GoGreenTriad.com - The Triad's resource for eco-friendly living

With an exciting ending to the U.S. Open, summer vacations and extra daylight for outdoor activities, golf is in full swing so here are a few ideas to consider to green up your game along the way.

1. If you want to play a truly “green” golf course, look into The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses. This is an award winning education and certification program to help golf courses protect the environment and preserve the heritage of the game. Search the directory to find an eco-friendly golf course in your area.

2. Tee up with a biodegradable tee from Eco Golf. The EcoTee2Green (T2G) golf tee will biodegrade in fewer than 60 days in compost. And while a wooden tee will biodegrade as well, according to their website, the materials used for the T2G are annually renewable as opposed to harvesting trees for a wooden tee. Plus the tee will not splinter like a wooden tee leaving debris on the course.

3. Selected as the ball for the 2009 eGolf Professional Tournament, Dixon Earth offers an eco-friendly golf ball option. Unlike other balls which are made of harsh heavy metals like tungsten and lead, the Dixon Earth core is made up of a polymer that is 100 percent renewable and will still maintain the playable properties of the ball. The other components of the ball itself can also be recycled into other products and the packaging is made from 100 percent recycled material. Best of all, Dixon Earth will recycle the balls for you. In every dozen box of balls, there is a return mailer and upon receipt, Dixon Earth will give a $1 credit toward your next purchase. Here’s a past article from Golfers with some commentary on the performance of the ball.

4. Take the Green Golfer Pledge through Golf and The Environment, a partnership with U.S. Golf Association, The PGA and Audubon International by committing to specific actions such as:

• Voicing support for the environmental efforts undertaken at your course.

• Using trash and recycling receptacles appropriately and encourage others to do the same.

• Purchasing environmentally-friendly products for the game.

• Encouraging others to learn about the benefits of environmentally responsible management on the course and in their community.

So get out, green up and get your environmental golf score on par.

Jeanne lives in Greensboro with her husband Tom and two children. She has recently launched The Green Samaritan, an eco-friendly blog. You can follow her on Twitter @greensamaritan.