When I first received the press release announcing Dixon Golf’s new green golf balls, I thought to myself: “Geez, I’ve got enough trouble finding the white ones.”

But then I realized I had been misled by the rampant polysemy in English, and that Dixon’s ‘Earth’ ball is “green” in the sense of “earth-friendly,” not in the sense of “blue mixed with yellow.”

How does Dixon Golf make a green golf ball? According to the company, they are devoted to saving the environment one little, dimpled, white orb at a time :

“Unlike other Golf Ball Brands [sic] who use harsh heavy-metal pollutants like tungsten, cobalt and lead, and contain non-renewable synthetic materials and compounds [sic], the Dixon Earth golf ball is ‘green’ to the core. The Earth core is made from a proprietary polymer that maintains the playable properties of the ball, but ensures that it is 100% renewable. Most manufacturers would stop there…not Dixon. Their commitment to the environment and to your golf game is 100%. In addition to the core, the entire Dixon Earth ball is manufactured with materials that can be recycled and used to make other consumer products.”

I wonder, though, exactly what other consumer products can be made with old golf balls…?

The company also points out that the packaging is also made from recycled materials, and that each box of balls (MSRP $40/dozen) comes with a return mail pouch to send back “spent golf balls” in return for a generous discount on future orders.

The company also – naturally – claims that The Earth balls perform on par with all two-piece and many three-piece balls on the market.

Despite my better judgment, I’m intrigued, even though the environmental aspect may be complete hype. The best thing I could do personally for the environment with my golf balls is to not litter the woods, ponds, rivers, and fields with so many lost ones. I don’t know about you, but I rarely retire a golf ball because it is “spent.” The ball is done when, and only when, it’s good and lost.

So frankly, I don’t know how practical the ball return program is, but on the off chance the balls really do represent an environmentally friendly alternative, they’re worth a closer look.

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