Golf balls are falling into the ocean near coastal resorts at a shocking rate. In West Hawaii alone, local advocates have recovered more than 10,000 golf balls from coral reefs near luxury golf courses. These balls did not arrive during a storm or accident. They came one swing at a time, day after day, from tee boxes built too close to the shoreline.
However, this is not a minor litter issue. Golf balls are made to last. Most contain zinc acrylate, zinc oxide, and benzoyl peroxide. These chemicals slowly leach into seawater as the balls break down over hundreds of years. Marine scientists warn that even small amounts can harm fish, coral, and other reef life. Once the balls settle on the seafloor, they become a long-term source of pollution that does not go away on its own.
The problem hides in plain sight. Resorts above the water look pristine. Fairways stay green. Guests rarely see what lies beneath the waves. Underwater, the scene is very different. Balls collect in reef crevices. Currents roll them across coral heads. Over time, entire patches of reef become coated in white plastic spheres where living coral once thrived.
The Environmental and Local Impact
The Hill / Golf balls damage reefs in more ways than one. When waves and currents move them, they scrape coral surfaces and break fragile structures.
Coral grows slowly. A single impact can erase years of growth. When balls wedge into coral gaps, they block new coral from attaching and expanding.
Chemical exposure adds another layer of harm. Zinc-based compounds are toxic to many marine organisms. As balls degrade, these chemicals spread into the surrounding water and sediment. Fish eggs, plankton, and invertebrates are especially vulnerable. Damage at that level affects the entire food chain.
In West Hawaii, residents Jacques DeLorme and David Giff began collecting golf balls after noticing the large number scattered across local reefs. Over the years of diving, they pulled out more than 10,000 balls by hand. They described the contrast between spotless resorts above and polluted reefs below as startling. The volume they found suggests the actual number lost each year is far higher.
This issue is not limited to Hawaii. Coastal courses around the world face the same risk. Any hole that requires players to carry the ball over water creates a loss. Wind, nerves, and skill gaps make missed shots inevitable. When courses sit next to the ocean, those missed shots rarely stay on land.
Current Solutions and Cleanup Efforts
Some resorts have started taking responsibility for cleanup. Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii now runs weekly volunteer water cleanups. Staff members known as the Beach Boys work alongside guests to collect balls from nearshore reef areas. Boats allow access to rocky coastlines where balls tend to gather.
The recovered balls are not reused. They are recycled to keep them out of circulation. This step matters. Reusing balls that already spent time underwater risks sending them right back into the sea.
Ah / Pexels / Preventing golf balls from reaching the ocean starts with course management. One of the simplest fixes is adjusting tee placement on high-risk holes.
Partnerships amplify conservation efforts. Mauna Kea teams up with the Ocean Defender’s Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to underwater cleanup. The resort provides resources and funding, while ODA offers trained divers and operational support. Sarah Milisen from ODA notes that this collaboration shows what’s possible when resorts commit fully.
Many golf courses avoid forward tees because of old notions about skill and status. But shorter carries actually help most players, reduce the number of balls lost to the ocean, improve the pace of play, and protect marine ecosystems—without introducing eyesores like nets or fences.