Divot Mix

"To control his own ball, all alone without help or hindrance, the golfer must first and last control himself. At each stroke, the ball becomes a vital extension, an image of one's innermost self." -- John Stuart Martin, The Curious History of the Golf Ball

World Golf Hall of Fame to welcome five new members

The World Golf Hall of Fame will welcome five new members into the Hall of Fame at its annual Induction Ceremony Oct. 30. The Class of 2006, which includes Larry Nelson, Vijay Singh, Marilynn Smith and the late Mark McCormack and Henry Picard, will bring the Hall of Fame's membership to 114.

"The five inductees entering the Hall of Fame this year are truly deserving of the honor," said Jack Peter, Sr. VP and COO of the Hall of Fame. "The contributions and successes each has brought to the sport have added a great deal to its history. We look forward to their stories being recognized at the ceremony as well as being preserved in detail throughout the museum."

Selected in the Lifetime Achievement category, McCormack, the founder of IMG, will be introduced by Hall of Fame Member Arnold Palmer. Palmer became McCormack's first client in 1960, initiating the era of sports management and marketing that was the foundation for IMG, considered the world's foremost sports, entertainment and media company. Until McCormack's death in 2003, Palmer remained one of McCormack's closest friends.

Nelson, elected on the 2006 PGA Tour ballot, will be introduced by Hall of Fame Member and Global Ambassador Gary Player. Nelson credits a Player-written golf tip as serving to inspire him early in his golf career. For years, Nelson has regarded Player as a close friend and an individual who is a "consummate professional."

Picard, the Veteran's category selection, will be introduced by Hall of Fame Member Beth Daniel. Picard, a highly respected teacher, worked with Daniel on her game at the Country Club of Charleston, where they were both members.

Singh, elected on the 2005 PGA Tour ballot, will be introduced by Ted Forstmann, chairman and CEO of IMG Worldwide Inc. Partners in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am since 1993 and in the Dunhill Links Championship for over six years, Singh and Forstmann share a business relationship and close friendship.

Smith, a Lifetime Achievement inductee and one of the 13 original founders of the LPGA, will be introduced at the ceremony by Hall of Fame member Kathy Whitworth. Whitworth and Smith enjoy a friendship and camaraderie having played against each other in the 1960s and 70s.

For more visit http://www.wgv.com.

Do you have the next great golf invention?

The Golf Channel is developing a series intended to uncover the next new innovation in golf and it's looking for people of all ages and backgrounds, and with all types of golf inventions.

If you have a golf related invention, they want to hear about it for this potential new series. If the series is produced, inventors will have the opportunity to showcase their product to an entire world of golf enthusiasts, potentially turning it into the next big thing in golf.

For anyone who thinks they have the next big idea, information and an on-line application are available here. Do not submit photos, sketches, descriptions or other information about the nature of your product or idea at this time.

For questions and for additional information, please email inventions@golfchannel.com.

Study to collect data on golf course water use and conservation

GCSAA is conducting the first-of-its-kind nationwide survey to measure golf course water use and conservation.

The survey is part of a multi-year project being undertaken by GCSAA that will evaluate environmental performance on golf courses. The Golf Course Environmental Profile project is designed to collect information that will allow golf course superintendents and other facility personnel to become better managers, help facilities operate more efficiently and lead to GCSAA developing more valuable programs and services.

The information will include details about playing surfaces, natural resources, environmental stewardship efforts and maintenance practices on the golf course. It is being funded by The Environmental Institute for Golf, thanks in large part to a grant from The Toro Foundation.

The first survey was conducted earlier this spring when GCSAA queried both member and non-member superintendents regarding the physical characteristics of their golf course.

This second survey, measuring water use and conservation, will be conducted from Oct. 9 to Nov. 20.

"This project is important because the information will aid the environmental performance of golf courses," GCSAA Director of Research Clark Throssell, Ph.D., said. The data from the first survey are still being analyzed, but I am encouraged by the quality of the information we have received. The participation rate for the first survey was very strong and we expect even more facilities to complete the water survey and future surveys. The data gained from this project will provide valuable information for the entire golf industry."

The project is actually a series of surveys that will be conducted over many years. The goal is to collect information of the physical features found on a golf course, water use, water quality, wildlife and habitat management, energy use and nutrient and pesticide use. The project will be repeated to measure change over time.

"Golf courses are community assets from an environmental, economic and recreational perspective," Throssell said. "Years ago, we never thought golf courses would be used as habitat to restore species of wildlife, become part of a community's water purification process or be employed as an element of a city's green space program. Yet, that is happening today. I think we will find that in the future golf courses will have even greater value to communities. I believe this survey project will help guide the industry in attaining that."

For more on The Institute, visit www.eifg.org.

Michigan program receives national environmental award

The Michigan departments of Agriculture (MDA) and Environmental Quality (MDEQ) are receiving national recognition for their cooperative efforts in the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program (MTESP). Staff from MDA and MDEQ accepted the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable's Most Valuable Pollution Prevention award in Washington D.C. this week.

"Receiving national recognition for Michigan's MTESP demonstrates an organized effort of the turfgrass industry, state agencies, Michigan State University and environmental advocacy groups," said Mitch Irwin, MDA director. "This unique partnership provides a solid foundation for continued success, and the increase of environmental protections statewide."

"This award recognizes the tremendous success of this partnership," said MDEQ Director Steven Chester.  "The MTESP program encourages environmental stewardship across Michigan, and helps keep our waters clean."

The MTESP, a voluntary self-assessment program, allows golf property managers to evaluate and improve their level of environmental protection by partnering with state and local initiatives designed to enhance the environment, prevent pollution and protect natural resources. 

To date, 234 golf courses statewide voluntarily participate in the MTESP certification process, which requires regulatory compliance and implementation of practices that prevent pollution and protect water resources. As part of the program, an environmental action plan is established as a management tool to prevent potential threats from pesticides, fertilizers, fuel, and hazardous materials from negatively affecting natural resources with a special focus placed upon the protection of groundwater, which is often the source for golf course irrigation and drinking water

The Most Valuable Pollution Prevention award are made in conjunction with National Pollution Prevention Week, Sept. 18-24, to promote initiatives that seek to avoid, eliminate, or reduce pollution at the source.  For more information about this national effort, go to www.p2.org.