This is an extremely cool idea. Check out these plantable scorecards and pencils by a company called Sprout in the photo below. The paper and pencils contain seeds. When done with them, the golfer simply plants them in the ground and later reaps what he/she sowed.
For now I will be using the cards and then planting them in the front yard of my house. We’ll see what grows. So this is part one of a 3-part series. Part-2 will be a quick post showing the planting and marking the date. Part-3 will be seeing what grows!
The Original Startup Wants To Make The Golf Industry Greener!
The green company Sprout wants to rescue millions of golf pencils and scorecards each year from ending up in the trash. By equipping them with seeds, they can be planted after use and grown into flowers or herbs.
Sustainability and golf is not a combination you normally associate with each other. Although the high water consumption is a challenge, think of the thousands of golf pencils and cards, which are typically thrown out after each round.
This is a problem that Sprout wants to solve. Sprout has achieved international success with the world’s first sustainable and patented pencil that can be planted after use and grown into herbs, flowers and vegetables.
Last fall they launched the plantable Sprout paper, which makes it possible to transform everything from business cards, gift cards, hotel key cards, coffee cards, and now scorecards, into flowers.
“The Sprout pencil has become a symbol of sustainability because it gets a new life when it has become too short to write with. And this function becomes even more relevant in a golf pencil, which is half the size of a traditional pencil and because it typically doesn´t last longer than a single day on the golf course,” says founder and CEO of Sprout, Michael Stausholm.
Along with a plantable score card, Sprout is offering golf clubs, proshops, associations and companies a sustainable golf writing kit that invites players to plant instead of throw away. And this is exactly what is important.
“We would like to inspire to a more sustainable mindset. We want people who come across our products to ask themselves: if I can plant a pencil and a card, what else can I do for a greener everyday life?” says Stausholm.
There are approximately 60 million golfers in the world and 35,000 golf courses – 15,000 courses are located in the US alone. According to Michael Stausholm the golf industry is a large and potentially untapped market that needs a boost of innovation towards a more sustainable direction. He sees a wealth of opportunity to sell Sprouts’ golfkits to this industry. Business and networking play an important role in golf, and the idea is also to reach more potential business customers.
“Sustainability is trending in the USA and we have already experienced great interest for our products from both American retailers, the promotional industry, businesses, organizations and the press, said Michael. “Golf is a popular sport in the US and we expect great success from this new industry.”
About Sprout:
Sprout sells over 450,000 pencils monthly to more than 60 countries. Sales are primarily to companies and organizations that get their logo on the pencils, and use them for green giveaways. Disney, Coca-Cola, Ikea, Marriott, Bacardi, Toyota, Save the Children and Bank of America are among the customers.
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
Its a good idea, but two problems, Often times I wont add up our foursome’s score until after we leave the course. Now I am planting this at my house? Second, Its one thing to put the pencil in the ground and step on it, instant flower, another to take the card and actually dig at dirt to bury it. Its a great concept, but I think (unfortunately) it will fall short.