WARM BALLS

The fact that cold weather affects your golf ball is not rocket science. It is just the simple fact that temperature has an effect on the properties of almost any material.

According to a former USGA technical director, the difference is about 2 yards of carry for every 10 degree drop in temperature. This means that playing with a golf ball that is 42 degrees it will carry about 6 yards shorter. The ideal temperature for a golf ball is between 70 and 90 degrees.

Adhere to the Phil Mickelson strategy. He plays with a softer lower compression golf ball in cold weather in order to maintain a similar feel.

There are ways that you can lessen the effects of temperature on them. For example; you can warm your golf balls up prior to the round.

Place them on a towel in the bottom of a pot of water and heat the water to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. That is about the temperature hot tap water. Leave them in the 120 water for 30 minutes and then dry them off and put them in an insulated container to take with you. It’s also a good idea to change balls fairly often.

The Rules of Golf allow you to do this. In the Decisions on the Rules of Golf Decision 14-3/13.5 basically states that warming golf balls during the round is a violation of Rule 14-3, golf balls warmed prior to playing are OK.

Or simply play with a naturally heat-absorbing original black golf ball in the sunshine.
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PREDICTIONS 2016

Golf Refugees predictions for 2016

The governing bodies of golf will not introduce any new measures to combat climate change and make golf more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

The major tours will not introduce any new formats or bring in any variety to the tournament week.

There will not be any reduction in the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf on tour.

Young professional golfers will continue to dominate and at the same time young people will continue to desert golf.

Golf professionals will continue to ignore how their sports clothes are made.
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XMAS PRESENT

Sportswear makes a great Christmas present until you know the ingredients.
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CONSUMER SPORTSWEAR LABEL

Consumer Sportswear Label.

Why sportswear?

There is currently no hazardous chemical information provided to consumers on apparel labels, even though a quarter of the world’s chemicals are used in the production of textiles.

Modern sportswear is designed to interact with your sweating skin, keeping you feeling dry and fresh, easy to care for and brightly coloured.
How is this achieved?

Eleven chemical groups used in textiles have been identified from documents supplied by leading apparel brands and chemical suppliers.http://www.roadmaptozero.com/

The ChemSec Sin list database has been used to identify hazardous chemicals from these groups to obtain substance classification.http://sinlist.chemsec.org/

Golf Refugees conclude that the most pertinent information for consumers to quickly absorb would be the classification of chemicals rather than a list of all the hazardous substances used.

Hence our new consumer sportswear label shows the number of carcinogens, bioaccumulatives and hormone disruptor chemicals used to produce each garment.

Carcinogenic (cancer causing), Mutagenic or toxic to Reproduction - CMR

Heavy metals (cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium (VI))
Organotin compounds
Phthalates
Perfluorinated compounds
Halogenated solvents
Polyaromatics
Aromatic amines

Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics - PBT

Heavy Metals (cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium (VI))
Organotin compounds
Perfluorinated compounds
Chlorobenzenes
Polyhalogenated alkanes
Alkylphenols

Endocrine (hormone) Disruptor Chemicals - EDC

Organotin compounds
Polyhalogenated aromatics
Alkylphenols

Support from consumers is vital to persuade major sportswear brands and regulators to provide chemical information of apparel labels.

We believe every sportswear article should carry this consumer chemical label to increase awareness and improve standards.
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1902 AND 2012

2012 Black spiral ball by Golf Refugees.

1902 Black spiral ball called Henry's Rifled.

Black spiral golf balls from 1902 & 2012.
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PINK AND BLACK

For lovers of pink & black.
#1npinkblack
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CHEMICAL LADEN TEXTILES

Golf Refugees developed a range of graphics to highlight the fact that a quarter of the chemicals produced in the world are used in textiles.
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DREAMER

Two sports shirts; identical design and fabric, same retail price. What's the difference?

Option A.

Sweatshop made, very low wages and poor conditions
High air and water pollution
Revenue transferred to overseas tax haven for tax avoidance.
Maximise profit

Option B.

Living wage paid to textile workers
Factory powered by renewable energy; wind/solar power, dye water recycled
Taxes paid
Maximise sustainability

You decide, option A or B?
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PINK FRIDAY

The statistics are shocking: every 1.7 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer while every 68 seconds a woman dies of it somewhere in the world.

For several years now the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters has recognised the worldwide battle against breast cancer by making the Friday of the tournament PINK FRIDAY.

Today, everyone attending the tournament is requested to wear PINK, including players, caddies, officials and spectators.

Is there an issue with wearing brightly coloured textiles such as Pink, and other colours, when cancer causing chemicals in dyes are used to produce them?

It may not be as visually effective but wearing natural coloured textiles may be more appropriate for this worthy cause.

A quarter of the chemicals produced in the world are used in textiles. Then why are there no chemicals listed on clothing labels?
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AMAZING FASHION FACTS

Amazing fashion facts;

Nearly 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make the world’s polyester fibre, which is now the most commonly used fibre in our clothing. But it takes hundreds of years to decompose.

More than 150 billion garments are produced annually, enough to provide 20 new garments to every person on the planet, every year.

Americans throw away about 70 lbs of clothing per person every year.

Fast fashion garments, which we wear less than 5 times and keep for 35 days, produce over 400% more carbon emissions per item per year than garments worn 50 times and kept for a full year.

Synthetic fibres; polyester, nylon also emit gasses like N2O, which is 300 times more damaging than CO2.

Over 70 million trees are logged every year and turned into fabrics like rayon, viscose, modal and lyocell.

Plastic microfibres shed from our synthetic clothing into the water supply account for 85% of the human-made material found along ocean shores, threatening marine wildlife and ending up in our food supply.

The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter of freshwater resources on the planet.

A quarter of the chemicals produced in the world are used in textiles.
Why are there no chemicals listed on clothing labels.

“The clothing we choose to wear everyday has an enormous impact on the planet and its people. Our clothing can either continue to be a major part of the problem, or it can be an enormous part of getting our planet on track. The choice is ultimately ours. We can vote at the ballot box for strong climate measures and vote at the cash register for clean clothes.” - Maxine Bédat
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LAST PLASTIC

The combination of continued and perhaps increasing releases of plastics into the environment, and the fact that the substances remain in the environment for centuries and are fragmented into smaller pieces over time, potentially having increasing effects on the environment, means that the microplastics problem has some characteristics of a "time bomb". The effects of current emissions will only be apparent after many years and at that time, the effects may be impossible to prevent

Plastics that are released into the environment can remain in the environment for hundreds of years before they finally decompose. 

Global consumption of plastics is increasing. 

Plastics ending up in the sea may be transported over long distances; even the most remote places on the planet are affected by plastics pollution. 

In the environment, plastic pieces degrade into smaller pieces, meaning macroscale plastics degrade to microscale plastics, which further fragment into nanoscale plastics. 

Microplastics are detected in organisms at all levels of the marine food chain. 

Research shows that microplastics have effects on organisms in the environment. 

People can be exposed to microplastics via food the food chain.·

Playing sport should be good for human health and the environment. Unfortunately sportswear brands are still using non-biodegradable synthetic thermoplastics and rubber derived from petroleum. You may only wear your new sports shirt and shoes for a season, but these materials will last for centuries; polluting life and the environment for hundreds of years.

Textiles - Significant amounts of fibres in the microplastics range are formed and released from textiles due to wear and tear of the products during normal use and during washing. Synthetic fibres, most likely originating from textiles, constitute a large proportion of microplastics ≥20 µm in sewage treatment plants. These fibres also form a significant proportion of microplastics in coastal waters. Based upon a comparison of data on the release by laundry with knowledge of the amount of fibres in the influent of sewage treatment plants, it is possible to estimate the probable magnitude of the formation of microplastics. The emissions of synthetic fibres to sewage treatment plants are estimated at 200-1,000 t/year.

Footwear - soles of footwear are typically made of PVC, polyurethane or synthetic rubber. During wear on the soles, microplastics particles are formed. Estimates of release of plastics from PVC soles exist. On this basis, the total releases to sewage and storm water are estimated at 30 to 430 t/year.
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