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Stop Golf Balls From Polluting Our Oceans and Poisoning Marine Life

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Sponsor: Free The Ocean

Golf balls littering our oceans are breaking down into toxic plastics. Call on coastal golf courses to clean up their mess and protect our seas.

Golf balls littering our oceans are breaking down into toxic plastics. Call on coastal golf courses to clean up their mess and protect our seas.

Every year, an alarming number of golf balls are lost in oceans, rivers, and lakes. While small, these forgotten balls are far from harmless. Each one is packed with synthetic materials—plastics, rubber, and metal additives—that persist for centuries, leaching toxins as they break down into harmful microplastics. Our waters are filling with these pollutants, posing a critical threat to marine life and the health of our ecosystems1.

Toxic Plastic in the Food Chain

Once in the water, a golf ball slowly degrades. Currents and waves grind it down, releasing toxic microplastics that spread across the seafloor. These particles are often mistaken for food by fish, birds, and even endangered species like sea otters2. As these animals ingest plastic particles, the toxins enter their bodies, compromising their health and even risking their survival. Disturbingly, these microplastics can travel up the food chain, ultimately reaching humans3.

Millions of Golf Balls Polluting Our Waters

Each year, an estimated 300 million golf balls are lost in the United States alone4. In coastal areas, where courses are set beside picturesque ocean views, these stray balls end up in the water by the thousands. At California’s Pebble Beach, researchers discovered over 50,000 golf balls on the ocean floor—just one course’s pollution footprint5. With more than 30,000 golf courses worldwide, the cumulative impact is vast.

Golf Courses Can Make a Difference

Coastal and riverside golf courses can play a crucial role in preventing further damage. By implementing cleanup efforts to retrieve balls that have already settled on the ocean floor, and by installing net barriers around water hazards to stop more from entering, golf courses can help reduce this overlooked source of plastic pollution6.

Take a Stand for Our Oceans

Golf courses can be both sustainable and scenic, and players and nature enthusiasts alike deserve environments that support wildlife and clean water. Sign our petition calling on Pebble Beach Company and other coastal golf courses to take accountability, stop adding to the problem, and start actively protecting our waters.

More on this issue:

  1. Aisling O'Connor, Citizen Sustainable (2024), "Are Golf Balls Bad for the Environment? 8 Surprising Facts."
  2. Matthew Savoca, The Conversation, "A Teen Scientist Helped Me Discover Tons of Golf Balls Polluting the Ocean.."
  3. Jack Bantock, CNN (19 September 2024), "Billions of Golf Balls Could Be Lost Every Year."
  4. Oregon Courses, "Golf Balls as Pollution."
  5. Alex K. Weber, Michael W. Weber, Matthew S. Savoca, ScienceDirect (March 2019), "Quantifying Marine Debris Associated with Coastal Golf Courses."
  6. Jeremy Lesniak, Filabot (23 August 2018), "Lost Golf Balls – Forgotten Ocean Plastic."
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The Petition:

To the CEO and Officers of the Pebble Beach Company and all coastal and riverside golf courses,

As advocates for ocean health and environmental preservation, we urge you to take immediate action to address the pollution caused by lost golf balls. Every year, thousands of balls hit into the water by golfers degrade on the ocean floor, breaking down into microplastics and releasing harmful chemicals into our ecosystems. Marine animals mistake these particles for food, often ingesting toxic plastic that endangers their health and disrupts fragile marine habitats.

The current state of golf ball pollution on our coastlines reflects a pressing need for environmental stewardship. Coastal and riverside golf courses are uniquely positioned to lead by example, showing that sports and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

We ask that you:

  • Initiate regular cleanup programs to remove existing golf balls from the ocean floor. These programs should involve dedicated staff or partnerships with environmental organizations to ensure that golf balls already in our oceans and rivers are removed, preventing further contamination and restoring local marine habitats to a healthier state.
  • Install nets or barriers along course perimeters near water to prevent new balls from entering these ecosystems. Such measures will serve as preventive solutions, ensuring that future lost balls do not contribute to pollution. Effective barriers can be designed to blend with the natural environment while providing a protective shield between the course and adjacent waters.

These actions will demonstrate your commitment to preserving our oceans, securing a sustainable future for marine life, and fostering a positive environmental legacy. By taking proactive steps today, you’ll help ensure that future generations inherit a cleaner, healthier planet where our oceans can thrive.

Sincerely,

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Signatures: