Divot Mix

"To me, the most interesting thing in sports is where your choke factor is." -- Johnny Miller

The Golf Channel puts GCSAA into golfers' inboxes

GCSAA and its members have become a fixture on The Golf Channel in commercials, live interviews, logos and graphics, and special programming in recent years, and now there's going to be even more of a presence.

GCSAA’s message is going to be delivered each week directly to nearly 600,000 avid golfers via e-mail through The Golf Channel Insider, an electronic newsletter that's sent out four times a week.

The Thursday edition focuses on professional golf for the upcoming weekend. It now includes a message about GCSAA and a link to a golfer's page on the GCSAA Web site. This page communicates how golfers’ enjoyment of the game is enhanced by GCSAA golf course superintendents.

“The popularity of The Golf Channel Insider has grown significantly in a short time,” says Kenny Booth, The Golf Channel account manager. “We know golfers use the Internet to get information. The GCSAA content is valuable because it is unique. No other source can provide our users with the details that GCSAA and its members can.”

In addition to the newsletter, GCSAA appears each Thursday on The Golf Channel’s home page and Thursday through Sunday on its PGA Tour page.

“To reach the key audiences of golfers and employers, it is important to utilize a variety of media,” said GCSAA CEO Steve Mona, CAE. “The Internet is one such vehicle, and The Golf Channel’s strong virtual presence helps us to share our message. By directing users to the GCSAA Web site, we can create a deeper relationship. It is also interactive because we provide a means for users to submit questions to us. We have already seen the public respond to us using this feature.”

To subscribe to The Golf Channel Insider, click here.

Players hats remember Virginia Tech victims

At least 32 Titleist players at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans donned maroon and orange Titleist golf hats with the Virginia Tech logo on the side to remember the shooting rampage that occurred on the Blacksburg, Va., campus last Monday.

Several other players and caddies wore Virginia Tech hats during the tournament.

 Johnson Wagner and Brendon De Jonge, former golf team members at Virginia Tech and roommates from 2000 to 2002, asked at the beginning of the week if they could wear Hokies hats instead of the Titleist caps they normally wear.

"We approached Mike Chisum, the Titleist rep, and I just asked if he wouldn't mind getting us some orange hats. He said, 'You know what, I'll see if I can't do one better than that,'" De Jonge said.

"I came out and looked in my locker the next day and I had six of these orange and maroon hats. I think he put one in all the Titleist guys' lockers. It's awesome, I think it's wonderful, it's what the PGA Tour is all about. In some way or form it affects everybody because it could have happened anywhere."

Eventual winner Nick Watney, who went to college across the country at Fresno State, was one of the Titleist players who wore the hat.

"If it helps even one person, then it's worth it for us," Watney said. "Hopefully we can do a little bit to help ease the pain that they're feeling up there."

"Green Infrastructure" solutions offered for water pollution

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson celebrated Earth Day by joining with four environmental organizations to promote the use of "green infrastructure" approaches, such as rain-catching roofs and gardens, to lessen sewer overflows and runoff after storms. 

The agreement formalizes a collaborative effort of EPA, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the Association of States and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Low Impact Development Center to assist state, city and local governments in implementing and evaluating innovative and effective green infrastructure approaches.   

These techniques allow stormwater and its pollutants to be managed using natural systems. They can help absorb, infiltrate, evaporate or reuse stormwater instead of using traditional large, buried sewer systems.

Rain barrels and cisterns, roofs covered with vegetation and plantings, tree boxes, rain gardens, and pocket wetlands are just a few examples of common green infrastructures. Water is treated as an important resource rather than a waste product. 

A variety of initiatives are included in the statement of intent. EPA and its partners plan to offer technical assistance, training, and outreach to potential users, including states, cities, counties, utilities, environmental and public health agencies, engineers, architects, landscape architects, planners and nongovernmental organizations. 

The creation of a Web-based resource center will assist communities in complying with requirements for combined sewer overflows and municipal stormwater permits. EPA also seeks to recognize the most effective and innovative uses of green infrastructure through awards and recognition programs.  For more, visit: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure.

2007 golf off to sluggish start

According to the National Golf Foundation, rounds played through February 2007 were down 15.8 percent on a same-facility basis, the weakest performance in three years for the same time period. In 2006, rounds were up 15.4 percent through February vs. 2005. And in 2005, rounds were flat vs. 2004 for the two-month period.

In February 2007, rounds were down 10.6 percent. Looking at the Central/South Florida and Southwest regions (where just over half of February rounds volume occurred), the number of play days doesn’t provide much guidance as to reasons for the decline play days were down only slightly in February 2007 vs. February 2006.

Rounds Played, 2007 vs. 2006

Source: NGF/Allied Golf Associations

Public facilities fall into one of three categories based on peak season weekend green fees with cart:

Premium (High) - Above $70
Standard (Middle) - $40-$70
Value (Low) - Below $40

Region 10 includes Hawaii; Region 11 includes Alaska.