The Lobster Ball: It's Biodegradable, Cheaper And Flies Just The Right Distance!

AP's Clarke Canfield profiles University of Maine professor David Neivandt's creation of a "biodegradable golf ball with a core made of lobster shells."

Neivandt and one of his students, Alex Caddell, together developed a golf ball using ground-up lobster shells mixed with a gluelike substance for its core. The shell is also made out of naturally derived biodegradable material, but they aren't giving specifics because they don't want to give away any secrets. The ball is the same size and weight as a standard golf ball but is intended for use on cruise ships or at driving ranges that are on lakes or the ocean.

How about at Merion too!

Caddell said he and Neivandt tested numerous balls that cracked, didn't fly quite right or otherwise didn't make the cut. Finally, they came upon just the right mixture that makes the ball hit nearly like the real thing.

With an iron, the ball flies nearly the same distance as a standard ball. With a driver, it'll go 60 to 70 percent of the distance.

There are other biodegradable golf balls on the market, which sell for about $1 each, Neivandt said. The raw materials for the lobster golf ball cost about 19 cents per ball, which could make it competitive in the open market.