I often paddle is an exquisite stretch of river just 10 minutes from my home. I rarely find any litter at the put in and the single beer or soda can may show up along the way – but I almost always find some golf balls.
I have been collecting golf balls found on land and in nearby lakes and rivers for years. Over 1,000 golf balls decorate my walking path. During my last paddle I only found three golf balls, but it got me thinking. How much impact do golf balls have on the ocean, a lake or a stream.
I discovered some answers online. It’s reported that hundreds of thousands of golf balls are being found in both freshwater and saltwater sources, there’s clear evidence that the answer to the question, “Are golf balls bad for the environment?” is a resounding yes.
You can’t escape the fact that, just plastic and other manufactured substances, golf balls are essentially litter. In both fresh and saltwater they are bad for the environment and those bodies of water. Golf balls will eventually leach plastic into the water causing issues for it and its ecosystem.
On my last paddle I collected just the three golf balls I saw, but that is nothing compared to the actual problem. Why are golf balls dangerous for the ocean, and what is being done to remedy this problem? The answer is both thorough and lengthy. You can go directly to
Or you can read what Matt (author of Just Golfin’) shared on his website here.
Into the Ocean Instead of Into the Hole
While we have known about plastic in the ocean for years, there wasn’t a particular emphasis on golf balls and their impact on marine life until a 2019 research paper was published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.
According to the research paper, the team collected 39,602 golf balls from coastal environments associated with five golf courses in California from May 2016 to June 2018.
When efforts were helped by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Pebble Beach Corporation, this came to a total of 50,681 golf balls until the paper was published.
This equaled approximately 2.5 tons in debris. The researchers have estimated that almost 62lbs of material eroded from the balls they recovered.
The Dangers That Golf Balls Pose To The Environment
Despite the ever-increasing scale of the problem, people continue to ask, “Are golf balls bad for the ocean?” because they don’t fully grasp how these synthetic objects can cause damage. The answer is simple: golf balls don’t sit in one place.
They get moved around, and they corrode, causing environmental damage and even endangering marine life.
Are Golf Balls Biodegradable?
Research from the Danish Golf Union has shown that golf balls take about 100-1000 years to decompose naturally. With 300 million balls lost in the U.S. alone and plenty of these ending up in our waters, this means that the golf balls will be sticking around for a long time.
Are Golf Balls Toxic?
Many people don’t understand the problem since they don’t think of golf balls as toxic. However, they don’t understand that the decomposition process involves golf balls being dissolved and thoroughly breaking down.
During this process, the balls leak petroleum and high levels of heavy metals such as zinc which can then attach to the ground and poison marine life and plant forms. In addition to worsening the microplastic problem, golf balls in the ocean also leak chemical pollutants.
According to Hakai Magazine, the planet has over 32,000 golf courses, with many of them situated next to the ocean. With approximately one billion golf balls lost every year, a lot of this plastic (almost 100 million pounds worth) is bound to end up in the ocean.
It’s easy to make the leap from the concept of a seemingly innocent golf ball in the water to all the rest – and the list is endless. Beginning with the most unnecessary and ubiquitous one – the plastic water bottle. But that is a story for another day.