Mesa, AZ – Dixon Golf, manufacturers of the High-Performance Eco-Friendly Earth Golf Ball, were featured in the pages of the Arizona Republic newspaper last week. John Davis, a reporter for the newspaper, caught a press release about Dixon’s eco-friendly efforts during an Earth Day event in which they recycled over 38,000 golf balls and decided to do a feature story on how a local Mesa area golf company was leading the “Green Movement” in the golf industry.
As reported by John Davis – Wednesday, June 3, 2009 in The Arizona Republic.
“Every year, an estimated 100 million golf balls end up in rivers, lakes, fields, forests and landfills, where they might take decades to decompose.
If Dane Platt and William Carey have their way, in the future most of those balls will show up in one of their recycling plants and be replaced by eco-friendly balls.
Platt is CEO and Carey is executive vice president of Dixon Golf, a Mesa company (dixongolf.com) that launched its Earth golf ball and recycling initiative in January at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.
“Our challenge was twofold,” Carey said. “We wanted to make a high-performance ball and we wanted it to be eco-friendly.”
Unlike most balls, which contain a combination of non-renewable synthetics, lead, cobalt, tungsten and titanium, Platt said Dixon balls are “green to the core.”
They are made of proprietary polymer and other renewable materials and are packaged in recycled material, making them the first 100 percent eco-friendly balls.
“The point is to get rid of the heavy metals that are polluting the environment,” Platt said. “The materials we use are no more harmful than table salt.”
Theirs is a daunting task in a highly competitive and sometimes cutthroat industry.
The company has relied on “grassroots marketing,” and, with virtually no advertising budget, even many avid golfers haven’t heard of Dixon balls. They own less than 1 percent of the ball-sales market, but are determined to ultimately have a greater impact.
“If you’re Titleist, you can throw millions at advertising,” Carey said. “You can either spend your way or work your way to the top. We are forced to work our way, but we have a unique product and an appeal to people who want to do something to help the environment, and there are many who do.”
Dixon is starting to make some inroads. It has been named the official ball of the eGolf Pro Tour, a developmental tour based in the southeast, and eGolf Amateur Tour, a national tour that includes a Valley chapter.
Three-time World Long Drive champion Sean “The Beast” Fister is using Dixon’s Eco-Distance ball in competition.
The company also is attracting recreational golfers with purchase incentives. Consumers receive ball-for-ball discounts of $1 for each Dixon ball and 50 cents for other brands returned for recycling when they buy new Dixon balls.
Earth balls retail for $34.95 and distance balls for $24.95 per dozen. They are sold only at pro shops and retail outlets.
But what about performance? PGA Tour Partners, which routinely asks everyday golfers to test a variety of products, sent a dozen Dixon balls to 125 golfers for testing and they held their own against Titleist, Nike and Callaway high-performance balls.
Dixon balls received a 92 percent approval rating and an 8.1 overall rating (on a 10-point scale).
“When you think eco-friendly, some people probably wonder if it’s going to melt or disintegrate on impact and that obviously isn’t the case,” Carey said. “The test results speak for themselves, and this was testing by people, not swing machines, against their favorite products.
“We understand that, in golf, performance is and always will be No. 1. You can’t make a crappy ball, call it eco-friendly and expect anyone to buy it if it’s not going to help their game.”
In April, Dixon staged an Earth Day initiative in which it gave a new sleeve of balls to all players on the eGolf Amateur Tour who brought old balls to events. In one week, Platt said, Dixon collected 38,000 balls for recycling. Firefighter Bob Aussprung brought 1,817 balls to a Valley tournament.
Recycled Dixon balls are being used to make artificial turf, playground equipment and other products. Platt said scientists are still researching uses for recycled balls that contain heavy metals.
The company is losing money on the recycling process, but Platt said he is determined to help the environment and to raise the visibility of Dixon Golf, particularly in Arizona.
“When you look at the number of balls out there that need to be recycled, what we’ve done to this point is really a drop in the bucket,” Platt said.
“Our biggest challenge is getting people to try it. You don’t have to sacrifice your golf game to do something good for the environment.”
Wednesday, June 3rd The Arizona Republic.
Dixon Earth – Good For The Environment Better For Your Game!
Unlike other Golf Ball Brands who use harsh heavy-metal pollutants like tungsten, cobalt and lead, and contain non-renewable synthetic materials and compounds; the Dixon Earth golf ball is “green” to the core. Even the packaging is made from 100% recycled material. From core to cover, from packaging to production, Dixon Earth is setting a new standard in environmental consciousness.
Amazingly; Dixon didn’t have to sacrifice playability to become environmentally friendly. Just the opposite, the Dixon High-Performance Earth golf ball outperformed the Nike One Platinum, Callaway Tour ix and Titleist Pro V1, in independent testing by PGA TOUR Partners Club, and received an incredible 92% Approval Rating!
Dixon’s High-Performance Earth golf ball is the “Official Ball” of the 2009 Egolf Professional Tour.
For more information on Dixon Golf and the High-Performance 100% Eco-Friendly Dixon Earth golf ball visit their website at www.dixongolf.com or call 866.468.2259
Media members interested in testing the Dixon Earth for editorial review should contact: Joe Wieczorek: joe@themediagroupinc.com or Bart Henyan: bart@themediagroupinc.com of The Media Group, Inc. at (847) 956-9090.
Contact:
Joe Wieczorek
The Media Group, Inc.
(847) 956-9090
E-mail: joe@themediagroupinc.com
