Environmentally friendly golf tees to showcase sustainability and innovation in the UAE

Two local UAE entrepreneurs have launched an environmentally friendly initiative for Golf Tees, every golfer’s friendly, on-course accessory, which will play a significant role during the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC).

Palm Tees, produced locally in the UAE through a partnership between Dormie and Palmade Biodegradable Products, is taking a new approach to Golf Tee manufacture.

Alex Macdonald, 40 and Luke Roebuck, 41, are co-founders of the Palm Tees project, which hopes to serve the rapidly expanding golf industry across the Emirates.

Both are avid golfers, playing off six and 14 handicaps respectively, with Alex having been born in the UAE.

Khaleej Times met up with Alex and Luke to discuss the project.

“The Tees themselves are made from waste palm leaves that would otherwise go to landfill and other natural ingredients,” said Alex.

“Using a patent-pending formula developed by Palmade, the discarded date palm leaves are blended with biopolymers stemming from natural sources such as sugarcane and then moulded into the shape of Golf Tees.

“Traditional Golf Tees are usually produced either from plastic or by growing material (typically silver birch, cedar, bamboo), with subsequent felling of that material and post-processing.”

“The benefits of these Palm Tees speak for themselves by being fully biodegradable and compostable, leveraging a non-utilised waste material that is abundant and indigenous to this region,” added Luke.

“In addition, the Tees are produced locally in the UAE reducing overseas shipping and cutting down lead times for production.