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| September 13, 2007 |
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Divot MixIt is nothing new or original to say that golf is played one stroke at a time. But it took me many years to realize it. -- Bobby Jones Greensburg, Kan. golf course to get makeover Members of the Kansas GCSA are headed to Greensburg, Kan., Sept. 20 to restore conditions at Cannonball Golf Course. The facility incurred damage from the May 4 tornado that virtually wiped out the southwestern Kansas community. The clubhouse sustained damage, and debris was strewn over the golf course. Volunteers, including area golf course superintendents, provided initial assistance in cleaning the course and readying it for high school graduation ceremonies.
"The city of Greensburg will persevere, thanks to the spirit of its residents and the support we have received from others such as members of the Kansas Golf Course Superintendents Association," said Stan Robertson, president of the board of directors for the golf course. "This is our small contribution to bettering the lives of the residents of Greensburg," said Matt Miller, golf course superintendent at Carey Park in Hutchinson, Kan., and coordinator of the project. "We approached the community with the idea of sprucing up the golf course and they could not have been more receptive." For more, including a list of participants, click here. RISE helps historic New Orleans landmark On Sept. 6, during its annual meeting, Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment, the national trade association for specialty pesticide and fertilizer manufacturers, formulators and distributors, provided resources, muscle and 20 volunteers for an afternoon’s work in the continued restoration effort of one of New Orleans’ most unique green spaces, Longue Vue House and Gardens. Longue Vue is an eight-acre historic site that reflects the city’s fight to bounce back from the well-documented devastation and damage caused by Hurricane Katrina two years ago. A national historic landmark, Longue Vue is located near the infamous 17th Street Canal, and is slowly working its way back to normalcy thanks to the many volunteers who have given their time, energy and money to bring back the beauty. "After the storm, about 80 percent of our grounds were under two feet of water," said Amy Graham, head gardener at Longue Vue. "There was a small portion up near the house that wasn’t submerged, but we also suffered severe wind damage and lost a number of trees along with a significant portion of our tree canopy." RISE volunteers, including two GCSAA staff members, worked under Graham’s guidance during an afternoon of weeding, replanting, raking, maintaining and restoring the gardens according to the original 1934 plan. After Katrina, 60 percent of Longue Vue’s plants were lost to flooding and wind damage, and Graham, the only one of five gardeners to return to make her home in New Orleans, was left to tackle a six-month clean up process. "Thanks to the volunteers, and different groups that came in to help out from all over the country, we were able to restore enough of the house and gardens to reopen in 2006, but we are still a shell of what we were," Graham said. "Longue Vue sponsors camps each summer where children learn about gardening, insects, art and conservation. We wanted to reopen the gardens as quickly as possible because the kids who were still around needed a place to escape from the devastation." "With the help of our volunteers, we are slowly recovering and beginning to replant, but we have neither the budget nor the staff yet to get things to where we want them to be," Graham said. "Thanks to individuals and organizations like RISE who pledge time, resources and make the effort, we are well on our way to restoring Longue Vue to its original beauty, but there is still plenty of work left to do." Visit the http://www.longuevue.com/ for more about the national historic landmark, its summer programs or instructions how to make a donation. Rounds up three consecutive months
With Texas being hard-hit by Mother Nature, the South Central and Gulf Coast registered the worst July performance regionally. And the South Central is down 10 percent for the year. Meanwhile, the Lower Midwest (up 8.9 percent) and Mid-Atlantic (up 8.0 percent) had the best showing in July. Rounds Played, 2007 vs. 2006
World Water Monitoring Day kicks off Sept. 18
In 2006, 3,900 sites were monitored in 39 countries, and the program is expected to grow in years to come. The event was started in 2002 by Roberta Savage, president and CEO of America’s Clean Water Foundation. increasing participation and expanded prompted transferring the program to the Water Environment Federation in 2006. Monitoring takes place from Sept. 18 through Oct. 18, and results can be reported until Dec. 18. |
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Same-facility rounds in the U.S. were up in 2007 vs. 2006 in the important summer months of May, June and July. However, given recent rain and flooding in the Midwest and South Central, the good news may not hold through August. Nevertheless, rounds were up 4.1 percent in July nationwide, bringing the year-to-date number to -0.4 percent. In fact, premium and mid-fee public courses moved into positive territory through the first seven months of the year.
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