(HOLLAND, MI) – Happy customers are sharing their enthusiasm over the Golf Ball Tender, a product created to protect golf cup edges from becoming frayed.
Millions of recreational golfers, and even some on the professional tours, have taken full advantage of the USGA rules change last year that allows putting with the flagstick remaining in the hole. And most courses have required keeping the flagstick in the hole due to COVID-19.
One unforeseen pitfall of the new rule, however, is that cup edges are becoming frayed because players are reaching into the tighter space for their golf balls. But now there is a solution.
The Golf Ball Tender is a pliable disk that attaches to the stem of the flagstick, resting at the bottom of the cup. Players simply lift the flagstick to retrieve the ball. The Golf Ball Tender is not visible until the flagstick is pulled from the hole. What’s more, Golf Ball Tender helps protect the green from damage caused by carelessly dropping the flagstick on the green, and also acts as a guide when replacing the pin in the hole.
General Manager Steve Greene of Timacuan Golf & Country Club in Lake Mary appreciates what Golf Ball Tender has meant to his greens and golfers.
“Until we added Golf Ball Tender, our cups were becoming very frayed due to players having to reach into the bottom of the hole to retrieve their golf balls,” said Greene. “Golf Ball Tender has alleviated that problem. Our cups look so much better. It’s a great product for this challenging COVID-19 time we’re living through, but it will also continue to be a positive addition post-COVID for those players who like to putt with the flagstick in.”
Another happy Golf Ball Tender customer is Bob Williams, Property & Maintenance Chair at TPC Treviso Bay Golf Club in Naples, FL.
“I highly recommend the Golf Ball Tender that we are using at TPC Treviso Bay,” said Williams. “Gregory Jack (Golf Course Superintendent) installed the product on two trial holes at first, and we then ordered 18 for all holes. The tender is made of a soft rubber that does not damage the cup edge when the pin is removed or replaced.”
TPC Treviso Bay has been closed all summer due to a major renovation. When COVID-19 hit the club used a noodle sponge on top of the tender for the ‘no touch’ pin policy prior to closing. Once the COVID-19 pandemic passes, Golf Ball Tender will remain in play.
“Once we resume normal activity we will use the Golf Ball Tender alone,” said Williams. “The product allows the ball to sit up high enough in the cup to remove with fingers, or you just pull out the pin and the ball remains on the tender. If pin is removed and placed on the green the tender is soft enough to not cause any grass damage.”
Golf Ball Tender is the invention of owner Larry Koning. As a golfer, he saw the need for the product every time he played.
“The rule and the protocols helped pace of play but often at the cost of crisp edges on the hole, especially when you consider that nearly 50% of golfers now putt with the flagstick in,” said Koning. “In addition to indirectly encouraging players to reach down with two fingers, the new rule increases the frequency of players attempting to “pop” the ball out of the hole by yanking out the flag. These harmful techniques cause damage, which negatively impacts the experience for subsequent players. The Golf Ball Tender makes ball retrieval faster and more convenient, easier for elderly and enhances pace of play as the new rule intended.”
After the coronavirus forced courses to change policies, the company added the COVID Clip, which eliminates the need to touch the flagstick. The COVID Clip attaches near the bottom of the flagstick, raising the Golf Ball Tender to a height from which the ball is easily retrieved from the hole.
There is one other important benefit resulting from using The Golf Ball Tender. Players no longer have to bend over the retrieve their ball from the cup.
“Back problems are common among golfers,” said Koning. “Bending over to get your ball out of the cup adds to this problem. With our product, that issue is eliminated.”
The Golf Ball Tender is available in custom colors. A set of 18 starts at $215. For more information or to purchase a set, visit www.golfballtender.com, or call 800-471-1345.
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