Golf balls take 1,000 years to decompose

The Telegraph 11 Nov 09;

Golf balls are becoming a "major litter problem", according to scientists who have discovered that it takes between 100 and 1,000 years for one to decompose naturally.

In America alone, an estimated 300 million are lost each year and when scientists searched the bottom of Loch Ness searching for evidence of the monster they were startled to discover hundreds of thousands of the plastic balls.

Now the Danish Golf Association has conducted research into the environmental impact of the litter.

The scientists found that golf balls release a high quantity of heavy metals during decomposition, including dangerous levels of zinc found in solid core balls.

When submerged in water, the zinc attached itself to the ground sediment and poisoned the surrounding flora and fauna.

Torben Kastrup Petersen, course manager for the Danish Golf Union, said the scale of the problem is unknown.

"There has been very little research on the environmental impact of golf balls, but it's safe to say the indicators are not good. We are planning to collaborate with environmentalists in America to conduct more tests to fully explore the extent of the problem," he said.

Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, said: "From the moon to the bottom of Loch Ness, golf balls are humanity's signature litter in the most inaccessible locations.

"Keep your balls on the fairway or invest in a stock of biodegradable balls."