Proving that technological advancements aren’t just good for 3-D graphics and break-dancing robots alone, researchers at the University of Maine have invented a biodegradable golf ball made from lobster shells.
The balls are created by crushing the delicious, stalk-eyed crustaceans’ exoskeletons (typically consigned to landfills) into paste and adding a biodegradable binder and coating. And duffers can buy them for a song: The lobster shell balls sell for just 19 cents each, a bargain compared to the usual $1 per biodegradable ball. While these special creations lack the shells’ distinct red coloring, instead resembling the usual bland white spheres, they do work with all drivers and irons.
Firsthand reports say they fly a similar distance to other biodegradable golf balls, though less than standard-issue models. Then again, regular balls probably don’t taste as good with a side of melted butter.