Divot Mix

In golf, humiliations are the essence of the game. -- Alistair Cooke

"Golf Course" stretches 2.3 million yards

In an effort to keep up with modern technology, golf courses have been lengthened and strengthened, but Andre Tolme is taking that idea to an unheard of extreme.

In fact, at 2.3 million yards, his "golf course" covers the breadth of Mongolia, and has an estimated par of 11,880 strokes. He teed off on his cross-country adventure more than a year ago on June 19, 2003, with a single three iron as his set. Although that's a comparatively light bag for a modern golfer, he has used it more than 9,500 times.

He's now well onto the back nine, playing the 15th hole, probably happy to have the longest hole on the course behind him. The demanding 196,783-yard 13th took a toll on his score , requiring 1,096 strokes, or 251 over par.

Of course, the question everyone asks is, "Why?" It's clearly one that he's answered before, and on his Web site at http://www.golfmongolia.com/ , He says "Am I doing this to set a world record?, for charity?, because I've lost my mind? I guess there's no simple answer other than "just because I want to."

The goals listed for the project are:

• To raise awareness about the country of Mongolia, its people, culture, geography and place in world history.
• To pioneer the sport of Extreme Golf.
• To successfully complete an ambitious personal challenge.
• And to expand the artistic imagination by performing an original act.

As to the course conditions and Mongolia's place in the world of golf, Tolme says, "As I wander across this land, there is no doubt in my mind that golf must have originated here. The horses, goats, and sheep keep the fairways mowed down to the perfect playable height; every day is a sunny day (perfect for golf); and the marmot holes make perfect targets. Archaeologists recently uncovered human remains in central Asia that were covered in Tartan plaid fabric. Do we really need more evidence than this?"

Birds count in this Open

The 2004 North American Birdwatching Open is over and the count has been tallied. According to Audubon International 32 species of warblers, 13 species of hawks, and 10 species of woodpeckers were among the 317 different species of birds counted on the 68 golf courses that participated in the recent event.

The Birdwatching Open is conducted over 24 hours on golf courses that participate in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary and Audubon Signature Programs. Teams of bird watchers record as many different bird species as they can to provide a snapshot of bird activity on golf courses at the height of bird migration in May. Audubon International encourages courses to play an active role in conserving habitat for birds and protecting overall environmental quality.

Eagles Landing Golf Course in Berlin, Md., sighted 95 different bird species during the day to record the highest number of species.

Birders at Turning Stone Casino Resort in Verona, N.Y., sighted 92 species and Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill. came away with 90 species, to place second and third respectively.

Close on their heels were Tartan Park Golf Course in Lake Elmo , Minn., with 82 species and Gull Lake View Golf Club in Augusta , Mich., with 79 species.

“A great variety of birds are clearly finding habitat on North America's golf courses during migration,” stated Jean Mackay, director of educational services for Audubon International. “When courses manage their out-of-play areas to include wildlife habitat, America's birds benefit.” The diversity of species overall and the number of birds recorded per site reflect both the geographical spread of golf courses across North America and the wide range of habitats found on and around these sites. Forty-four percent of participants identified 50 or more species, while only 13 percent counted less than 30.

Data from this year's event proved to be highly consistent with data gathered since the event was first held in 1998. The top 25 birds sighted remained nearly unchanged. Mourning doves, common grackles, and red-winged blackbirds topped the list of birds sighted. From there, the inventory of birds gets more interesting, with sightings of great blue heron on nearly 80 percent of courses and 41 records of seven endangered and threatened species, including bald eagles, wood storks and sandhill cranes.

“In the end, the greatest challenge of the North American Birdwatching Open is not in counting the most birds, but in calling all golf courses to take account of wildlife and other environmental aspects of management,” shared Mackay. “When properly managed, golf courses can make a valuable contribution to the rich diversity of avian species across North America.” For more, visit http://www.auduboninternational.org .

Best of the 2004 Birdwatching Open

Many birds migrate along fairly predictable routes known as flyways. These follow major rivers, coastlines, and mountain ridges. Audubon International has divided its “Best of” list along these flyways to account for regional variation.

Best of the Atlantic Flyway (Includes : Georgia, Alabama, South and North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and all states North and East; Ontario, Quebec and Maritime Provinces, Canada )

• Eagle's Landing Golf Course, Berlin, MD (95)
• Turning Stone Casino Resort, Verona, NY (92)
• Club at Seabrook Island, Johns Island, SC (63)

Best of the Mississippi and Great Lakes Flyway (Includes: Southeast to Great Lakes states bordering the Mississippi River-- Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota; and Manitoba, Saskatchewan Canada )

• Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields, Ill. (90)
• Tartan Park Golf Course, Lake Elmo, Minn. (82)
• Gull Lake View Golf Club, Augusta, Mich. (79)

Best of the Central Flyway (Includes: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Nebraska, South and North Dakota, Wyoming, and Alberta, Canada )

• Shadow Glen Golf Club, Olathe, Kan. (76)
• Lake Quivira Golf Course, Lake Quivira, Kan. (64)
• Wilderness Golf Course, Lake Jackson, Texas (56)

Best of the Pacific Flyway (Includes: Western states, including Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho; British Columbia, Canada )

• Crystal Springs Golf Course, Burlingame, Calif. (57)
• Spokane Country Club, Spokane, Wash. (35)
• Royal Oaks Country Club, Vancouver, Wash. (27)

Best of the Southern Zone (Where most migratory birds have already left or passed through by May 12, including Florida, and the southern portion of Gulf Coast States and Southern Texas )

• Heritage Pines Golf Club, Hudson, Fla. (74)
• Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Patrick AFB, Fla. (58)
• Twin Eagles Country Club, Naples, Fla. (57)

  ---

ARS scientists look at precipitation trends

If you were hoping for some good news about precipitation trends, maybe you shouldn't pay any attention to the theories of scientists at the Agricultural Research Service 's Grazinglands Research Laboratory in El Reno, Okla.

They contend Americans have grown used to an overabundance of rain. In fact, they want everyone involved in water management today to prepare for normal, drier precipitation patterns.

Soil scientist Jean Steiner warns that drier conditions would increasingly stress water-supply systems, causing water-usage conflicts. She adds that management strategies that account for precipitation variations--and use the latest technologies--should be developed.

Among the things Steiner and her colleagues--hydraulic engineer Jurgen Garbrecht and hydrologists Michael W. Van Liew and John X. Zhang--are focusing on is a how computer-generated seasonal forecast and precipitation-trend data can be tailored to help gauge long-term effects of drier conditions on streamflow and water supplies.

Garbrecht and Schneider studied National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records from 1895 to 2001 and found that precipitation over the United States from 1971 to 2000 was about four percent higher than during the entire period studied. It's now been drier over the past couple of years, something the researchers see as perhaps the start of a new trend.

One study, by Van Liew, showed how reliance on abundant rainfall can lead to problems in drier times. When precipitation in an Oklahoma creek was 20 percent greater than average, streamflow increased by 39 percent; but when precipitation was 40 percent greater than average, streamflow increased by 96 percent.

Meanwhile, Zhang related this research directly to agriculture by using seasonal climate forecasts and climate-change projections to measure the effects of short- and long-range variations on water runoff, soil erosion and winter wheat production. He took actual changes in precipitation and temperatures between 1950 and 1999, and those projected for 2056 to 2085, and from them constructed five climate-change scenarios showing how soil erosion and crop production may change if various climate factors change.