Though the outside temperature that July day had been close to 100 degrees, BJ Maloy needed something quite a bit hotter.

Standing outside the workshop of local artist and metalsmith Justin Campbell, Maloy and a small group of Evolve Golf employees gathered around a crucible containing molten aluminum. 

It was the first pour test for Wilmington-based Evolve’s newest product, a metal pitch (or divot) repair tool. A bronze test would follow later.

The test was more than half a year in the making, just the latest new endeavor for a company that continues to live up to its name.

Evolve Golf’s first evolution came about a decade ago.

In 2005, the company launched its signature Epoch tees, whose special shape reduces friction between the tee and the ball. Less friction means a lower spin rate. 

The first tees were built from bio-composite material that was biodegradable. But the tees broke almost as often as wood tees, which cost about 80 percent less. 

Soon, established companies started making similar tees overseas with plastic material they called “biodegradable” and sold more than triple the amount for a similar price.

So despite doing about a million dollars in sales that first year and getting buy-in from professional golfers, Evolve CEO and founder Maloy knew his company was in trouble.

“I said, ‘We need to go to recycled composites because the bio-composites are not durable enough and would not be for some time.’ So we rebranded. It took us almost three years to get the capital required to come back,” he said.

In 2008, new Epoch tees made from recycled material hit the market.

“We went from 50 private clubs that replaced wood tees to today, over 1,000,” Maloy said.

About one in four tees bought by American private clubs today are Epoch tees, he said.

Before the Epoch, the market for golf tees had not changed much in nearly a century. Wooden tees today are remarkably similar to the ones that debuted in the 1920s.

And though plastic tees gained traction in Europe since the 1970s, “people in the U.S. really cleaved to the tradition of a wooden tee,” Maloy said.

But golfers and pro shops saw the economic appeal of the more durable Epoch tees. And they came to appreciate that, as advertised, the composite tees helped them hit “a couple yards longer and a couple yards straighter” than wood tees. 

Now, the Epoch tees, produced in Zebulon, have found dominance on the pro circuit and loyalty from country clubs across the country. 

About five years ago, the popularity of the tees led to requests for items outside Evolve’s inventory.

“About 2011-2012, we started getting orders for ball markers and divot tools, and we didn’t even offer them,” Maloy said.

So he decided to start. And by 2015, Evolve offered both pitch repair tools and ball markers.

As with the Epoch tee, Maloy was not content to just create a copy of what already existed and put his logo on it. His team looked to improve on what was already in use. 

“We put a lot of time and energy into the divot tool,” making it ergonomically comfortable and shaped to help repair divots properly, he said. The design should help both golfers and groundskeepers.

“Whenever we build a product, we put it through three filters: Is it better for the golf course? Is it better for the golfer? And is it better for the planet?” he said.

Evolve strives to make each part of its supply chain and manufacturing process as eco-friendly as possible. The new Evolve line of ball markers includes some made from
recycled soda bottles and others made from a biodegradable soy and corn composite.

Though his company’s first biodegradable tees were too brittle, Maloy believes technology advances will allow Evolve to make stronger versions in the near future. The company is a charter member of the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, and Maloy now knows more about the ins and outs of bio-based materials than he ever thought he would.

One technological advance that already has revolutionized his business is the 3-D printer.

Pro shops and clubhouses make up a large part of Evolve’s customer base, so customization has become a big part of its business. New technology allows the company to more easily add logos and pictures onto (and into) its products.

“It’s interesting to see how 3-D printing takes an old-world method and makes it so that we can bring in highly engineered designs,” Maloy said.

Maloy recently brought on Kristen Crouch as Evolve’s director of product design. The Savannah College of Art and Design graduate used Evolve’s 3-D printer to create the molds for last month’s metal divot tool test.

“The metal is a bit of a risk for us,” Maloy said a few hours before the test. But its durability and customization potential make it attractive to pro shops looking for something special to offer (or sell to) members.

Crouch’s creative vision also helped the company launch a boutique monthly subscription box service stuffed with fun “trivia tees” and repair tools and markers featuring elaborate artwork.

“There seems to be quite a bit of a resurgence into hand-crafted, hand-forged things that are going to stay with you for a while,” Maloy said. “We think by later this summer we’ll be into full production on our own metal-poured items.” 

After starting in offices near Sunset Beach, the company eventually moved to a second-floor office at Fourth and Chestnut streets before heading to larger digs at 805 N. Fourth St. earlier this year. The new home includes a large open space for Crouch to create products like the metal tool molds.

Though Evolve has seen rapid growth in its 10 years of production, it has no plans to stop, well, evolving. 

Looking into the glowing embers of the crucible that once contained the melted aluminum poured into the divot tool molds, Maloy got visibly excited talking about future possibilities and new product ideas.

“There are 26 million golfers in the U.S.,” he said. “We see it as a pretty stable business for us.”