Divot Mix

"The strategy of golf is the thing which gives the short accurate player a chance with a longer hitter who cannot control his direction or distance." -- George C. Thomas Jr.

First Accessible Golf Pro-Am scheduled

The National Alliance for Accessible Golf has scheduled the first Accessible Golf Pro-Am to benefit programs that promote golf opportunities for people with disabilities. The event will be July 16, 2007, at the Toledo (Ohio) Country Club, with a reception and silent auction July 15.

Celebrities and pro golfers from around the country will take a swing at raising awareness and promoting opportunities for people with disabilities to play golf.  Amateur golfers will have the opportunity to join professional golfers from the LPGA Tour and Nationwide Tour, including Dina Ammaccapane, Judy Dickenson, Brad Elder, Kate Golden, Jeff Klauk (Son of TPC Sawgrass GCSAA Class A superintendent Fred Klauk), Michelle McGann, Keith Nolan, Rene Powell, Amy Read, Chris Smith, Cheryl Stacey and Kim Williams among others. World famous golf trick-shot artist Dennis Walters will be on hand to inspire and entertain the guests with his mastery of golf.

Opportunities for sponsorships at a variety of levels are available, for details, click here.

The National Alliance for Accessible Golf is a charitable organization working to ensure the opportunity for all individuals with disabilities to play the game of golf. It is represented by major golf organizations in the United States, organizations that provide services for people with disabilities, and others who advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities into society.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 51 million Americans with some form of disability. Almost 1 in 5 U.S. residents has a disability. According to a study conducted by the National Center on Accessibility in cooperation with Clemson University, only 10 percent of persons with some disability play golf. However, 35 percent of individuals with disabilities not currently playing golf are interested in learning.

The Alliance includes:

• American Therapeutic Recreation Association
• CMAA
• GCSAA
• LPGA
• National Center on Accessibility
• NGCOA
• National Recreation and Park Association
• PGA of America
• PGA Tour
• USGA

For more information on the Pro-Am, visit http://www.accessgolf.org/.

Rain Bird launches film competition on water conservation

Rain Bird Corp. is giving filmmakers and irrigation professionals the opportunity to showcase their cinematic talents while bringing about a greater knowledge and awareness of the need for water conservation in the face of a water crisis of global proportions.

The Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition seeks short films (1-20 minutes in actual or excerpted run time) that focus on the topic of water conservation.  Narrative, documentary, animated, experimental and/or student-made productions should explore approaches and ideas to intelligently manage and efficiently utilize the Earth's most precious resource.

Landscape architects, contractors, specifiers and others involved in the irrigation industry who are interested in filmmaking are also encouraged to submit films.  As front-line purveyors of "smart irrigation" awareness, these professional groups can draw on their experiences to provide unique and thought-provoking perspectives on water conservation.

Filmmakers who submit their short film (in English) on DVD/VHS or electronically via the competition Web site, www.iuowfilm.com, will have their films reviewed by a panel of judges with academic, professional, industrial or governmental expertise in film and/or water conservation. Finalists will be selected and invited to a screening event on Sept. 30, 2007, in Los Angeles at the LA Arboretum, where the winners will be announced and awarded cash prizes of $6,000 for judges' selection and $3,000 for audience's pick.

"Films such as Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth demonstrate the powerful influence that the film medium has on affecting positive change among the public," said Dave Johnson, Rain Bird's corporate marketing director. "In light of the great impact that scarcity and mismanagement of water will have on the whole world, providing forums such as The Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition enables people to actively exercise their influence and raise awareness of these important issues."

All entries must be submitted on DVD or VHS in NTSC format or as a .mov, .wmv or .mpg file and received no later than Aug. 15, 2007, for consideration.  Visit http://www.iuowfilm.com for more information on the competition and entry requirements.

Ryder Cup 2010 to advance sustainability in golf

The Celtic Manor Resort located in Newport, Wales and host venue for The Ryder Cup in 2010, has announced that the event will be one of golf’s most environmentally sustainable events.

Following a series of meetings between Ryder Cup Europe, Ryder Cup Wales and The Celtic Manor Resort owner Sir Terry Matthews, all parties have expressed their firm commitment to the matches becoming the greenest Ryder Cup ever. The partners will formulate a detailed environmental action plan, which will also evaluate the potential to become the first international golf event to participate in the European Commission’s Eco Management and Audit Scheme.

Making the announcement, Richard Hills, Ryder Cup director, said, "The Ryder Cup has been cognizant of the need for environmental stewardship for many years.  We gained experience of dealing with environmental issues in 1997 at Valderrama, in 2002 at The Belfry, and most recently, at The K Club last year. 

"However, we have recognized that the environmental debate is moving and there is a need to extend further, into new and challenging areas.  The Eco Management and Audit Scheme is a very useful mechanism to help us better identify, avoid and mitigate the event’s environmental impacts and we will explore further its application for 2010."

Matthews said, "There has always been a strong commitment to preservation of the archeological sites of interest within the resort. This welcome new initiative reflects my own views and the standards we strive for throughout the resort. We already have one of the highest levels of environmental awards available in Wales in Green Dragon Level 4 and we are committed to setting new environmental standards in hosting the Wales Open event annually and, of course, at The 2010 Ryder Cup event itself."

The announcement also quickly gained the support of Europe’s 2008 Ryder Cup Captain, Nick Faldo, who found time from his hectic schedule to fly into Vienna to participate in the Congress.

Faldo said, "This is wonderful news for The Ryder Cup and for golf as a whole.  The essence of The Ryder Cup tradition is integrity and sportsmanship.  It is one of the world’s great sporting occasions, and it is entirely right that the Ryder Cup should also play its part in setting new standards within event staging and that it takes responsibility wherever possible in addressing the environmental challenges we all face."

The work will be coordinated by Golf Environment Europe, the non profit specialists in sustainability in golf.  Bjorn Nordberg, chairman, said, "GEE is delighted to be at the heart of this activity.  We have been actively supporting golf organisations in their work to address environmental issues, and commend Ryder Cup Ltd and its partners for now making a commitment which assists in European golf’s efforts to play a credible role in the drive for greater sustainability in society."

Hot, dry spring worsens Southeast drought

The fifth warmest spring on record for the contiguous U. S. occurred in 2007, while a record-dry spring led to worsening drought conditions in the Southeast, according to the National Climatic Data Center. And a severe-weather outbreak in the nation's midsection brought devastating tornadoes in early May,

For the contiguous U.S., the average temperature for May was 2.08 F above the 20th century mean and the 11th warmest May on record, based on preliminary data. Most of the contiguous U.S. was warmer than normal with the exception of only Texas and South Carolina.

May 2007 was the driest on record for Georgia, while it was third driest for Ohio and Alabama, and the Southeast Region overall. By contrast, parts of the High Plains and Southwest were wetter than normal in May. Texas, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota were all much wetter-than-normal for the month.

This was also the driest spring on record for Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. On the regional scale, the middle third of the U.S. was wetter or much wetter-than-normal, while the Southeast Region had its driest spring on record.

Approximately 34 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in moderate-to-exceptional drought in early June, according to the federal U.S. Drought Monitor.

Drought impacts have included low stream flows and mountain snow pack, parched soils and pastureland, and numerous wildfires. The dry conditions across the Southeast worsened wildfire activity during May across Florida and southern Georgia.

Severe-to-extreme drought conditions were felt across the Southeast, with drought spreading across parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and North Carolina.

The past 12 month period was the driest on record for California and Nevada. The abnormally dry conditions have led to severe-to-extreme drought from the southern California coast eastward to Arizona and north along the Sierra Nevada Mountains into the Great Basin.

More data, graphics and analysis are available online at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2007/may/may07.html.