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The (admittedly unofficial) campaign to rid golf courses of plastic tees has been ramped up a notch courtesy of a pioneering new company.
Say hello to GreenUp Golf, a Danish brand on a mission to “keep the earth spinning” and to “keep golf courses green today, tomorrow and in the future.”
Their solution to that existential crisis? Golf tees and accessories made from recycled coffee waste. Correct – coffee!
“During a round at a local golf course in Copenhagen, we found out that the current golf tees destroy the greenkeeper’s machines due to the hard plastic and chemical wood,” said a company spokesperson. “Moreover, the golf tees do not decompose or return to nature fast enough.

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“The wood and bamboo tee production result in unsustainable harvesting around the world and the long transportation across the globe does not fit into a sustainable solution.”
Indeed, driving a truck load of golf tees from China to, in this instance, Denmark, results in over 1,300kg of carbon dioxide emissions – roughly the equivalent of driving more than 3,300 miles in an average passenger vehicle.
Searching for a viable alternative, the GreenUp team – led by founder Kristian Kohn – developed an eco-friendly golf tee made of biomaterial and upcycled coffee grounds.
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Coffee waste is collected from cafés and combined with biomaterial made from calcium carbonate, sugar cane, vegetable oil, grain and ester, all of which are biodegradable and harmless for the environment.
After they’re used, the GreenUp golf tees break down and return to nature, leaving nothing behind.
Clever, right? The PGA certainly seems to think so. Out of hundreds of exhibitors at the recent PGA Show in Orlando, GreenUp Golf was awarded the prestigious title of ‘Best New Product’. The range of coffee-based accessories has also been extended to include ball markers, divot tools and pencils – all of which come with a freshly roasted coffee aroma!
• Find out more at greenupgolf.com
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