Going Green in Golf Cleaning: Student Business Awarded $3,000 from 2026 Weinstock Accelerator Program

Two York College of Pennsylvania students participated in the 2026 Weinstock Accelerator Program with their business, Fairway Fresh, a golf equipment cleaning business. By the end of the eight-week program, they were awarded $3,000 to continue their business growth.

When Business Administration major Trey Kunkle ‘28 was taking an entrepreneurship class in his first year at York College of Pennsylvania, he was tasked with developing a business idea to present to his class. It wasn’t long before he settled on a personal interest and issue he felt he could address: golf and keeping golfing equipment clean for optimal player performance.

His idea was a small, light container that was half the size of the leading competitors and could clean golf balls in a matter of seconds. The project went well, and a classmate of his, Doug Ringenary ‘29, a Mechanical Engineering major, offered to help Trey turn his idea into a thriving business. Trey accepted, and with their combined knowledge on business, engineering, and entrepreneurship, the two quickly got to work.

More than a year later, Trey and Doug participated in the 2026 Weinstock Accelerator program with their business, Fairway Fresh, and a physical, working product made almost entirely of recycled plastic. And after eight weeks of learning how to make their business as successful as possible, they were awarded $3,000 to take it to the next level.

“Essentially, what our main goal is to improve the performance of the everyday golfer, as well as the high school golfer, and in the future, even the collegiate golfer,” Trey said. “Just improve the performance of the way they play the game, whether that be through the performance of the golf ball [or the] performance of the club. Overall, the cleanliness of their equipment.”

The Weinstock Accelerator Program

The Weinstock Accelerator is a program held each Spring where York College students, alumni, and members of the York community come together to learn how to create businesses centered on their passions. Participants have the opportunity to learn from experienced mentors and receive guidance on creating a successful business, identifying the necessary skills, and taking the next steps to continue their growth.

"The Weinstock Accelerator exists to help entrepreneurs, from those with an idea to those with an existing but small business, to define the foundation that will help their business be successful,” said Oscar Winters, Executive Director of the J.D. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. “This includes defining the problem, identifying the market, laying out startup and operating costs, and more."

After eight weeks, participants will pitch their businesses to three judges, sharing their future plans and answering questions from the audience. The judges will then award up to $5,000 to one or more businesses that stood out to them.

This year, six businesses participated in the program and pitched their ideas on April 6, 2026:

• Fairway Fresh
  • Trey Kunkle ‘28 and Doug Ringenary ‘29
• Pulse
  • Desmond Barnes ‘27
• Suregrip Screwdriver
  • Ryan Pesek ‘26
• Grip Monkey Studio LLC
  • Marcos Repolle ‘25
• Island Bridge Outreach LLC
  • Wesley Rattansingh
• Subcomponents Plus LLC
  • Stephanie Lake

Fairway Fresh, Island Bridge Outreach, and Subcomponents Plus were all declared winners of Pitch Day and recipients of the funding offered to further improve their businesses. Island Bridge Outreach and Subcomponents Plus each received $1,000, and Fairway Fresh was awarded $3,000.

A Strategy for Performance

Trey and Doug, both avid golf fans, centered their business goal on enhancing golfers' performance by keeping their equipment clean. Specifically, ensuring that golf balls deliver the best results on the green.

The product came to Trey while he was working in the golf section of a sporting goods store. A golfer since high school, he had always been a huge fan of the game, which allowed him to connect with customers and hear firsthand about their experiences playing it and what they recommended for peak performance. 

As a result, Trey began to pay more attention to the importance of not only finding the right equipment, specifically when it comes to their golf ball and clubs, but also their maintenance.

“Each golf ball can spin completely differently from the other one,” Trey said. “People don’t necessarily realize that, especially the better as a golfer you get, the more it really matters.”

For example, a 7-iron golf club can cause a ball to spin at around 6,500 to 7,300 revolutions per minute (rpm). However, if the ball is dirty due to attracting dirt or other foliage from the terrain it is played on, it can cause the speed and power of the strike to spin toward the lower end of that range. 

“As the ball’s rolling forward, that dirt that’s on the ball can force it to go right or force it to go left, similar to a weight,” Trey said.

Different types of golf balls and their conditions can affect the number of spins if there’s even a speck of dirt on them. That’s why cleaning the ball before and after the hit can make the shot smoother and straighter than leaving it dirty. It will ultimately increase the chances of the spin reaching that 7,300 rpm.

Creating a Green Golf Product

While Trey’s insight and business experience helped the duo create plans for the cleaner and how to start building connections, Doug’s experience as a Mechanical Engineering major helped them build the product themselves using 3D printing.

“I’ve done about 17 iterations on creating this cleaner,” Doug said. “Trey and I have been working on this project for approximately a year and a half. So, I’ve done literally a year and a half of engineering.”

As of the Weinstock Accelerator’s Pitch Day, the Fairway Fresh golf ball cleaner is on its 19th iteration. They have ended up with a product that is approximately 4 inches by 3 inches, about half the size of the current golf ball cleaners sold, and that fits perfectly into a cup holder in a golf cart. It is also fitted with a top hook for easy transport.

“There are golf ball cleaners out now, but ours is a lot more portable compared to these other ones,” Trey said.

But one of the standout features of the product is not just its compact size and easy transport. The cleaning container is made almost entirely of recycled plastic.

“The cool thing about our product is it’s 3D printed-based, which means the current technology we’re working with makes it 84-95.61% recycled material,” Doug said.

“And the recycled material is essentially just water bottles that we ourselves [have], and other people that we know are donating to us,” Trey added.

Currently, they have over 250 water bottles. With just two or three of those plastic, 16-ounce bottles, one eco-friendly Fairway Fresh cleaner can be produced.

“Since we’re using recycled materials, we are going to have a lower production cost, which means we’re going to be able to sell it at a lower competitive price or a lower price than other competitive brands,” Doug said.

Taking What They Learned

Once Trey and Doug knew what they wanted their business to look like, they entered the Weinstock Accelerator. Their hope was to gain a better understanding of how they could get Fairway Fresh off the ground, as well as what other behind-the-scenes work they could do to improve their business.

For them, their biggest takeaway was related to organization and how to establish themselves as an LLC. Being able to speak with professionals was also a big help to them in identifying the problems they needed to address early on to prevent any issues later.

“It’s like the dirt on the golf ball,” Trey said. “That little piece of dirt can affect it a lot, and if we miss anything, that can affect our business.”

At the Weinstock Accelerator, Trey and Doug displayed just that. The judges recognized their preparedness and understanding of their business, product, and path forward, and at the end of the presentations, Fairway Fresh was acknowledged as one of the winners.

“We were impressed with the Fairway Fresh pitch on a variety of levels,” said Jeff Vermeulen, Chief of Staff and Vice President for Community Engagement, and one of the judges for the Pitch Day. “First, they came to the table with a working prototype that effectively demonstrated their vision for the product. And secondly, the team was strong, representing a Business Administration major and a Mechanical Engineering major. They were able to meld their complementary strengths into the product and pitch.”

Now, armed with the knowledge they gained and $3,000 in funding to put towards their business, Trey and Doug are excited about taking their next steps.

Currently, they plan to use a significant portion of the money to buy additional 3D printers and equipment to increase production and market their product. They also plan to make Fairway Fresh an official LLC and find a facility to make their cleaners.

They also have a tester evaluating their product and two golf course shops interested in storing it. Trey is even working to connect with high school golfers interested in using samples to test them for everyday use. That way, they can get the sense of how their target audience – amateur golfers – fair with their cleaner.

Ultimately, Trey and Doug’s goal is to ensure that their product is of the best quality they can make it while ensuring that they are able to make and handle everything related to the business, especially when it comes to meeting the needs of their target audience.

“We want to have control over everything so people know that when they buy it from Fairway Fresh, they’re getting quality,” Trey said.

Bringing Businesses to the Market

Thanks to the Weinstock Accelerator, its 2026 participants walked away with more knowledge and experience in running a successful business. Both brand-new and veteran businesses learned a lot and made lifelong connections that will help them achieve their goals and the people they want to reach. It was truly an impactful time that allowed them to grow into the businesses they are today.

"I'd like to commend all who participated in this year's Weinstock Accelerator program,” Vermeulen said. “It takes a high degree of entrepreneurial spirit and sticktuitiveness to put yourself and your business idea out there - and they all demonstrated that. We are grateful to have our students and community members involved in this program."

"The participants are amazing,” Winters said. “They show up every week, answer difficult questions, and work hard to make their idea a reality. I can't wait to see what these students, alumni, and community members do next!"

Trey and Doug are looking forward to building Fairway Fresh into a reputable business. The program allowed them to create a plan, and with the help of mentors and funding, they are ready to put it into action. And armed with the knowledge they now have, they can’t wait to create future connections and make their business into something amazing.

“Personally, I feel like I’ve grown just from learning a lot through the Weinstock Accelerator program,” Trey said. “Just the connections of all the people, you learn so much from people you typically wouldn’t interact with.”

To learn more about Fairway Fresh, follow them on Instagram at @fairwayfreshcompany.