions of balls into the environment every year. We dont seem to bat an eyelid about it.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Marginal gains, every little bit helps. I suspect this one relates more to wildlife and plastic rubbish rather than carbon footprint.

 

[rulefan]

At the recent Golf Club Managers Conference there were many discussions around plastics and how we as an industry and indeed golf clubs could help by changing. RNDGC were in attendance.