Golf Courses Should we Encourage Wildlife on them
Often we come across new ways of thinking, some exceptionally brilliant and others fairly pedestrian by comparison. However, it is always worth looking at new ideas but one thing stands out with most golf courses and that is how you tend to feel a little closer to nature when you are playing a few rounds. Golf courses are the one sport where most countries agree on this one factor. I’ll leave it you to decide whether it should stay that way…
Golf is the sporting activity that has one of the most intimate interactions with the environment. There are over 25,000 golf courses in the world. Golf courses account for millions of ha of land all over the world. In our times of urban sprawl, these green spaces should satisfy the needs of golfers and also accommodate wildlife. Golf courses can become a proper habitat for desirable and sensitive wildlife species. This also represents a great advantage for the golf players as it improves the educational and aesthetic aspects of the golf course.
Habitats that can be found on a golf course vary greatly; there are: ponds, streams, grasslands, wetlands, savanna woods, mature forests, etc.
In the United States reports show that golf courses have already had an important role in conserving some important species, such as the tree swallow, Eastern bluebird, purple martin, osprey and red-cockaded woodpecker.
A wide variety of rare species have also been recorded on different golf courses in England, such as the sand crocus, the pasque flower, the sand lizard and the natterjack toad. The Royal St George’s GC in Kent provided a habitat for 11 orchid species.
In my opinion, any golf course has something to offer when it comes to wildlife conservation. Actually, all courses have some wildlife, but the goal is to use their full habitat potential. The wildlife that can be found on a course depends upon its soil, vegetation, climate, topography and so on. With the help of a professional biologist, the golf course manager can identify strategies that will lead to creating a more naturalistic landscape.
Lately, golf course management includes creating naturalistic landscapes. And this is not only due to ecological concerns, but also because this represents a cost-effective solution on the long run. This is because the more naturalistic courses require smaller quantities of pesticides, herbicides and water and therefore they can be maintained with less effort than the conventional golf courses.
There are some important steps to be followed in a habitat enhancement plan. A good selection of plants for the golf course is very important; the trees, shrubs, grasses and forbs are basic habitat components as they provide shelter and food. The plants have to be chosen considering the drainage, the amount of sun, the soil structure, and the already existing vegetation. A combination of ornamental plants, berries, nuts and seeds is the ideal one. It is important to know that native species of plants are less expensive to maintain, because they are naturally resistant to pests and diseases and they require less fertilizer and water.
The turf used on golf courses is often expensive and difficult to maintain. Therefore, it should be replaced with prairie grasses and wildflowers in out-of-play areas, on hills or along ponds. The drought tolerance of these plants can greatly reduce the use of water and fertilizer. Even if creating a naturalistic landscape requires higher costs until established, it is a good business, as the cost savings will be substantial over time.
The use of pesticides can be replaced by some natural methods for managing against pests. Hanging bat boxes will encourage bats to reside on the golf course. They consume thousands of insects every night, and this way you’ll get rid of mosquitoes, leafhoppers and moths. The birds also consume insects that are harmful to the plants, which live on bark, leaves and branches.
Here are some examples of ideas to be considered in order to increase the biodiversity of a golf course:
-Erection of different style bird boxes, depending on the species that can be found in the area.
-erect bat boxes
-ensurance of sufficient regeneration within woodlands
-introduce wildflowers into new woodlands
-try to reduce cutting intensity where possible
-avoid disturbance by vehicles and people in sensitive areas of the course
-control the coverage of bracken if threatening to more interesting habitats
-design natural locations such as prairies and wetlands
There are many people who oppose golf courses for environmental reasons. In theory, the large areas of land occupied by golf courses could be a natural habitat. The reality is that it would have most probably been used for urbanization or agriculture. The habitat loss is a misconception. Therefore, both ecologists and golf players should be happy with wildlife-friendly setting on the golf course.
Author - Chip Enrunn - Chip often writes for and with Golf Schools where there is far more information, news and resources. If that link is inactive, you can paste this link in your browser - golfing-schools.com
Tags: golf cars, golf course, Golf CoursesHow To Choose The Right Golf Clubs
Golf is a game which depends on the right kind of golf clubs, apart from the skill of course. With so many clubs out there, deciding which one to get can be a tough choice. Here are some tips on how to narrow down the range.
- Determine your levels for playing
Some play for the weekend activity and there are others who’d like to move up in the ranks. If the occasional pastime is your stride, a low- to mid-performance club can work for you, while a high-performance club is suitable to those who’ll play more often.
- Set a budget
The notion that the more costly the club, the better it is purely doesn’t hold water anymore. If you do enough research and read reviews you’ll find a club that matches your degree of interest. Don’t be fearful to check out used clubs as they can give you the best odds of getting the club you want at a good value.
Now that you know your interest level and have established a budget, here’s a concise run-through of kinds of golf clubs and what each one does.
Woods
A standard golfer’s bag will have a driver (called 1-wood) and a couple of fairway woods (3- and/or 5-wood). A driver is the longest club (typically 45 inches) making it the toughest to handle during a swing.
Irons
Irons feature thin clubheads with grooves on it. Experienced players opt for a blade style iron while beginners get a cavity-back style. A blade-style has a clubhead with a full back, while a cavity back’s clubhead is hollow. It is hollowed out to make a perimeter weighting effect helpful for less-experienced golfers.
Irons are categorized as long (1, 2, 3,4), mid- (5,6,7) and short (8,9). Short irons are the easiest to hit while the long ones are the hardest. The shorter the iron, the more loft there is and for beginners, the more loft, the better.
Putters
Putters are the clubs most regularly used in the game and come in clubhead styles of blade, heel-toe and mallet. Lengths come in belly putters, standard and broomstick (long) putters. Which selection to get is an individual pick.
Utility clubs/hybrids
The clubs combine features of woods and irons and are best for beginners who may not want to buy too many clubs straight out.
Lastly as a final word before bringing them out of the golf shop, most new clubs fit individuals at the typical height of 5′10″ for men and 5′5″ for women. If you are significantly shorter or taller than these numbers, you should get your club fitted to your height.
Begin with these considerations to develop on your study when choosing your golf clubs. The game becomes that much more fun with the little endeavor you make now.
PickUpGolf is a new golfing portal for golf lovers , with expert articles on golf tips and golf equipment reviews. Visit http://www.pickupgolf.com for free download of the complete guide on golf tips and techniques.
Tags: golf, golf clubs, Golf Courses, golf equipment, golf gifts, golf instructionUnderstanding The Basic Rules Of Golf
There are many people who embark on playing golf but do not really try to understand the rules or the golfing terms used. It’s good to at least understand the basic rules before a game of golf.
Golf is played by striking a ball using a club on an area called “teeing ground.” Once the ball is hit, it typically travels fairways across and onto a next prepared area. A hole could be found in this area that is called a “putting green.”
The objective of the game of golf is that one should be able to complete a hole by means of hitting a ball from a teeing ground and place it inside the hole of the putting green in as few strokes as possible. What is usually referred to as a round of golf generally consists of 18 holes to be played in.
In golf, there are mainly two kinds of play to pick from. The winner in one kind of play is determined by the holes that are lost and won, this is referred to as a match play.
The other kind of play is determined by the number of strokes one has taken to complete a round. This is called a stroke play.
When playing golf, there are two relevant rules to remember: as you find the course, go play it. As the ball lies, it should also be played as such.
If you find it hard to follow the above rule, at least try your very best to do what is reasonable. How do you know what is fair? Below are the summarized rules to give you a good idea of how to play a good game of golf.
The Intro: Basic golf courtesy
1. Avoid moving, chatting or standing too close to a golfer who is about to make a stroke.
2. Play with a minimum amount of delay. As quickly as the players in the group that you are in have left, it is just as best that you do the same. Try your best not to play until the group is already out of the way.
3. As much as possible, try to replace the divots. Also, remember to smooth any footprints found in the bunkers.
4. It is greatly inadvisable to drop your clubs on the putting green, so don’t!
The Rules of Playing
1. Before playing that all important round of golf, the first thing you should do is to read the local rules stated on the score card you are holding.
2. After which do not forget to place an identifying mark on the ball you are going to use. Some golfers use the same type and brand of golf ball, if in case your ball is placed among these bunch, you will have difficulty finding which is which.
3. Make sure that you get to count your clubs before actual play. You should have a maximum of fourteen clubs.
4. When beginning actual play, it is best that you tee off in front of the tee markers.
When you tee outside this specified area and you are playing a match play, your opponent may have to ask you to repeat the stroke you just did. The good thing when one does this in a match play, you get to incur no penalty. However, if in a stroke play, you then are given a penalty of two-stroke.
5. If while you are playing and your golf ball happens to lie in a bunker or a water hazard, you should not in any way touch the ground of the bunker or the water before you do your down swing.
6. The ball must as much as possible be struck fairly and should neither be spooned or pushed.
7. It is alright for you to mark the ball that you are using. You could take your ball, clean it and place it on the exact place where it was.
8. When dropping a ball, it is best that you stand upright and then hold the ball at the length of your shoulder, and then you may drop it. If by dropping the ball it happens to strike your partner, you or your caddie, the ball must then be dropped again with no penalty.
9. It is also fine for you to lift your ball if by doing so you are able to assist another player. Or you also may lift any other ball as long as that ball interferes with your playing or interferes another player.
PickUpGolf is a new golfing portal for golf lovers, with expert articles on golf tips and golf equipment reviews. Visit http://www.pickupgolf.com for free download of the complete guide on golf tips and techniques.
Tags: golf, golf clubs, Golf Courses, golf equipment, golf gifts, golf instruction
