BuzzBallz banned from Iowa golf course

A golf course in Grimes, Iowa, has banned the trendy alcoholic beverage, BuzzBallz, from it's grounds due to extreme behavior from their patrons, who are sneaking it in and leaving a wild mess behind them.

BuzzBallz Choco Chiller, formerly known as Choc Tease

For the uninitiated, BuzzBallz is wine based alcoholic drink which comes in a small plastic ball with a can styled top and tab to open it. It's the size of a quarter bottle of wine and is 15% alcohol by volume, so a little stronger than most wines. There are an assortment of colors and flavors and they have a strong appeal with the younger end of the 21+ market.

We reached out to Andy McGiddish, head greenskeeper at Beaver Peak Golf Course to ask him exactly what he has witnessed with regards to the BuzzBallz phenomenon. He said in a very strong Scottish accent, "The wee bastards are hootin' doon the bevvies and driving the empties doon the fearrrwey. The hooligans leave 'em where they land and even drive over 'em in the carts. I 'ave seen 'em hitting full ones off the tee and hootin, and hollerin' when they burrrst open."

We then reached out to the course director for an English translation and a further explanation. We were given the following formal statement. 

"We are very much aware that some patrons sneak alcoholic beverages onto the course in order to avoid paying for drinks at the officially licensed beverage carts. Such behavior is against course rules and anyone found abusing this rule will be asked to leave. Repeated offenses are punished with a period of suspension from the course.

It has been brought to our attention that some of the younger adult players are sneaking BuzzBallz drinks in, and are using these containers as golf ball substitutes, leaving their debris strewn across the course. In one instance they had putted a BuzzBall and were unable to retrieve it from the hole so they just jammed the flagstick back in making the hole unplayable for subsequent golfers."

A young golfer chipping a BuzzBall onto the green on the 6th hole

The Beaver Peak course has put up numerous signs warning of the consequences of bringing outside alcohol (especially BuzzBallz) onto the course and have employed extra marshals, or rangers as most of us know them, to try to catch or at least deter these antisocial activities. The only people who actually call them marshals are the PGA and the people employed as rangers to make themselves even more important in their own minds.

What are your thoughts about BuzzBallz, golf etiquette and rangers calling themselves marshals? Please leave your comments below, we really do read every one of them, and even reply to the ones that aren't rude or offensive.