The Official Golf Ball of Mesa, Arizona

WHITE, DIMPLED AND ROUND, it looks like any other golf ball. But it’s not. The Dixon Earth golf ball is advertised as the world’s first 100% “green” golf ball, which means if you hit it in a gopher hole it will decompose without hurting the environment. I’ve had a sleeve of Dixon Earth golf balls collecting dust in my upstairs den since last year when the company sent it to me.

But here’s something else I just learned about the ball that sports a “D” with a crown. (At least I think it’s a crown.) Ready?

Dixon Earth is the official golf ball of Mesa, Arizona.

I’ll bet you hadn’t heard that. It’s certainly a new idea for me. The official golf ball of a city of a half million people. That’s pretty clever.

This winter Mesa golf courses will be selling the city’s official golf ball in their pro shops. Customers will be able to recycle their used golf balls with Dixon Golf for credits toward the Earth golf ball, which is manufactured without heavy-metal pollutants such as zinc, tungsten, cobalt, or lead. Dixon Golf discards the harmful stuff from the used golf balls and recycles the remaining materials so they can be used in things like playground equipment and field turf.

(Did you know that more than two billion golf balls are sold each year? I had no idea. More than 300 million golf balls end up in landfills or are lost in the environment. I understand the lost part.)

“It is exciting to see Dixon Golf’s research, development and fulfillment operations grow in our community,” Mesa Mayor Scott Smith in a statement.

I think Mesa is on to something. Do you have an official golf ball, Scottsdale? What about you, Phoenix and Tucson? Hey, this doesn’t have to be limited to Arizona. Ahem, Las Vegas. How about it Palm Springs and San Diego? Where are your balls?

If you think about it, the official golf ball idea could spread to municipalities throughout America. Dixon Golf has a head start. Cross Mesa off the list.

Finally, I don’t know if there was an official Mesa ceremony to recognize the company’s eco-friendly golf ball. The press release didn’t say. Maybe the mayor gave Dixon Golf a giant tee to the city. (Go ahead and groan. I deserve it.)

−The Armchair Golfer

2010 Lorena Ochoa Invitational TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2010 LORENA OCHOA INVITATIONAL is underway at Guadalajara Country Club in Guadalajara, Mexico. Cristie Kerr is the first-round leader after firing a 64, a tournament record. Defending champion Michelle Wie withdrew due to two cysts near her spine and a bulging disc, according to Golfweek.

Purse: $1.1 million
Defending champion: Michelle Wie

Final field
Pairings
Interviews
Tournament website

2010 Lorena Ochoa Invitational Leaderboard


TV SCHEDULE

All TV coverage of the 2010 Lorena Ochoa Invitational is on Golf Channel.

Fri, Nov 12
4:00-6:30 PM ET

Sat, Nov 13
4:00-6:30 PM ET

Sun, Nov 14
4:00-6:30 PM ET

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Pablo Lancaster-Jones/Flickr)

Zach Johnson’s Caddie on Champions Tour Quest

HERE’S SOMETHING I’VE NOTICED. Besides being good at caddying, caddies are good at playing. Damon Green has that dual identity. Green spends most of his time on the golf course as Zach Johnson’s caddie. Not a bad gig.

But Green is also a player. After tying for 12th at the first stage Q-school qualifier in Orlando, Florida, Zach’s bag man is headed to the Champions Tour Q-school final stage next week at TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs. Green will compete in a field of 70 for five exempt spots on the 2011 Champions Tour. Seven more players will earn conditional playing status.

Green was leading the first stage going into the last round until, in his words, he “played like a caddie.” He shot 77 in windy conditions after solid rounds of 69, 70 and 67.

What happens if Damon gets his card? Is it goodbye, Zach, hello Bernhard, Freddie and the Champions Tour?

Not exactly. Green will still work for the 2007 Masters champion and play the Champions Tour when his employer’s schedule allows it.

“I’m still a caddie,” Green told Global Golf Post. Yeah, a caddie who can play a pretty sweet game of golf.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: gomattolson/Flickr)