Peak Oil’s Impact: Golf

Oil plays an essential role in almost everything that touches our everyday lives. From the food we eat to the means by which we transport ourselves, our goods, and our services, to what we grow, build, have, own, need, and do, oil is almost always an important element. But the painful truth now and soon is that the ready supply of oil and gas that we almost always take for granted is on its way to becoming not-so-ready—recent production increases notwithstanding.

What happens when there’s not enough to meet all of our demands, to say nothing of those of every other nation—including the many countries seeking more growth and prosperity? What sacrifices will we be called upon to make? Which products will no longer be as readily available? Which services? Who decides? What will be decided? Who delivers that message to the designers and producers and shippers and end users? What’s their Plan B? And how will we respond when decisions are taken out of our hands? Where exactly will the dominoes tumble?

There is nothing on the horizon that will work as an adequate substitute for the efficiencies and low cost and ease of accessibility that oil has provided us. We simply do not have the means to make that happen—not the technological capabilities, not the personnel, not the industries, not the leadership … yet. Clearly, we do not have enough time to do it all with effortless ease and minimal disruptions.

Piecemeal approaches that address some small aspect of need for some short period of time in some limited geographical area for just a few consumers is in the end a monumental waste of limited resources, time, and effort. We can’t wait until we’re up to our eyeballs in Peak Oil’s impact to start figuring out what to do. We’re too close as it is. We’re going to have to be much better, much wiser, and much more focused. **

Here’s the latest contribution to my Peak Oil’s Impact series—observations and commentary on how Peak Oil’s influence will be felt in little, never-give-it-thought, day-to-day aspects of the conventional crude oil-based Life As We’ve Known It. Changes in all that we do, use, own, make, transport, etc., etc., are inevitable. A little food for thought….

For a few years, I attempted to play golf. I attempted well; played poorly. Golf is not something one does on occasion and expect to be anything other than terrible. I’m Exhibit A.

Still, there are worse ways to spend a pleasant spring or summer day than to walk alongside well-manicured and relatively pristine woodland areas.

Until I did just a bit of research, I was not aware that both golf balls [urethane] and golf bags use petroleum as an “ingredient” in their manufacturing processes. Certainly transportation and delivery of those products, along with countless others, make use of fossil fuels in some manner and at some point in the distribution chain.

A ten second internet search suggests that a box of a dozen quality golf balls can cost upwards of $40.00. One site reported that more than 1.3 million balls are lost each day. That’s a lot of money and a lot of production and a lot of energy inputs for items that are lost.

I could, and probably will, write more than just a few paragraphs about golfing and the many aspects of the game which depend at least in some part on fossil fuels for their existence.

But in the interests of keeping these Impact posts short and to the point, I’ll offer this to the millions of avid and not-so-avid golfers:

When the more widespread effects of the peak in oil production is clear to all, meaning less of a readily-available supply and higher prices for what is left, where on the all-important priority scale will the manufacture of golf balls land? My own guess: quite low. Supply and demand then kicks in. Less of a supply; higher prices.

What will that do not just to your golf outings (given that more expensive golf balls will be far from the only impact Peak Oil imposes on the sport) but to golf itself? There will be greater tragedies and sacrifices to be sure, but the enjoyment golf contributes to one’s well-being will be diminished. The cascade of similar impacts in other aspects of daily living won’t help.

Not earth-shattering in and of itself, but worth pondering. Golfers won’t be alone in their misery. Might be nice to consider some alternatives before we have no choice….

Peak Oil Matters by Rich Turcotte