Golf Tees that Plant Trees: Evolve Golf Unveils Project Good Woods

Company to release wood tee with portion of proceeds going to Arbor Day Foundation reforestation and urban watershed projects
WILMINGTON, North Carolina, April 27, 2018— Evolve Golf, makers of the number one performance golf tee and carried by more than 1,100 private and daily fee golf courses in the U.S., announced today (National Arbor Day) the launch of Project Good Woods (PGW): a line of birch and bamboo golf tees that will be sold exclusively to green grass golf facilities with a portion of proceeds going to the Arbor Day Foundation.
In the wake of hurricane devastation in Texas and Florida, two top golf markets, the Arbor Day Foundation is seeking help to replant millions of trees. Through PGW, Evolve Golf is committed to planting at least 10,000 trees in 2018 in areas severely impacted by not only hurricanes, but also by wild fires in the U.S.
For every sale of PGW, Evolve Golf will provide a portion of proceeds in the facility’s name for a project in their region.
Since evolve Golf’s’ inception in 2004, sustainability has been the heart of our company and has driven the team to replace wood tees at more than 1,100 golf courses with its composite “Epoch” tee.
“While the introduction of wood tees may seem counterproductive to our current business model, the availability of Project Good Woods allows us to reach thousands of golf courses that are steeped in tradition and carry wood tees exclusively,” said Evolve Golf Founder and CEO Benjamin Maloy. “Every order of PGW goes right back to our forests and urban watersheds.”
Evolve Golf’s first biodegradable “Epoch” tee in 2004 challenged the conventional wood tee design with its concaved, radius posts that span the width of a golf ball’s dimple, promoting the lowest coefficient of any tee in the market. The Epoch, which represented the first significant change to the golf tee in 80 years, was widely adopted by golfers for its performance, and by golf facilities for its durability.
EVOLVE PRODUCT TIMELINE
2004 – Introduction of Epoch, the first compostable performance golf tees

2008 – New durable Epoch that is made from postindustrial recycled composites is released.
2014 – A lighter weight and more rigid version of the Epoch comes to market.
2018 – Evolve Golf introduces Project Good Woods, wood tees that give back to our forests.
Ten years later, the company introduced a composite Epoch tee that was lighter and more rigid with improved durability. Golfers found that a single Epoch tee could often endure an entire round without breaking. The company estimates that one Epoch is equivalent to the usage of six wood tees per golf round, a refreshing statistic for golf course superintendents who are adamant about ridding tee boxes of unsightly broken tee litter.
Conversely, six tees per round multiplied by an estimated 900 million rounds played per year globally, amounts to roughly 5.4 billion wood tees a year. With 20,000 wood tees produced, that equates to an estimated 270,000 trees cut down per year to produce wood tees.
Today’s release of Project Good Woods represents a monumental shift for Evolve Golf, which has made its name in the golf industry by opposing wooden tees.
“Now golfers can reduce the number of trees cut down for golf tees by either playing a composite Epoch or by planting trees by playing Project Good Woods,” added Maloy. “We have a simple mission: We want to plant more tress than we harvest to make wood tees.”
For hundreds of green grass facilities, the PGW initiative is a refreshing and inviting cause that aligns with golf’s global priority to embrace the principles and practice of sustainability to help safeguard the environment.
Testimonials:
“Project Good Woods aligns with our facilities commitment to sustainable practices,” said Chip King, Director of Golf Grandfather Golf and Country Club, a prestigious private facility nestled in the heart of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains in Linville, North Carolina.  “There will be tremendous buy-in from our members knowing that when they play Project Good Woods, they are helping to plant trees where they are needed. This is an absolute homerun concept.”
“The premise of Evolve Golf’s Project Good Woods is not only innovative, but it is consistent with Trinity’s own efforts to create additional habitat opportunities for native plants and animals,” said Garrison Marx of Trinity Forest Golf Club, a recipient of Golf Digest’s “Green Star Environmental” Award and host site for the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship. Project Good Woods tees also look great and fit neatly within the traditional and classic nature of our facility. We are thrilled to now offer this product.”
“Placing a bulk order of wooden golf tees for our club had never been a purchasing behavior.  When we found out about Evolve and their environmental efforts with Project Good Woods, the decision to purchase did not require much energy or thought,” said Scott Primm, PGA Professional at Brentwood Country Club, a facility located between Nashville and Franklin. “One of the reasons I love the golf industry, is that there are companies like Evolve Golf who never stop innovating and will challenge the status quo to improve the game, and in this case our environment.  Our staff was blown away to hear that we could aid in the planting of trees – and save money at the same time – with Project Good Woods. Our days of purchasing traditional wood tees are over.”
PGW will be available in bamboo or birch, at lengths of 3.25″, 2.75″, 2.25″, and 1.50″ exclusively to green grass facilities in bulk and 10-count packages. Like the Epoch tee, PGW golf tees will feature the company’s Sweet Spot System, colored bands designed to align the height of the ball with the golfer’s sweet spot to ensure maximum carry and roll.
Evolve Golf is based in Wilmington, North Carolina. The company’s direct business model eliminates the “middle man.” PGW tees will not cost facilities any more than a conventional wood tee.
For more information on Evolve Golf and its entire product line-up, which includes, ball markers, pitch mark repair tools, socks and tees, please visit www.evolvegolf.com. Follow Evolve Golf on Twitter and Instagram. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/EvolveGolf