While it's true to say that Switzerland is invariably more closely linked with sports like skiing and mountain-climbing, golf nonetheless occupies a significant position in the country's league tables of revenue-generation, land asset ownership and public participation. The association is the first eco-partnership of this type the Swiss PGA has entered into and quietly underscores the governing body's commitment to the national golfing and land management infrastructure.

Global Certification

BioTEE (R) is produced by Biotech Solutions in Madrid using renewable energy. All packaging and dyes are also 100% biodegradable. The performance of the tees is as one would expect. They are not intended to enhance ball flight or distance but it is the credentials of the product and the manufacturing process that sets BioTEE (R) above other 'green' products that claim legitimacy.

Swiss-based distributor Caligari Golf Equipment AG in Bad Ragaz is managing the BioTEE distribution to EU territories.

'We are appealing to golfers to adopt a green approach to buying tees,' explains Caligari director Olivier Widrig.

'There's no distance advantage or anything like that so if we're appealing to their environment-consciences, it's only reasonable for them to expect that their choice of BioTEE is really making an effective contribution to the environment, and not just a change of brand.'

Crucially for BioTEE (R) and its partners like the Swiss PGA, the official endorsement of authoritative environmental agencies is unique to BioTEE (R). While some brands say their products are environmentally-friendly, BioTEE (R) is the only organic tee made from plant cellulose that (when discarded) completely degrades within a year. Naturally, the tees can be used multiple times in rain and wet conditions without losing their functionality.

The official stance of the Swiss PGA is to encourage their Pro and amateur golfers - as well as the 80+ golf clubs throughout the country - to pursue their sport in harmony with nature, and a credible product like BioTEE (R) is key to this. Thousands of tees are thrown away on golf courses every year, and the toxins seep into the ground. So it's no coincidence that famous golf courses such as Valderrama Guadalmina Golf Club, Golf Club Race or any other major golf courses in Spain have already adopted the BioTEE (R).

'Without any sacrifice of performance you actually have a tee that endures more strikes than a conventional tee anyway,' explains Olivier Widrig further. 'There really is no reason for golfers NOT to switch to a longer-lasting tee that actually has unparalleled green credentials. In the longer term, we would like to see golfers' usage of BioTEE as a courtesy on the course that is comparable to repairing divot marks, or maintaining pace of play in consideration of other golfers.'

ABOUT BioTEE (R)

BioTEE (R) has been developed by Biotech Solutions and it is made of bioplastic, a material that meets the European and American standards of biodegradation as it degrades, due to the activity of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and algae.

A regular plastic tee, needs 450 years to be disintegrated, BioTEE (R) needs less than a year.

The difference between BioTEE (R) and other tees that claim to be biodegradable, is that the other tees are made of oil-based plastic. BioTEE (R) is a bio‐plastic produced from a biodegradable living organism and has been synthesized using renewable energies. The material of which BioTEE (R) is made, is certified as biodegradable by the DIN EN 13.432, UN ISO 14.855 & ASTM D6400 norm which states that it is free of toxic or polluting substances