Conversation with Lukas Peherstorfer, Co-Founder of tomorrow golf

Intro

“Sustainability doesn’t have to limit performance. It’s just a matter of time and R&D along with other costs. There’s no reason why having bio-based or recycled materials would be the limiting factor in creating a high-performing golf ball.”

-- Lukas Peherstorfer, Co-Founder of tomorrow golf

The golf equipment market shows us that there’s only really one golf brand, even if it portrays the illusions of a competitive world. Golf ball manufacturers in particular only tell one story:

“We’re the best in the world. Buy our golf ball, and you’ll become the best in the world.”

— Random Golf Ball Brand

In other words: “ONE GOLF BALL TO RULE THEM ALL.”

I’m paraphrasing, of course. Yet, the taglines of most golf ball and equipment manufacturers are strikingly similar to one another (and undifferentiated to the golf consumer). At least, that had been the case until tomorrow golf came along in 2020.

Tomorrow golf was co-founded during the pandemic by Lukas Peherstorfer and Raphael Blasi, two passionate golfers from Austria with an equal passion for stewardship. They sought to empower the golf consumer into responsible stewardship, “playing today and caring for tomorrow” by purchasing sustainable golf products that would be not only “the best in the world” (in terms of performance quality) but more importantly, the best “for the world”.

Tomorrow golf helps make golf accessible and sustainable by offering golf balls that are affordable, high-performing, and made from recycled materials. They are produced in Europe and not yet sold in the US, but the growth of the eco-conscious golf ball niche is evident, and tomorrow golf is leading the way.

Golfers lose 420 million golf balls every year, according to tomorrow golf. In weight of materials, this equates to about 18,900 metric tonnes, or roughly the weight of just under 10,000 cars. While that still pales in comparison to the entirety of the waste stream, golf as a sport still neglects a responsibility to care for the nature upon which it depends, and its leadership is needed by the collective. When considering the lifecycle of extracting virgin materials from the Earth, processing them into golf balls, and then disposing back into ecosystems, the inefficiency of the status quo becomes clear.

…as does the opportunity to overcome a key challenge. Tomorrow golf invites golfers into joining a stewardship movement. Enjoy my conversation with Lukas Peherstorfer of tomorrow golf, and check out the links below to learn more!

Conversation with Lukas of tomorrow golf (interviewed by Andre Paul):

When and why did the game of golf become a passion for you?

We had a golf course in the village that I’m from, and my dad asked me to join when I was around 15. I was hooked and focused on lowering handicap. Then I sort of lost interest when I became focused on going to university, and other interests captured my attention.

Today, my golf is less about handicap and more exclusively focused on winding down, relaxing, and clearing the mind as I connect with nature. Now my performance is often better as a result!

What are some of the harms of the current status quo for golf ball manufacturing?

“Harm” is maybe too big of a word. It’s just that we can produce things better, but in the golf manufacturing space, two things stand out:

1. What materials are used in manufacturing, and

2. The end life cycle of the products

New golf balls are made from virgin materials – plastic and rubber produced from crude oil – and golfers lose about 420 million golf balls every year.

On that note, I have a bit of a curveball question for you (or number of questions). 

Could equipment regulations (or distance limitations) encourage manufacturers to produce sustainable golf balls, for example?

Are you paying attention to the equipment bifurcation (“distance insights”) discussions, and if so, do you foresee how this might impact your business model? 

I don’t have a strong opinion on the equipment “bifurcation” topic, as it’s more of something to impact the elite golfers, but yes, I think that sustainable innovation makes sense as a part of the discussion. Advancements in materials and improvements to athleticism have driven distance increases, and it makes sense to include sustainability more in the discussion of materials advancements.

In the genesis of tomorrow golf, how much did consumer demands and market pressures play a role in your branding and product development vs the non-market pressures of potential regulations (in Europe especially)?

There wasn’t really regulatory pressure, and golf is always a bit behind the market [re: sustainability]. We just saw that there was a need for a golf ball that reaches the eco-conscious golf customer.

Who is the target customer of the tomorrow golf ball? Is this a golf ball “for everyone” (including those who care about elite performance), and if not, could your golf ball eventually meet the performance standards of the most elite golfers? I say that because it seems obvious that many people associate “green” or “sustainable” with “worse performing”, when companies have shown that needn’t necessarily be the case.

The target customer for our golf ball is someone who wants a more eco-conscious option, and isn’t as concerned about spin rates or distance. In an ideal world, we want to provide a golf ball that doesn’t sacrifice performance or sustainability. This could take form through offering an affordable 2-piece golf ball for the everyday golfer along with a three-piece performance golf ball, perhaps with a urethane cover.

Sustainability doesn’t have to limit performance. It’s just a matter of time and R&D along with other costs. There’s no reason why having bio-based or recycled materials would be the limiting factor in creating a high-performing golf ball.

Could other companies get there first? Why shouldn’t TaylorMade, Titleist, or Callaway develop a high-performing sustainable golf ball?

They could. But are they willing? Personally, I would be happy to see them do so, as that would mean we are fulfilling our mission of driving change in the industry.

Fortunately, it does seem like you have a “first mover advantage” with your brand positioning. On another note, how has your background in digital marketing helped you in the industry?

My digital marketing background definitely helps with allowing us to do this work in-house (rather than paying someone external), and digital marketing helps with telling stories. Digital marketing could be better in the industry in general, but obviously that’s an advantage for us, and the biggest problem is that all golf ball brands have the same positioning. As you have said before, they all claim to be the best golf ball, so there’s no difference in how golf ball and equipment brands position themselves. 

To wrap our discussion, what’s the “story” that tomorrow golf is telling? And furthermore, what’s your favorite story (whether in movies, literature, or wherever in pop culture)?

The only “good” story is essentially “The Hero’s Journey”, which follows a character who has a problem to solve, encounters support to solve that problem, and then in witnessing the solution to the problem, they either overcome it or encounter the consequences of not solving the problem. More specifically, I love Lord of the Rings and when Frodo finally drops the ring into Mordor.

Regarding tomorrow golf, we want to tell a story in which golf consumers are the main character. Our brand just gives them the option to be a part of something greater and provides the positive consumer alternative through a sustainable golf ball. The golf consumer is the main hero and driver of change. This empowers the customer. 

“And for my part, I shall not wholly fail of my task, though Gondor should perish, if anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or bear fruit and flower again in days to come. For I also am a steward. Did you not know?”

-- Gandalf, The Return of the King”

Links

The Future of Sustainable Golf | We are tomorrow golf.

tomorrow golf | Main Page

Sustainable GOAT episode with Lukas | The Nature of Golf