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April 3, 2008 |
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"Rough is a curse that clever design should be able to do without and we should take no notice of what we see from America on our televisions. It is moronic and one-dimensional to think the game is better when it is played from long green grass." -- Mike Clayton, golfer, architect and journalist April Green Links features organic golf
In the case study of the club, featured this month in Green, Jeff Carlson, CGCS, provides insight into the challenges of organic maintenance and the importance of outreach education with the golfers and community. Bob Farren, CGCS and director of grounds and golf course management for Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, features Carlson’s work in the April edition of Green Links on The Environmental Institute for Golf’s Web site www.eifg.org.  Bob Labbance fundraiser set Warm up for the Masters online The Masters is almost here, but for those who can't wait the Masters Web site offers an online putting game that lets players try their hand at putting the challenging greens of Augusta National Golf Club. ASGCA Provides Strategies for Designing for Pace of Play Pace of play is an issue often discussed at the player level. But, members of the American Society of Golf Course Architects are also addressing this at the design level.
Courses offering faster play usually benefit from a combination of factors including quality professional management, and the cooperation both of those playing and those directing play. However, according to Forrest, faster play also results from course designs that pay special attention to routing designs and tactical layouts of tees, greens and fairways. "Common sense tells us that shorter, wider courses will play faster than longer, narrow ones, particularly for the average and beginning players," notes Forrest. "But, other design elements should also be taken into account." Other design elements that can help speed play include:
For a list of free publications on golf course remodeling, development, master planning and golf course architect selection, visit http://www.asgca.org. UK Golf Participation – a new report According to Sports Marketing Surveys, the number of golfers in Great Britain is still about 4 million– where it has been since 2000. The same is true for regular golfers who play at least 12 times a year. The 1.65 million today is almost exactly the same level as in 2000. Among regular golfers, 566,000 play once a week or more--a number that has been gradually declining over the last few years. Driving range usage meanwhile has steadily increased since 2002, and there are now more than 3 million golfers visit a range each year. Fewer than 28 percent of all golfers (1.1 million) are members of a club, a decrease of 4 percent since 2006. But because club members each play nearly 40 rounds of golf a year they account for 59 percent of all rounds played. Sports Marketing Surveys believes that there is still room for golf to grow, as 10 percent of the 16-44 age group play golf, while only seven percent of those aged over 45 are playing. The challenge is to keep the younger generation in the game. Contact Tony Scott. Tips to Practice "Safe Sun" Dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Hale knows that the unprotected sun exposure people often seek can result in skin damage, premature aging or even certain types of skin cancer. "When the tan shows, the cellular damage is already done," she warns. In fact, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one blistering sunburn when you are young more than doubles your chance of developing a melanoma later in life. So, when spending time outside, protecting your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays is critical. "I recommend using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that provides UVA/UVB protection with a high SPF," says Hale. She also says to remember that the sun’s rays are ever present. UV rays penetrate clouds, reflect off snow and UVA rays even pass through glass. Although you may be tempted by the allure of a tan today, the damage you’ll do could make you look a whole lot worse in the future. More guidelines from Dr. Hale:
Earth Day celebrated throughout April
Molly O'Neill, EPA's chief information officer will host an online discussion on April 24th at 2 p.m EDT. She will highlight the agency's National Dialogue on Access to Environmental Information and take ideas for improving access, including suggestions to improve EPA's homepage. For more, visit http://www.epa.gov/askepa. |
"A properly designed, well-drained course with ample playable areas, properly placed bunkers, visible water hazards and smaller greens usually plays fastest," said Steve Forrest, president. "ASGCA architects work with developers to design courses that are challenging but not overwhelming. This keeps play moving without detracting from the player’s overall experience."
How can you reduce your carbon footprint, make your home or business water efficient or make sure our nation's beaches stay clean this summer? April 22 is Earth Day and this year, the EPA is launching several online initiatives throughout the month of April to help raise environmental awareness.
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