Kickstart: Can anyone ban me from slicing?

England’s oldest golf course may also be the country’s first to ban plastic tees.

The Royal North Devon Golf Club, near Bideford, was founded in 1864 and is regarded as the “St. Andrews of the South.” The club decided to only allow wooden tees starting Jan. 1.

“We have all seen golf tees lying around the course, both wooden and plastic. The simple fact is that plastic tees are more likely to harm the birds and animals we share our wonderful course with. The greenkeepers will also tell you that they can do a great deal more harm to their equipment than a wooden tee,” the club announced on social media.

The Telegraph, which broke the news, notes that tees have always existed in golf, but the first reusable tee was invented in 1892: a rubber-topped peg dubbed the “perfectum.”

Many golfers prefer plastic tees, since they are more durable than wood. I’ve also seen all sorts of plastic tees designed to help players hit the ball straight. (Based on the name “perfectum,” it seems like that’s been the goal of tee designers for 127 years.)

Based on personal experience, they don’t work.

Today’s issue of Plastics News features a cool polycarbonate-related story shared from our sister newspaper Automotive News.

It’s about the new midengine Corvette, specifically a new feature: a clear PC hatch that makes the 490-hp, 6.2-liter V-8 engine visible. That required designers and engineers to work together to make the engine a showpiece. Every part that can be seen had to be painted and finished. Good luck keeping it clean.

PN published a few stories earlier this year about a proposal from a billionaire Australian businessman who proposed a voluntary tax on virgin resins to fight plastic waste.

Interest is picking up in the plan, according to a report in the Perth, Australia-based online newspaper WAToday.

So far, according to the report, the plan has gained support from Saudi Arabian oil and gas giant Saudi Aramco, India’s Reliance Industries and consumer goods giants Coca-Cola Co. and Unilever.

Those are big names, for sure, but many more will need to sign up for this project to work.

Under Forrest’s plan, in addition to making virgin plastic more expensive, funds from the voluntary tax would be invested in recycling infrastructure.