To the Green: Eco-Friendly Golf Courses & Gifts

Summer is upon us, and for many of our hard-working dads, husbands, brothers or boyfriends, that means one very important thing: it's time to hit the golf course. The difficulty of waking up for a 6 a.m. Saturday tee time aside, the game of golf has mass appeal.

Not many sports allow you to chat with friends, mentally relax, get exercise, and even appreciate nature all at once. However; dad's favorite game can sometimes be a rather eco-toxic pastime when the upkeep of a golf course (and the huge amounts of water required for its maintenance), toxic pesticides and herbicides that keep the greens green, and other factors are considered.

Shoestring isn't interested in ruining your opinion of golf, but we are especially excited about these newly-developed sustainable and eco-friendly golf courses and gifts that can help make golfing a more nature-friendly sport while preserving its traditions (and fun!). This Father's Day, help Dad enjoy his round even more with some green golf gear and courses.

IF YOU AREN’T INTO GOLF, MAYBE YOU’RE INTO THIS...

The number of sustainable golf courses is on the rise, as recognized recently in popular culture when N'SYNC-alum Justin Timberlake opened his Miramichi Lakes course in Tennessee last summer -- the first golf course in the USA to be LEED-certified. LEED certification is a special designation whereby the US Green Building Council recognizes a development as being "designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts." Timberlake's course also includes an educational walking trail through the course that seeks to inform golfers and guests about sustainable energy practices.

Of course, it's not just celebrities who are working to improve the sustainability of one of America's favorite sports. Greenopia.com has highlighted golf courses in the United States (and abroad) that are excellent examples of enjoying the sport while maintaining environmental morals. In Dearborn, Michigan, the Tournament Players Club, designed by golf champ Jack Nicklaus and supported by Audubon International, was built by transforming a toxic garbage dump into into a beautiful, championship-level course that doubles as a wildlife refuge. The course also takes advantage of the natural landscape instead of man-power; because it's built on a flood plain, it needs less watering than many other courses.

Environmental groups like Audubon International (not to be confused with the National Audubon Society) are working hard to ensure that both humans and nature can benefit from the game of golf; as well as working with Nicklaus in Dearborn, Audubon also works directly with the PGA and the United States Golf Association. Their joint endeavor, The Golf and Environment Initiative, is "dedicated to the game of golf and the protection and enhancement of [the] natural environment." The group is an excellent example of a proactive way to use human activity to enhance nature, since it makes sense that "golf courses [can] offer numerous opportunities to not only provide pleasant places to play, but also to protect drinking water, improve the water quality of our lakes, streams, and rivers, support a variety of plants and wildlife, and protect our environment for future generations," teaching us that we don’t always have to sacrifice enjoyment for the benefit of nature; rather, these things can go hand in hand.

GREENING DAD'S GAME

We'd all love to treat our fathers to a membership at the Tournament Player's Club, but since that isn't necessarily as wallet-friendly a gift as it is an eco-friendly one, we can begin greening Dad's game by outfitting him with some of these sustainable (and high-performance!) products, sure to satisfy both his love of the game and Mother Nature's requirements for survival.

Eco Golf Balls
The idea for these biodegradable, non-toxic, and entirely water-soluble golf balls was born when the environmentally conscious began realizing that the large amounts of standard plastic balls that end up in lakes, ponds, and the ocean remain there as eternal pollution; regular balls never degrade and are a serious health treat to marine life. The Eco Golf ball, used by hotels and clubs like Ritz-Carlton, will degrade completely when left in water (it's made from a water-soluble polymer), causing no harm to the environment. Sustainably packaged as well, the Eco Golf ball costs a mere $10/dozen (a thrifty choice when compared to more popular brands!).

Dixon Earth Balls
Dixon was one of the first companies to become interested in greening the game of golf. Their eco-friendly Earth Ball is "high-performance" and crafted without any polluting heavy metals, like lead and cobalt, that are main components of golf balls made by mainstream brands. Dixon even packages their golf balls in 100% recyclable materials, and offers a ball recycling program so Dad can send back his used golf balls for reprocessing (that is, if they don't end up in a sand trap or pond first). If you have an especially serious golfer on your hands, treat him to Dixon's Wind or Fire golf balls. The Wind Ball focuses on durability and spin control, while the Fire Ball is formulated especially for very skilled players looking for that extra "oomph."

Tree Saver Golf Tees
One wasteful aspect of the game is the huge number of golf tees left scattered around the courses as golfers make their rounds. Often only used once, golf tees are traditionally made of wood and contribute to the depletion of our world's natural resources. The Tree Saver tee is biodegradable and lasts longer than wooden tees. Made from corn-based resin, these golf tees can also be personalized, so you can craft a set into your own thoughtful Father's Day gift.

Ruletwentyone Bamboo Golf Towels
If you cringe every time you see the ratty towel in Dad's golf bag, you may want to introduce him to ruetwentyone's bamboo towels. They're made from a mix of bamboo (a super-renewable plant resource that grows up to 10 inches a day) and terry cloth, which allows one side to stay wet and ready to use for 12 holes while the other keeps dry, tucked into a back pocket. These towels are decidedly stylish, available in seven colors, and wallet-happy at just $10/each.

Callaway Cocona Polo Golf Shirt
Cocona is a Colorado-based company using recycled coconut shells to create the activated carbon technology needed to manufacture fabrics that hasten evaporation. Not only does Cocona help major brands like Callaway create more sustainable golf wear and "wicking" fabrics, their coconut-based product also contains natural UV protection that protects Dad on the course from the sun's harmful rays. This Callaway shirt is on sale, just in time for Father's Day, and since it’s made by a favorite golf brand, it's a great way to introduce Dad to going green!

Wilson Staff Eco-Carry Golf Bag
This ultra-light (just 3.7 pounds!) and sustainable golf bag won't weigh Dad down on the course, and since it's made from eco-friendly, recycled plastics — "the equivalent of 12 plastic one-gallon bottles", according to a rep — it won't weigh on Dad's conscience, either. Wilson Golf has engineered this GreenPlus fabric by weaving the recycled plastic into durable filament yarn that, according to a press release, "reduces the release of carboin dioixide by 70% as compared to normal polyester production that can be harmful to the environment." Even better: we found the bag on sale just in time for Father's Day next week.

Copyright 2010 Shoestring, LLC. Photo: iStock