England’s oldest golf course will soon only allow its members to use wooden tees.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, Royal North Devon Golf Club in Northam will ban plastic tees in an effort to keep local wildlife from eating and being harmed by them. The news was first reported by the The Telegraph, which also stated that the club is believed to be the first to ban plastic tees.
“The simple fact is that plastic tees are more likely to harm the birds and animals we share our wonderful course with,” the club said in a statement. “The greenskeepers will also tell you that they can do a great deal more harm to their equipment than a wooden tee. So from the start of the new decade we would like all golfers to only use wooden tees and the pro shop will only supply wooden tees. If you see a plastic tee (or a wooden one for that matter) that has been discarded please place it in one of the tee bins provided. There will soon be more of these for the other tee areas. Look after our environment and hopefully it will be there for many years to come.”
Royal North Devon opened in 1864 and is located near Westward Ho! beach, which is home to many animals and birds.