Divot Mix

"It’s the U.S. Open. It’s not supposed to be easy." -- Sergio Garcia

River-friendly course featured on Green Links

This month's Green Links features Quail Brook Golf Course, which has the distinction of being the first River – Friendly golf course within the Raritan River Basin as recognized by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority.  Staff at the Somerset County Park Commission and Quail Brook Golf Course worked with the Water Supply Authority to implement best management practices for watershed protection and water quality protection. 

By developing wildlife habitat, vegetative buffers, water conservation techniques, and education programs Quail Brook Golf Course is helping to ensure its environmental health as well areas downstream of the course. 

The case study features Darrell Marcinek, CGCS, director of maintenance for Somerset County Park Commission. Green Links host Bob Farren Jr., CGCS, director of grounds and golf course management for Pinehurst Resort and Country Club is joined by Tera Petti, New Jersey Water Supply Authority as guest columnist.

EPA asks "How far do you live from where you work or play?'

If you ever wanted to tell the EPA what you thought on an environmental topic, now's your chance. Each week in the EPA blog, Greenversations, the agency ask a question as an open-ended blog entry, asking the public to offer comments.
 
This week the question is, "How far do you live from where you work or play? Why?" It's a follow-up from a few weeks ago when the agency asked "Why are you or aren’t you biking to work?" Many people said it depended on where they lived. So the EPA wanted to follow up on this point because where people live affects how you get around - to work, to school, to anyplace--which affects the environment.

Golfers live longer, according to study

The death rate for golfers is 40 percent lower than for other people of the same sex, age and socioeconomic status, according to a study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.

This equates to a five-year increase in life expectancy said the scientists, led by Anders Ahlbom and Bahman Farahmand at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. Golfers with a low handicap are the best protected, they noted.
 
"A round of golf means being outside for 4 or 5 hours, walking at a fast pace for  about 4 miles, something which is known to be good for health,'' Ahlbom said. "People play golf into old age, and there are also positive social and psychological aspects to the game that can be of help.''

The study was based on data from 300,000 Swedish golfers. Other factors, such as a generally healthy lifestyle, may help explain the lower death rate seen among golfers, the scientists said. It is still likely that playing the game has a significant impact in itself on health, Ahlbom and Farahmand said.

The effect on the death rate was greater for golfers from so-called blue-collar professions than for those from white- collar professions, the researchers said. The lowest rates of mortality were found in the group of players with the lowest handicap.

Kubota supports call to action for safe tractor operation

Kubota Tractor Corp. is taking advantage of National Safety Month in June to bring added attention to tractor and equipment safety. This year marks the 12th anniversary of National Safety Month, which has the theme of Make A Difference.

"National Safety Month is a great calendar trigger to put safety first in people’s minds as they use tractors, lawn and garden equipment, construction and utility vehicles," says Greg Embury, vice president of sales and marketing at Kubota. "This year’s National Safety Council theme mirrors Kubota’s mission to focus on tractor operation safety to make a difference and prevent accidental injuries."

Safety can be practiced year round, but Kubota suggests taking time this month to review safety information for tractor, mower and utility vehicle safety. A small time-commitment now could prevent an accident or fatality in the future.

This also is a good time to make certain that older tractors and equipment have a rollover protection structure and seatbelt to provide a protective zone around the operator if a rollover should occur.  Kubota has provided ROPS as standard equipment since 1985 – even before federal law required manufacturers to include ROPS on new tractors.

Additional safety information, including the "Ten Commandments of Tractor Safety" and a tractor safety coloring book, can be found at the Kubota Web site, http://www.kubota.com/.