An RMIT design student has turned used coffee grounds into biodegradable golf tees, an idea with a potential audience of about 2,600 golfers in the Hawkesbury.
The coffee grounds left behind after an espresso could get a second shot on the golf course. RMIT University industrial design honours student Shan D’Cruz has developed a golf tee made from spent coffee grounds and natural binders, designed to break down in the soil after use.
D’Cruz started the project during her studies after spotting a way to put discarded coffee grounds to use and reduce the number of plastic tees left on courses. She calls the product One Shot Tees, a nod to the idea of one shot of coffee for one shot of golf. The current design is intended for tee shots played with an iron or hybrid.
The Hawkesbury local government area has four operating courses the Gazette could verify: Richmond Golf Club, Windsor Country Golf Club in South Windsor, Lynwood Country Club at Pitt Town and the nine-hole course at Del Rio Riverside Resort in Webbs Creek.
Applying AusPlay’s national golf participation rate of 4.7 per cent to the local population aged 15 and over suggests about 2,600 Hawkesbury residents play at least once a year. The estimate is based on where players live. Local courses also draw visitors, and some Hawkesbury golfers play elsewhere.
D’Cruz says the tees are designed to fit into the way golfers already play. They hold the ball for a shot and can then be left to break down. For grounds staff, the aim is to leave fewer discarded plastic tees to pick up.
“The vision of Grounds for Grounds is simple, to stop managing waste, but instead start designing it out,” D’Cruz said.
The university project has since grown into a start-up, Grounds for Grounds. The design was a finalist in the 2025 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards and won the People’s Choice Award at RMIT Activator’s Launch Pitch Night.
