Today, 22 April, is Earth Day and let us remember that golf courses are part of nature and should not be a threat to it. They provide a natural, protected habitat for birds and mammals. An average golf course will convert Co2 into oxygen to support 7,000 people.
However there are challenges that need to be addressed. Over the last few years the use of chemical agents in maintaining courses has dropped considerably. The widespread use from the 1950s onwards of dangerous lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury to fight insects, fungus and the weed grass poa annua has been rejected. Herbicides and nitrogen phosphates are in decline too.
More research has been done into growing new strains of drought tolerant grasses. They in turn will help water conservation as will allowing non irrigated parts of the course to grow.
Another challenge is that of coastal erosion in low lying courses, particularly here in the East of England. The courses around the Brancaster area of Norfolk are in threat of literally falling into the sea.
C T Pan, from Taipei, is the PGA Tour’s unlikeliest winner when he pulled off victory in the RBS Heritage Classic at Harbour Town Golf Links, South Carolina on Sunday. His first tour victory was well earned with a final round of 67 -12 under par. He had 3 birdies in 4 hooes mid round and another on 16 . All season Pan’s form has been average with no top 15 finish and his statistics show 171st in driving distance, 73rd in greens in regulatiinand 150 in strokes gained putting. Neverthless he played a lot better than World Number One Dustin Johnson who he trailed by two strokes going into the final round. Johnson’s game fell apart on the back nine with a scrappy 77 which included 3 consecutive bogeys and two double bogeys
C T Pan wasnt going to play this week, his wife told him to be there, and he had his first win beating Matt Kuchar by one stroke.
So there is now a social media account where people can recount their sightings of Tiger Woods. This gentleman and his young daughter met him at Sir Tiger of Isleworth’s restaurant The Woods in Jupiter, Florida. I think it’s one of my favourite photographs of Tiger, he just looks so different now. And the cap he is wearing is a tribute to his famous headcover, Frank the Tiger.
On the 4th of June the 4th Womens Golf Day will be held at venues around the globe and this year the Annika Foundation will be in partnership with Elisa Gaudet’s initiative. Annika Sorenstam’s charity helps to reach and support women and girls in golf.
The one day 4 hour global experience for women and girls is about learning skills that last a lifetime and last year rook place in 92 venues in 52 countries with 50,000 women and girls trying golf for the first time. There were 15 million global impressions to 10 million users of twitter and Instagram.
Founder Elisa Gaudet says that “Annika is a global icon and champion for women around the works to get into golf and succeed. She has been a great supporter since we started to engage, empower and support women through golf in 2016, We support Annika in her goals for the Annika Foundation. Events will take place not just at private clubs but at golf centres, Top Golf, driving ranges and golf stores.
Look out for #Womensgolfday, @womensgolfday and womensgolfday.com.
An engaging and inspiring campaign is taking place this week with the first #Golf Health Week which will raise awareness of the health benefits of golf for people of all ages. Fitness, mental health, disability, health at golf clubs and golf for everyone, which has specific projects for people living with dementia, stroke, Parkinsons disease and loneliness. Digital and social media will be used to promote the physical and mental benefits of playing golf.
The campaign is supported by the R&A, European Tour, Ladies European Tour, PGA, Golf Foundation, England Golf, Scottish Golf, Wales Golf and the Golfing Union of Ireland and the Irish Ladies Golf Association. The European Disabled Golfers Association, the PGAs of Europe and Golf Australia have shown interest in supporting too. Ambassadors are Annika Sorenstam, Padraig Harrington, Brooke Henderson and Zach Johnson, The dedicated week builds on the golf and health research project started in 2016.
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of the R&A said “it is important to demonstrate that playing golf can provide significant benefits for the health and wellbeing of those who participate in the sport. We’re encouraging people to tweet their steps taken and calories burned as they play golf and to head to the fairways over the Easter holidays”.
The campaign aims to tackle physical inactivity and prevent serious illnesses developing such as hear disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. It is now established that people who play golf will live five years longer than if they did not play any sport.
Frilford Heath Golf Club are one of the clubs taking part, and this film explains what they will be doing.
There’s an eminem video filmed at Top Golf but the language was so bad I wouldnt post it. Perhaps listening to so much rap music before he tees off might be the cause of Rahm’s fieriness on the course.Just saying.
golfweloveit 